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1 September 2010

Premier announces winners of 2008 and 2009 Book Awards.

Premier Colin Barnett tonight announced the winners of the 2008 and 2009 Western Australian Premier's Book Awards.

"For the first time these awards were broadened to allow all Australian writers to enter, and I was very pleased to see many of the interstate winning authors attend the presentation," Mr Barnett said.

"The increased profile and greater prestige of the Awards allows Western Australian authors to be judged on the national stage, and I was delighted that local authors were successful in several genres."

Record entries had been submitted following the announcement earlier this year of the widening of the eligibility criteria and increased prize money, with 404 entries in the 2009 awards, and 300 for the 2008 awards.

The Chair of the 2009 Judging Panel Dr Lucy Dougan said the judges were impressed with the high calibre of entries.

"The high standard of entries posed some challenging decisions for the judges, who displayed integrity and professionalism in making some very difficult decisions," Dr Dougan said.

"It is wonderful to see these prizes going national; this can only strengthen and enhance writing in WA."

The 2008 Premier's Prize of $25,000 was won by Chloe Hooper for The Tall Man, which was the winner of the $15,000 non-fiction category.

The 2009 Premier's Prize of $25,000 was awarded to Shirley Barrett for South Solitary, which won the $10,000 scripts category. 

The 2008 Judging Panel were Dr Wendy Were (Chair), Frank Palmos, Dr Rose Lucas, Carmel Ballinger, Prof Keith Norris and Beverley Jacobson.

The 2009 Judging Panel were Dr Lucy Dougan (Chair), Clare Renner, Prof John Tonkin, Dr Shalmalee Palekar, Tehani Wessely and Frank Palmos.

2008 winners
Non-Fiction
Chloe HOOPER	The Tall Man	Published by Penguin Group
Fiction
Richard FLANAGAN	Wanting	Published by Random House
Scripts
Damien MILLAR	The Modern International Dead	Published by Currency Press
Children’s Books
Bob GRAHAM	How to Heal a Broken Wing	Published by Walker Books Australia
Poetry
Bronwyn LEA	The Other Way Out	Published by Giramondo Publishing
Young Adults
Shaun TAN	Tales from Outer Suburbia	Published by Allen & Unwin
WA History
Brian Dibble	Doing Life: A biography of Elizabeth Jolley	Published by UWA Publishing
2009 winners
Non-fiction
Iain McCALMAN	Darwin's Armada	Published by: Penguin Group
Fiction (joint winner)
Craig SILVEY	Jasper Jones	Published by Allen & Unwin
Fiction (joint winner)
J.M.COETZEE	Summertime	Published by Random House Australia
Scripts
Shirley BARRETT	South Solitary	Published by HLA Management
Children’s Books
Margaret WILD & Freya Blackwood	Harry & Hopper	Published by Omnibus Books
Poetry
Kate MIDDLETON	Fire Season	Published by Giramondo Publishing
Young Adults
Justine LARBALESTIER	Liar	Published by Allen & Unwin
WA History
Penelope HETHERINGTON	Paupers, Poor Relief & Poor Houses	Published by UWA Publishing

 

2 September 2010

2008 Judges’ Summary

 

POETRY

Winner:

Bronwyn Lea  The Other Way Out
In this collection of finely crafted and translucent poetry, Lea brings us poems of great sensitivity and attention to detail, as well as technical mastery and grace, with a voice that can be alternately tender, insightful and sharp. Lea clearly is an emerging major talent whose dextrous talent for rendering intensity and immediacy produces highly readable and accomplished poems. 

Short List:
John Kinsella  shades of the sublimes and beautiful
Firmly and unashamedly situated in the specificities of place – of Western Australia and the wheat belt in particular – Kinsella’s poems are impelled by an energy to name, to know, to understand and communicate a contemporary view of the sublime, where the observed world and the particularity of the observer are forged together into the possibilities of something new. A masterly and intellectual display, bursting with vitality and erudition.

Louise Oxley  Buoyancy
Oxley’s beautifully crafted poems demonstrate intelligence and a heightened awareness of both the natural world and its human occupants. Her luminous meditations on landscape reveal a tremendous respect for the natural world; the title of the collection aptly reflects the rhythmic structures of her poetry and her attention to form. There is a wide scope of style and focus and a keen sense of the observing eye.

