The Australian Society of Authors (ASA) congratulates the Labor party on its re-election to government, and looks forward to continued collaboration with the Arts Minister on policy and strategy that supports authors and illustrators, strengthens the book industry, and backs literature and reading, as part of the national cultural policy, Revive.

Lucy Hayward, ASA CEO, said, ‘We extend our congratulations to Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and the Labor Government on their federal election win and second term, which we appreciate is being called “one for the books”.

‘We welcome the momentum that Labor’s re-election will bring, with their ongoing commitment to Revive and the establishment of Writing Australia to deliver a national vision for literature. Authors and illustrators sit at the heart of our national culture, and this dedicated body represents a real opportunity not only to nurture their talent but to build a strong framework for the book industry for years to come.’  

With $19.3 million in funding, Writers Australia will:

• support writers and illustrators to create new works
• invest in a network of key organisations delivering public value for Australians
• develop national industry initiatives and international markets to maximise exposure and access to global markets 
• establish a national Poet Laureate to promote poetry and mentor up-and-coming poets 
• deliver the Prime Minister’s Literary Awards.

One of the major promises for authors in Revive has already been delivered, with the expansion of Lending Rights to include digital formats, following years of campaigning by the ASA. 

Writing Australia is set to commence its activities in July of this year. 

Alongside the Australian Publishers Association, Australian Library and Information Association, and BookPeople, the ASA supported the Books Create Australia 2025 election campaign, urging federal election candidates to invest in the future of the book industry by making a commitment to:

• fund Australian authors
• ensure AI is fair
• back Australian stories and publishers
• invest in reading
• guarantee support for libraries
• grow our local bookshops
• sustain our literary life.

‘One of the commitments of Revive is a strong copyright framework to support a flourishing cultural and creative sector. This commitment is under great strain due to the emergence of artificial intelligence. AI regulation is imperative to protect the livelihoods of Australian authors and illustrators,’ says Hayward. ‘We will continue to urge the government to introduce policy and regulation to ensure AI developers are transparent, seek consent, offer credit, and compensate creators fairly for the use of their work.’