New appointment to the Public Lending Right Committee

The Albanese Labor Government has today announced the appointment of Mr Will Kostakis to the Public Lending Right Committee as an author representative for a four-year term.

The Committee is responsible for the administration of the Public Lending Right Scheme. 

The Scheme ensures Australian book publishers and creators are compensated for the free multiple use of their work in Australian public and educational lending libraries.

Will Kostakis is a bestselling author who, as a high school student, won the Sydney Morning Herald Young Writer of the Year for a collection of short stories. 

Minister for the Arts, Tony Burke, said Mr Kostakis’s skill and continued advocacy for young readers and writers would be an asset to the committee.

“Will is a dedicated and passionate young author whose work tells the stories of the people that make up modern Australia.

“The Public Lending Rights Committee ensures writers and publishers are properly compensated for their work and so, it’s invaluable to have working writers, such as Will on board.

“The Albanese Labor Government’s changes to includes ebooks and audiobooks have meant even more Australian writers are now benefiting from these schemes.”

Mr Will Kostakis is an award-winning children’s and young adult’s author who has extensive experience working with public and educational libraries. An accomplished public speaker, he has spent more than 16 years travelling around Australia and overseas to speak about his books and writing at schools, festivals and conferences. 

His books have been shortlisted for numerous awards, and his latest book We Could Be Something won the 2024 Prime Minister’s Literary Awards in the Young Adult Literature category.