Tracy Ryan   Scar Revision
The dominant idea of minimising the evidence of past wounding provides fertile ground for  a wonderful exploration of a variety of themes – place, parenting, romantic and domestic love, personal loss –  as well as demonstrating a very intellectual interest in the business of writing, of using the craft of poetry to shape experience and the abstraction of emotion into the clear, transferable thing of the poem.

NONFICTION

Winner:

Chloe Hooper  The Tall Man
Perfectly observed sentences and detailed observations traverse a set of issues which are of vital importance to contemporary Australia – the sorry history of settler-indigenous relations and its ongoing legacy right up to the present moment. As an observer and interpreter of a particular event, Hooper acknowledges her own participant status in a way that is both humble and engaging, reinforcing that this is an urgent story for every Australian. An exceptionally strong work, both in form and content.

Short List:
Graham Freudenberg  Churchill and Australia
Freudenberg has produced a thorough and comprehensive conventional biography of Churchill’s relationship with Australia, as well as an Australian view of the implications of Churchill’s policies and actions on our region. Written with energy and real insight from historical papers and records, with excellent narrative skill, this is a lasting, valuable work, deserving of listing both as a textbook and an additional to Australian public libraries.

Evelyn Juers   The House of Exile
Written with freshness and humanity, Juers’ is an original and exploratory book where the lives of Heinrich and Nelly Mann and their various associates in Europe and in Australia are woven into a moving narrative of loss and displacement, of identification and dislocation from the idea of home. Moving between fact and imagination as she innovates the genre of biography through creative imaginings, Juers has produced a lyrically inventive yet highly scholarly work.

Don Watson    American Journeys
In his characteristic lively, sharp and often amusing voice, Watson’s tour of different places and aspects of contemporary America is a witty and insightful view into how America sees itself, with the benefits of the Australian-outside perspective. Pithy, entertaining yet with significant depth, the warmth and humility of Watson’s observations are rendered in impeccable prose.

FICTION

Winner:

Richard Flanagan   Wanting
In his courageous and beautiful book Flanagan weaves together a number of different stories and voices – Robinson, the protector of Aborigines, Charles Dickens, the child Mathinna, Sir John and Lady Franklin – to create a powerful study of a historical period and also to examine the idea of wanting: what different people might want, how able they are to say or to achieve it, and also what is wanting, lacking at the heart of the colonial experience. An important and disturbing Australian novel, elegant and eloquently written.
 
Short List:
Helen Garner    The Spare Room
A book of excoriating honesty written with Garner’s characteristic wit and attention to detail, its craft is concealed by its casual, almost conversational style, its great insights into mortality and into friendship and its limits conveyed by a voice of unflinching self-reflection.  There are no shortcuts or tricky segues; as is often the case with Garner’s work, the deceptively simple prose enables those big themes to slide down as effortlessly as oysters.

Kate Grenville   The Lieutenant
Written with Grenville’s easy mastery of style, this is an important story – another take on the bitter nub of our colonial history, on the complex and painful ways in which difference was confronted. The poignant image of the young English solider and astronomer learning the language of an indigenous girl child, and sharing his own with her, stands as a sharp contrast to the wider violence of colonialism – and is thus a challenge to contemporary Australia. Grenville’s prose is always controlled, with an eye for detail that captures the landscape and the conflicts.

Nam Le    The Boat
Exhibiting a range as wide as his themes, this collection is a superb and accomplished set of stories from an important new voice in Australian literature.  The stories are varied in subject and technically brilliant, offering insights into the human experience across all manner of borders.

Julia Leigh    Disquiet
Leigh’s novella is an intense and powerful exposition of family, multiple stories and secrets and the overriding loss of a child. Brilliantly crafted, stark and moving in its apparent simplicity, almost poetic in its evocation of detail and imagery to carry things which are otherwise unbearable, Disquiet is hypnotic, disturbing and masterful.

Tim Winton     Breath
Reaffirming Winton’s capacity for portraying palpable emotion and his ability to capture a sense of place, Breath is a beautiful and moving book, about life lived at the dangerous limits of risk, the ecstatic breathlessness which comes perilously close to the absence of breath. Grounded in place and in the specificity of the sea and of riding the surf, Winton brings us another penetrating study of the Australian male psyche, the desire to fly and the bitter consequences of falling.
 

CHILDREN

Winner:

Bob Graham    How to Heal a Broken Wing
A magical combination of beautiful design, delightful soft wash and ink illustrations and the perfect simplicity of the written text make this a touching and enduring story of a child’s ability to see what adults sometimes miss, and to keep alive the dream of restoration in the face of pragmatism. A wonderful story for children and adults alike, reinforcing the values of compassion, empathy and hope and the value of a child-centred perspective.

