Minister for the Arts Heidi Victoria has announced the six writers who are shortlisted for the 2014 Award for Indigenous Writing – a $20,000 prize presented as part of the Victorian Premier’s Literary Awards.
The six shortlisted works are: The Promise by Tony Birch, Mogwie-Idan: Stories of the Land by Lionel Fogarty, Mullumbimby by Melissa Lucashenko, Dark Emu by Bruce Pascoe, Calypso Summer by Jared Thomas and The Swan Book by Alexis Wright.
This year the judging panel chose to increase the traditional shortlist of three books to include a further three works by Indigenous writers, a reflection of the high calibre of this year’s entries.
“The shortlist for the Award for Indigenous Writing is diverse and showcases the vibrancy and talent of these six writers. Their outstanding work spans fiction and non-fiction, and includes short stories and a collection of poetry. I congratulate all the writers on their remarkable achievements,” Ms Victoria said.
The winner of the 2014 Award for Indigenous Writing will be announced at a public event at the Wheeler Centre on Wednesday 3 September, which coincides with Indigenous Literacy Day.
The biennial Award for Indigenous Writing is presented as part of the 2014 Victorian Premier’s Literary Awards program, which is administered by the Wheeler Centre on behalf of the Premier of Victoria. For more information, visit The Wheeler Centre website for details.