Text Publishing

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title: "Text Publishing" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["publishing-companies-of-australia", "companies-based-in-melbourne", "book-publishing-companies-of-australia"] description: "Australian publisher" topic_path: "geography/australia" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Text_Publishing" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0

::summary Australian publisher ::

::data[format=table title="Infobox publisher"]

Field	Value
name	Text Publishing
founded	1994
founder	Diana Gribble and Eric Beecher
country	Australia
headquarters	Melbourne
distribution	Penguin Random House (Australia)
Consortium Book Sales & Distribution (North America)
Turnaround Publisher Services (Europe, Middle East)
keypeople	Michael Heyward, Penny Heuston
publications	Books, journals
url
::

| name = Text Publishing | image = | caption = | parent = | status = | traded_as = | predecessor = | founded = 1994 | founder = Diana Gribble and Eric Beecher | successor = | country = Australia | headquarters = Melbourne | distribution = Penguin Random House (Australia) Consortium Book Sales & Distribution (North America) Turnaround Publisher Services (Europe, Middle East) | keypeople = Michael Heyward, Penny Heuston | publications = Books, journals | topics = | genre = | imprints = | revenue = | owner = | numemployees = | url =

Text Publishing is an Australian publisher of fiction and non-fiction, based in Melbourne, Victoria.

Company background

Text Media was founded in Melbourne in 1990 by Diana Gribble and Eric Beecher, along with designer Chong Weng Ho and others, with a small book publishing division known as Text Publishing. Michael Heyward joined in 1992, and the small publishing house became independent in 1994.

When Text Media was taken over by Fairfax Media in 2004, Michael Heyward and his wife Penny Hueston entered into a joint venture with Scottish publisher Canongate.

Maureen and Tony Wheeler, founders of Lonely Planet, bought Canongate's share in Text in 2011, making it a wholly Australian-owned company.

In 2012, Text launched a series of Australian classics, republishing out-of-print works.

In January 2025, Text announced that it had been acquired by Penguin Random House.

People

As of August 2022, Heyward was the publisher.

Awards

Text awards

The Text Prize for Young Adult and Children’s Writing was inaugurated in 2008 and is awarded annually. As of 2021 it was valued at AU$10,000. In January 2025, Text announced that it had discontinued this award.

In 2021 Text announced the Steph Bowe Mentorship for Young Writers. It is open to writers under 25 years of age and provides 20 hours of manuscript development assistance and writers' centre membership to the winner.

Awards won by Text

Text has won the ABIA Small Publisher of the Year award three times, and in both 2018 and 2019 was awarded the Leading Edge Books Small Publisher of the Year award.

Significant publications

Notable publications by Text include:

• Eucalyptus by Murray Bail

• Dancing with Strangers by Inga Clendinnen

• The Weather Makers by Tim Flannery

• Stasiland by Anna Funder

• The Secret River by Kate Grenville

• *The Henson Case * by David Marr (2008)

• The Rosie Project by Graeme Simsion (2013)

• Truth by Peter Temple Winners of the Miles Franklin Award published by Text include:

• Bodies of Light by Jennifer Down

• The Labyrinth by Amanda Lohrey

• Truth by Peter Temple

References

References

1. "Text Publishing".
2. (22 August 2022). "Twenty Years of Text".
3. Steger, Jason. (14 August 2014). "Text Publishing celebrates 20-year milestone".
4. [http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2004/08/04/1091557910975.html "A very passionate Text life"], ''[[The Age. Age]]'', 7 August 2004.
5. "Text Publishing starts its next chapter with new owner, but still independent". COMTEX News Network, Inc.
6. "Text Publishing Leaves Fairfax Stable". Australian Bookseller & Publisher.
7. (4 October 2011). "Wheelers, dealers and Melburnians". The Age.
8. "Text Classics". Text Publishing.
9. [http://www.theage.com.au/federal-politics/society-and-culture/classics-going-to-waste-20120121-1qb9z.html "Classics going to waste"], ''[[The Age]]'', 22 January 2012.
10. Burke, Kelly. (2025-01-22). "Australian independent publishing stalwart Text acquired by global giant Penguin Random House". The Guardian.
11. (2021-07-12). "Text Prize 2021 shortlist announced".
12. (2025-01-14). "Text Prize discontinued". Books+Publishing.
13. (2021-02-23). "Text announces Steph Bowe Mentorship for Young Writers".
14. (22 August 2022). "About Text".
15. Story, Hannah. (2022-07-20). "Winner of $60,000 literary award draws attention to systemic abuses in Australian out-of-home care". ABC News.
16. (2021-07-15). "$60,000 Miles Franklin awarded to a novel 'soaked in sadness' that is ultimately about hope".
17. (2010-06-22). "'Truth' wins 2010 Miles Franklin Literary Award". Books+Publishing.

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