Short List:
Kylie Dunstan   Collecting Colour
Saturated with glorious colour and energy, brilliant illustrations bring to life the story of two girls – one white, one indigenous -- learning to collect pandanus leaves and dyes to make beautiful traditional baskets. This is an entertaining picture book which interweaves informative facts about Aboriginal culture and lifestyle through the story.

Mark Greenwood and Frané Lessac   Simpson and his Donkey
The importance of this story is translated for children, offering a living view of Anzac history and the courage of an ordinary individual. Told with just the right amount of information to make the story appealing and comprehensible to a young audience, Greenwood's simple straightforward text makes the story accessible and adds poignancy while Lessac’s colourful naive style artwork beautifully illustrates the narrative.

Glenda Millard    Applesauce and the Christmas Miracle
The power of family and friendship are central themes of this touching and fun retelling of the Christmas story in the context of an Australian landscape ravaged by bushfire. The perennial miracle of new life is seen, at last, by the small figure of Applesauce the pig, the promise among the ashes. Millard’s delicate and humorous illustrations team superbly with her simply written rhythmic text.

Glenda Millard    Perry Angel’s Suitcase
This heart warming story of a young orphan boy who finally finds a home is depicted with beautiful use of language. Millard offers young readers moving insights into the business of being family, and how ‘belonging’ can be a wide and generous experience. Neatly sidestepping overt sentimentality, much of the charm of this work lies in the gentleness and goodness inherent in the people who inhabit the book.

Tohby Riddle    Nobody Owns the Moon
With its clever and engaging collages and insightful text, this book teaches children about valuing difference, and how to find one’s way positively through modern life, as well as offering a whimsical story of fun and friendship.  A gentle bittersweet satire of human society is cleverly encapsulated in what appears to be a simple picture book about friendship between fox and donkey.

YOUNG ADULT

Winner:

Shaun Tan    Tales from Outer Suburbia
With exquisite pen and ink sketches, paintings and pencil drawings complementing his perceptive prose, Tan continues to offer significant insights into the experience of Australians in all their diversity. Subtle and rich stories consider the quiet mysteries of everyday life: homemade pats, dangerous weddings, stranded sea mammals, tiny exchange students and secret rooms filled with darkness and delight. Outlandish yet so believable, this is a book to treasure.

Short List:
Alison Goodman    The Two Pearls of Wisdom
Set in a fantasy version of ancient China, a girl disguises herself as a boy in order to become a powerful Dragonmaster. Goodman presents us with a densely textured world of intrigue, adventure and the complexities of love with its basis in Chinese astrology and legend. A complex and richly woven tapestry of plot and sub plot, good versus evil, female against male.

Norman Jorgensen   Jack’s Island
Themes of mateship, community spirit, racism and family relationships underpin this lively and entertaining story of a boy’s life and friendships on Rottnest Island during the Second World War. Written with humour, a light touch and good control of dialogue, historical facts and insight are presented in an easily digestible form for children. 

Melina Marchetta   Finnikin of the Rock
This complex fantasy narrative of quest and restoration marks a significant departure in style for Marchetta. Written with contemporary views about gender and power in mind, the powerful plot and multifaceted, believable characters make this allegory engrossing and pacy, and highly successful in its ambitions.

Adrian Stirling   Broken Glass
As jagged and pointed as its title, Stirling’s book is a powerful and disturbing story of dislocated and violent youth, as well as the sometimes murky business of friendships and loyalties, and how it might be possible for a young person to forge their own path in life. This dark, very credible story is harrowing but totally absorbing.

SCRIPTS:

Winner:

Damian Miller   The Modern International Dead
A bizarre and haunting exploration of areas of recent war and conflict – East Timor, Iraq, Cambodia, Rwanda. This is a fiercely intelligent and imaginative exploration of individuals in situations of intolerable compromise and suffering.

Short List:
Tony McNamara              The Great
A playful romp through the bawdy and violent life of Catherine the Great of Russia, The Great explores sex, power and appetite with bawdiness and wit. McNamara’s sharp sense of humour and economy of words and a jigsaw of Russian history¬ensure a lively and entertaining narrative.

