Awards: Firecracker; Australian Book Industry; Branford Boase

The finalists in five categories for the Firecracker Awards, sponsored by the Community of Literary Magazines and Presses and honoring "the best of independently and self-published literature," can be seen here. The awards ceremony takes place Thursday, June 7, in New York City.

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Australian Book Industry Award winners include:

Nevermoor: The Trials of Morrigan Crow and its author, Jessica Townsend, won three awards: Book of the Year, Book of the Year for Younger Readers and the Matt Richell Award for New Writer of the Year.

Other winners:

Biography Book of the Year: Working Class Man by Jimmy Barnes
General Fiction Book of the Year: The Secrets She Keeps by Michael Robotham
Literary Fiction Book of the Year: See What I Have Done by Sarah Schmidt
General Nonfiction Book of the Year: The Trauma Cleaner: One Woman's Extraordinary Life in Death, Decay & Disaster by Sarah Krasnostein

Audiobook of the Year: The 91-Storey Treehouse, written and illustrated by Andy Griffiths and Terry Denton, narrated by Stig Weymss

Lloyd O'Neil Award for Outstanding Service to the Australian Book Industry: Suzy Wilson, owner of Riverbend Books and founder of the Indigenous Literary Foundation

The Pixie O'Harris Award for Outstanding Commitment to Children's Literature: Jane Covernton, former owner and publisher of Working Title Press

Independent Retailer of the Year: Readings
National Retailer of the Year: Dymocks
Small Publisher of the Year: Thames & Hudson
Rising Star of the Year: Shalini Kunahlan (Text Publishing)
Publisher of the Year: HarperCollins

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A shortlist has been released for the 2018 Branford Boase Award, which "celebrates the most promising book for seven-year-olds and upwards written by a first-time novelist and also highlights the importance of the editor in the development of new authors." The winning writer, who will be announced July 4 in London, is awarded £1,000 (about $1,355). Both author and editor receive a hand-crafted silver-inlaid box. This year's shortlisted titles are:

A Jigsaw of Fire and Stars by Yaba Badoe, edited by Fiona Kennedy
The Starman and Me by Sharon Cohen, edited by Sarah Lambert
Fish Boy by Chloe Daykin, edited by Leah Thaxton
Knighthood for Beginners by Elys Dolan, edited by Clare Whitston and Elv Moody
Kick by Mitch Johnson, edited by Rebecca Hill and Becky Walker
Potter's Boy by Tony Mitton, edited by Anthony Hinton
The City of Secret Rivers by Jacob Sager Weinstein, edited by Gill Evans

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