Louis Nowra and Beck Cole          First Australians: The Cultivation of Whiteness
A well-written script for television that traces ways in which the ideal of whiteness was made dominant – as blackness was encouraged to be ‘bred out,’ as indigenous people were pushed off traditional lands and forced into positions of dislocation and dependence.

Hellie Turner            Bone Dry
A poignant look at Australian rural life brought to the brink by drought, death, isolation and family expectations, this is a finely written pastoral tragedy about no rain, no profit and no love.  Lyrical and affecting.

WA HISTORY

Winner:

Brian Dibble          Doing Life: A Biography of Elizabeth Jolley
A longstanding friend of Elizabeth Jolley, Dibble’s highly readable biography honours the life of one of Australia’s literary giants. Thorough and scrupulous research undertaken in Australia and overseas coupled with access to his subject’s personal papers have resulted in a comprehensive and important instalment in Australia’s literary history.

Short List:
Geoffrey Bolton    Land of Vision and Mirage: Western Australia since 1826
The story of any state is dynamic and needs to be periodically re-examined. Bolton’s modern history of Western Australia is informative and accessible. Despite being a concise volume, Bolton is generous in his scope. A valuable addition to the collection of state histories.  

Maureen Helen    Other People’s Country
An important insight into rarely seen life in remote Australia, Helen’s memoir of her thorny experience of being a remote area nurse in the Aboriginal community of Jigalong is written in clear accessible prose. The cultural clash between white and Aboriginal Australia is depicted with unflinching, matter of fact honesty.

Mary Anne Jebb    Mowanjum: 50 Years Community History
Jebb has produced a beautiful work commemorating 50 years of the Mowanjum (meaning settled at last) community near Derby. A tribute to the perseverance of the community and a valuable window into their world, the book is adeptly compiled and well researched.

 

2009 Judges’ Summary

 

NONFICTION

Winner:

Iain McCalman   Darwin's Armada
An absolutely superb achievement — rigorously researched, elegantly constructed and narrated with flair, wit and wonder. McCalman brings to vivid life one of the greatest scientific achievements and controversies.

Short List:
Kim Cheng Boey  Between Stations
Kim Cheng Boey’s fluid and sensually evocative essays trace his journey through India, China and Pakistan to Egypt and Morocco. More than a collection of traveller’s tales, this philosophical and poetic memoir creates a resonance that lingers long after the last page has been read.
Between Stations serves as a vehicle for the writer’s physical and emotional meandering through time and place, prompting an exploration of memory and belonging.

Thomas Keneally   Australians: Origins to Eureka
This book is a lovely feast. Keneally brings a wide cast of characters to life and, in doing so, traces a thoughtful portrait of a continent’s origins to the coming into being of a modern nation.

Alasdair McGregor   Grand Obsessions
In this fascinating biography, Alasdair McGregor draws on meticulous research to tell the story of Walter Burley Griffin and his wife, Marion Mahony Griffin. Through this multi-layered and controlled narrative, he examines the role each played in their personal and professional relationship, and encourages us to look with new eyes at the rich legacy they left behind.

FICTION

Winner: (joint winners)

JM Coetzee    Summertime
Appearing almost prosaic in its economy, the writing in Summertime nevertheless reminds us continually of Coetzee’s formidable talent. While seemingly intent on telling us that Coetzee the man is, at best, inconsequential, the assured nature of the writer and his brilliant controlled manipulation of reality, memory and truth make it certain that he appears anything but this.

Craig Silvey    Jasper Jones
Craig Silvey’s second novel Jasper Jones does everything to confirm his position as one of Australia’s foremost storytellers. Within the first few paragraphs he drags the reader headlong into the story and doesn’t let go until the very last page. In this deliberate homage to Harper Lee and Mark Twain, Craig Silvey has written a perfectly crafted coming of age novel that will speak to a wide audience, defying the notion of intended readership.

Short List:
David Malouf   Ransom
This is a rich, layered, delicate and sometimes disturbing reworking of one fragment of Homer’s Iliad. Written in beautifully poetic prose, this fine book makes craft look effortless and haunts us long after the last page has been read.

Gerald Murnane   Barley Patch
Murnane is an intriguing and disciplined writer. He pulls off an experimental, concentrated and self-referential book that quietly and precisely draws us into the magic at the heart of story telling itself.

WA HISTORY

Winner:

Penelope Hetherington  Paupers, Poor Relief and Poor Houses in WA, 1829-1910
Meticulously researched, the narrative is illuminated with numerous case studies of unemployed paupers, of the sick and insane, of destitute widows and unmarried pregnant servant girls and of abandoned children. The author asks questions whether the Poor Houses were administered to assist the poor or to punish them and what was the distinction between the deserving and undeserving poor. Much of Western Australian history is written from the point of view of elites, and this work provides a much needed balance.

Short List:
Simon Adams   The Unforgiving Rope, Murder and Hanging on Australia’s Western Frontier
In eleven chapters focusing on the period between 1840 and 1909, historian Simon Adams skilfully places the circumstances of victims and perpetrators against the backdrop of their era revealing the stories behind the hangings.
In the final chapter, the author’s passion is fully revealed. It touches on such issues as the continued influence of the penal period, and the disproportionate percentage of Aborigines hanged. Western Australia was the last state to abolish capital punishment in 1984, though a petition was circulated calling for its reintroduction in 2000.

Jenny Gregory and Jan Gothard (editors)  Historical Encyclopedia of WA
This is a landmark of historical scholarship and provides an authoritative and comprehensive guide to Western Australian history. The scope of this historical encyclopedia has been expanded, historical sources have been interpreted anew and the histories of groups once marginalised or ignored have been included. Contributions have come from a wide range of disciplines with scientists, socials scientists and other scholars of the humanities joining with historians to contribute to this endeavour.  The high standard of articles is maintained throughout and the editors are to be congratulated.

Tiffany Shellam   Shaking Hands on the Fringe: Negotiating the Aboriginal World at King George’s Sound
This ethnographic history narrates episodes of the developing relationships between British and aboriginal individuals, transcending the common ‘friendly’ and ‘violent’ encounters. A particularly impressive feature is the reflections that follow each chapter.

YOUNG ADULTS

Winner:

Justine Larbalestier  Liar
This book is cleverly written, with unreliable narration that is brilliantly done. It's not a book that you can dip in and out of – you have to read this one from start to finish, and then you'll immediately turn back to the start and begin again because you'll find it so intriguing. It’s a complex style that is extremely successful here.

Short List:
Lia Hills    The Beginner's Guide to Living
The concept of a young man finding himself through philosophy is a fascinating and challenging one. The overall read was intriguing, and it offers a different viewpoint from a usual male-gaze book. Pleasant to find stories that offer something to kids who are less than mainstream by nature, and this book succeeds in that.

Belinda Jeffrey   Brown Skin Blue
Definitely for the older end of YA spectrum and quite gripping, Brown Skin Blue is topical and well written. There is some shocking content in these pages, but it is powerfully and appropriately drawn. This is challenging subject matter to write, and Jeffrey has handled it very well.

David Metzenthen   Jarvis 24
Though this book may not appeal to all, it's a solid "male" book that has more depth than just sport or rough-housing. It is a great counter balance to the plethora of female-targeted YA fiction, handling some excellent relationship and gender issues in a way that won't be off-putting to boys.

Penny Tangey   Loving Richard Feynman
A very interesting book, quite different from most of the rest of the field, but very well written and thoroughly enjoyable. The characterisation of the protagonist was perhaps a little problematic, not quite ringing true as an adolescent character, but it didn't seem to distract from the story. With an engaging style and fascinating concepts, this is well worth reading.

CHILDREN’S BOOKS

Winner:

Margaret Wild, illustrations by Freya Blackwood     Harry & Hopper
Harry & Hopper is such a sad story, but is an extraordinarily good book for dealing with grief. With a beautiful story, gorgeous and unusual illustrations, and excellent examination of the theme, this is a great package.

Short List:
Christine Harris, illustrations by Ann James      Audrey's Big Secret
An enjoyable read, covering issues such as the stolen generation and gender, with a solid narrative at an age-appropriate level while still being highly entertaining. It suffers very slightly from being the third in a series, with some elements of story/character somewhat vague, but is otherwise excellent.

Palo Morgan, illustrations by Chris Nixon      Crocodile Cake
This book is an overall highly entertaining story with a ripping pace, clever rhyming and great illustration. Crocodile Cake was one of the favourites with the children, out of all the books read aloud from the entries.

Sally Murphy, illustrations by Heather Potter      Pearl Verses the World
This story is an unexpected gem with poetic meta-text. Written as a verse novel, the book sensitively and realistically deals with the issues of bullying, grief and the things kids struggle with. It’s a very difficult form to do well, and is achieved here with great success.

Dianne Wolfer, illustrations by Brian Simmonds     Lighthouse Girl
Using real historical material and based on a true story, this book is cleverly put together to be both appealing and realistic as a story. With beautiful artwork and what can only be described as a “mashup” of historical documents, fictional story and art, this is a gorgeous package in total.

SCRIPTS

Winner:

Shirley Barrett   South Solitary
Tortuous emotional narratives are sharpened by geographic isolation. The script revealed Barrett as a very talented and imaginative writer; her dialogues are an example of fine, crisp writing. The setting would have appealed to any practical producer, and there were clear indications the script would make a smooth transition to the screen.

Short List:
Alice Addison   My Place 1948
A fine piece of work; well-crafted dialogue and directions that keep the mind sprinting along with a young girl's thoughts. The lead character comes to terms with the fact that her "handsome and brave father," killed in the war, cannot grow with the family and that change in the family unit is inevitable. The final few scenes are beautifully done, maintaining the rural atmospherics and attending symbolism.

Reg Cribb    Krakouer
The rise and fall of one of Western Australia's sporting identities traced in powerful word pictures, from Krakouer's schooldays through success in the field, then a very public fall from grace.

Paul Galloway   Realism
A challenge of major dimensions; a writer of impressive intellect and firm grasp of history has written a play for audiences that today perhaps know little of the Stalinist era of Russia. The Melbourne Theatre Company staged Realism for six weeks from 4 April to 17 May 2009, thus it struck a chord.

Kelly Lefever   The Circuit - Series 2: Sorry Business
An intense set of courtroom scenes in the far northwest that test the sensitivities to native law and fundamental morality in a series of thrilling exchanges. Unsurprisingly, this was one of a series of successful television series.

Katherine Thomson  Darwin's Brave New World: Episode 1: Origins
Scripting from complex narratives is always a challenge and the judges felt Katherine Thomson produced a fine script based on lain McCalman's outstanding book. The script was worthy of translating into a three-part television series.

POETRY

Winner:

Kate Middleton   Fire Season
This collection of poems moves effortlessly between the divas of film culture and everyday experience. Ideas about representations of the self, a touchstone for this book, are never a straightforward business, and lush imagery is contained by a wonderful sense of where to end a line

Short List:
Emily Ballou    The Darwin Poems
This is a meticulously researched and realised verse narrative, which avoids the charm-school pitfalls of many representations of Victorian England to bring the reader close to the life of such an influential figure.

Felicity Plunkett   Vanishing Point
Impressive in its honesty and grace, Vanishing Point is the intensely lived-in world in which Plunkett represents the experience of mothering.

Andrew Taylor   The Unhaunting
Another honest book with great appeal, this subtle charting of aging and holding close what is important was much admired.

 

12 August 2010

Short list announced for Premier’s Book Awards.

The short list for the 2008 and 2009 Western Australian Premier’s book awards have been announced by Culture and the Arts Minister John Day.

Mr Day said record entries had been submitted following the announcement earlier this year of the widening of the eligibility criteria and increased prize money.

“There were 404 entries in the 2009 awards, compared to 300 for those in 2008,” he said.

“I am pleased to see so many entries, which reflects a healthy literary sector in Australia.

“The Premier’s Book Awards have a long and proud history and the prize money rose this year from $72,500 to $110,000, along with increased funding for judging, promotion and administration costs.”

Due to the high number of entries, the judging panels were increased from four to six members.

To be eligible, the work must have been published or produced in either the years 2008 or 2009.  Authors must be citizens or permanent residents of Australia or the work must have Australia as its primary focus.

The award winners will be announced by the Premier at a special ceremony on Wednesday, September 1.

Media contact:  Jaimee Motion - 9213 6600 or 0437 057 130

 

2008 short listed titles:
Non-Fiction
Graham Freudenberg	Churchill and Australia	Pan MacMillan
Chloe Hooper	The Tall Man	Penguin Group (Australia)
Evelyn Juers	House of Exile	Giramondo Publishing
Don Watson	American Journeys	Random House Australia (KNOPF)
Fiction
Helen Garner	The Spare Room	Text Publishing
Kate Grenville	The Lieutenant	Text Publishing
Nam Le	The Boat	Penguin Group (Australia)
Julia Leigh	Disquiet	Penguin Group (Australia)
Tim Winton	Breath	Penguin Group (Australia)
Richard Flanagan	Wanting	Random House Australia (KNOPF)
Poetry
Bronwyn Lea	The Other Way Out	Giramondo Publishing
Louise Oxley	Buoyancy	Five Islands Press
John Kinsella	Shades of the Sublime and Beautiful	Fremantle Press
Tracy Ryan	Scar Revision	Fremantle Press
Children's Books
Glenda Millard & Stephen King	Applesauce and the Christmas Miracle	HarperCollins Publishers Australia
Kylie Dunstan	Collecting Colour	Hachette Australia
Bob Graham	How to Heal a Broken Wing	Walker Books Australia
Tohby Riddle	Nobody Owns the Moon	Penguin Group (Australia)
Glenda Millard	Perry Angel's Suitcase	HarperCollins Publishers Australia
Mark Greenwood & Frane Lessac	Simpson and his Donkey	Walker Books Australia
Young Adults
Adrian Stirling	Broken Glass	Penguin Group (Australia)
Melina Marchetta	Finnikin of the Rock	Penguin Group (Australia)
Norman Jorgensen	Jack's Island	Fremantle Press
Shaun Tan	Tales from Outer Suburbia	Allen & Unwin
Alison Goodman	The Two Pearls of Wisdom	HarperCollins Publishers Australia
Scripts
Hellie Turner	Bone Dry	Prickly Pear Publications
Louis Nowra & Beck Cole	First Australians Episode 6 The Cultivation of Whiteness	HLA Management
Tony McNamara	The Great	HLA Management
Damien Millar	The Modern International Dead	Currency Press
State Library of Western Australia WA History Award
Brian Dibble	Doing Life: A biography of Elizabeth Jolley	UWA Publishing
Geoffrey Bolton	Land of Vision and Mirage: A History of WA since 1826	UWA Publishing
Maureen Helen	Other People's Country	HarperCollins Publishers Australia
Mary Anne Jebb	Mowanjum: Fifty Years Community History	Mowanjum Aboriginal Community
2009 short listed titles:
Children's Books
Christine Harris	Audrey's Big Secret	Little Hare Books
Sally Murphy & Heather Potter	Pearl verses the World	Walker Books Australia
Dianne Wolfer & Brian Simmonds	Lighthouse Girl	Fremantle Press
Margaret Wild & Freya Blackwood	Harry & Hopper	Omnibus Books
Palo Morgan & Chris Nixon	Crocodile Cake	Fremantle Press
Young Adults
Justine Larbalestier	Liar	Allen & Unwin
Belinda Jeffrey	Brown Skin Blue	University of Queensland Press
David Metzenthen	Jarvis 24	Penguin Group (Australia)
Penny Tangey	Loving Richard Feynman	University of Queensland Press
Lia Hills	The Beginner's Guide to Living	Text Publishing
Scripts
Katherine Thomson	Darwin - episode 1 Origins	HLA Management
Reg Cribb	Krakouer	HLA Management
Alice Addison	My Place - 1948 'Jen'	HLA Management
Paul Galloway	Realism	Currency Press
Shirley Barrett	South Solitary	HLA Management
Kelly Lefever	The Circuit - Series 2 Sorry Business	Media World Pictures
State Library of Western Australia WA History Award
Penelope Hetherington	Paupers, Poor Relief & Poor Houses	UWA Publishing
Tiffany Shellam	Shaking Hands on the Fringe	UWA Publishing
Jenny Gregory & Jan Gothard	Historical Encyclopedia of WA	UWA Publishing
Simon Adams	The Unforgiving Rope	UWA Publishing
Poetry
Felicity Plunkett	Vanishing Point	University of Queensland Press
Kate Middleton	Fire Season	Giramondo Publishing
Emily Ballou	The Darwin Poems	UWA Publishing
Andrew Taylor	The Unhaunting	Salt Publishing
Non-Fiction
Iain McCalman	Darwin's Armada	Penguin Group (Australia)
Kim Cheng Boey	Between Stations	Giramondo Publishing
Alasdair McGregor	Grand Obsessions	Penguin Group (Australia)
Thomas Keneally	Australians: Origins to Eureka	Allen & Unwin
Fiction
J.M.Coetzee	Summertime	Random House (KNOPF)
David Malouf	Ransom	Random House (KNOPF)
Gerald Murnane	Barley Patch	Giramondo Publishing
Craig Silvey	Jasper Jones	Allen & Unwin

 

 

 

Western Australian Premier’s Book Awards Judging Panel Announced

4 May 2010

The Judging Panels for the 2008 and 2009 Western Australian Premier’s Book Awards have been appointed. Due to record numbers of entries received for both 2008 and 2009, 6 judges have been appointed for each year.

The Judging Panel for the 2008 Western Australian Premier’s Book Awards is:
• Dr Wendy Were
• Prof Keith Norris
• Carmel Ballinger
• Dr Rose Lucas
• Beverley Jacobson 
• Frank Palmos.

Beverley will judge and recommend the short list for the Children’s and Young Adults categories and Frank Palmos will short list Scripts. Wendy Were, Keith Norris, Rose Lucas and Carmel Ballinger will short list titles in Non-Fiction, Fiction and Poetry categories.  All judges then evaluate the short listed titles before deciding winners in each category.

The Judging Panel for the 2009 Western Australian Premier’s Book Awards is:
• Dr Lucy Dougan
• Clare Renner
• Prof John Tonkin
• Dr Shalmalee Paleker
• Tehani Wessely 
• Frank Palmos. 

Frank is also on the 2008 Judging Panel and will judge the Script entries.  Tehani Wessely will judge and recommend the short list for Children’s and Young Adults.  All judges then evaluate short listed titles before deciding the winners in each category.

Judging has commenced and the shortlist is expected to be announced in late July.

 

Entry has now closed for the 2008 and 2009 Western Australian Premier's Book Awards.   Judging will commence shortly and the shortlist is expected to be announced in late July 2010.

31 March 2010

 

Expressions of Interest for 2008 or 2009 Judging Panel

Thank you to all the people who expressed interest in the 2008 and 2009 Judging Panel.  Following confirmation, an announcement will be made soon.

12 March 2010

 

Guidelines and Entry Forms for the Western Australian Premier's Book Awards

The 2008 Guidelines and Entry Forms and the 2009 Guidelines and Entry Forms are now available to download.

2008 Western Australian Premier’s Book Awards Guidelines

2008 Western Australian Premier’s Book Awards Entry Form

2009 Western Australian Premier’s Book Awards Guidelines

2009 Western Australian Premier’s Book Awards Entry Form

15 February 2010

 

Literary review strengthens Western Australian Premier’s Book Awards

The Western Australian Premier’s Book Awards will receive an additional $80,000 a year in State Government funding, following a comprehensive external review of two literary awards.

Culture and the Arts Minister John Day said he made the decision to strengthen the successful and popular WA Premier’s Book Awards (PBA), while the Australia-Asia Literary Award (AALA) would be discontinued.

Read the Executive Summary of the Report of the Review of the Western Australian Premier’s and Australia-Asia Literary Award Schemes or phone 9224 7300.

Mr Day said although the Government fully supported the original intent of the AALA to draw international recognition to WA and its community of writers, there was no capacity for it to continue as there was no funding allocated beyond 2012.

“Given the economic pressures, the AALA does not represent the most prudent use of funds and is unsustainable,” he said.

“The Premier’s Book Awards have a long and proud history and, with some additional support, can maintain the outward looking vision of the AALA.”

“The AALA will be discontinued immediately so we can free up some of those funds for an improved Premier’s Book Awards.”

“These funds will allow for an increased prize pool, specialist judging expertise and improved promotion, with an emphasis on attracting sponsorships and partnerships.”

The Minister said the PBA would be broadened to allow all Australian writers to enter, widening the award’s prestige and bringing PBA in line with other significant interstate awards.

Entries will open on February 15, 2010 for Australian works published in 2008 and 2009 with increases to the top prize (Premier’s Prize) and the following categories: Fiction; Non-Fiction; Young Adult; Children’s; WA History; Poetry; and Script.

The Premier’s Prize would be increased to $25,000 and when combined with one of the sub-categories, this top prize value would be worth up to $40,000.

The two years would be judged separately, have access to separate prizes and would be recognised at a single event in August 2010.  Category winners would be shortlisted for the two Premier’s Prizes for 2008 and 2009 which would be awarded at the event.

Further changes to award categories would be introduced in 2011 and be announced at the August event.  One of the new categories would include a People’s Choice Award, designed to create greater interest in Western Australian writing through a public voting process.

In addition to changes to the Premier’s Book Awards, the Government would support Writing WA in 2010 with $30,000 towards the costs of a WA Writer’s Showcase to be programmed within the Visiting Industry Program for the 2010 Perth Writers’ Festival which starts this month.

The showcase would be attended by artistic directors of leading international literature festivals and would promote the work of local writers to international markets.