With a total of $295,000 offered across 12 prizes, the 2018 NSW Premier’s Literary Awards were announced at a ceremony at the State Library of NSW on Monday evening.
“The NSW Government is committed to supporting writers and literature,” said NSW Premier, The Hon. Gladys Berejiklian MP said: Through their exceptional talent for story-telling and research the 2018 winning writers have delivered outstanding literary works which provoke critical thought as well as entertaining us.”
Established in 1979, the NSW Premier’s Literary Awards have a proud history, both in celebrating achievement by Australian writers and in helping to establish values and standards in Australian literature, and have recognised hundreds of talented Australian writers: novelists, poets, playwrights, script writers, translators, and authors of non-fiction and children’s books.
“With clarity, with urgency and often, too, with humour, the winning entries challenge our understanding of Australia’s history and question where we are headed,” said Senior Judge, Suzanne Leal. “We congratulate the writers – both new and established – for these exciting, original and thought provoking works. The 30 judges appreciate the ongoing support shown by the Premier and the NSW Government to Australian writers and their craft.”
The 2018 NSW Premier’s Literary Award Winners are:
Book of the Year ($10,000)
Taboo by Kim Scott (Pan Macmillan Australia)
Christina Stead Prize for Fiction ($40,000)
The Book of Dirt by Bram Presser (Text Publishing)
UTS Glenda Adams Award for New Writing ($5,000 — sponsored by UTS)
The Book of Dirt by Bram Presser (Text Publishing)
Douglas Stewart Prize for Non?fiction ($40,000)
Passchendaele: Requiem for Doomed Youth by Paul Ham (Penguin Random House Australia)
Kenneth Slessor Prize for Poetry ($30,000)
Argosy by Bella Li (Vagabond Press)
Patricia Wrightson Prize for Children’s Literature ($30,000)
How to Bee by Bren MacDibble (Allen & Unwin)
Ethel Turner Prize for Young People’s Literature ($30,000)
The Ones That Disappeared by Zana Fraillon (Hachette Australia) Nick Enright Prize for Playwriting ($30,000)
Nick Enright Prize for Playwriting ($30,000)
Black is the New White by Nakkiah Lui (Sydney Theatre Company)
Betty Roland Prize for Scriptwriting ($30,000)
Deep Water: The Real Story written by Amanda Blue and Jacob Hickey (Blackfella Films)
Top of the Lake: China Girl, Series 2 Episode 4 ‘Birthday’ written by Jane Campion and Gerard Lee (See-Saw Films)
Multicultural NSW Award ($20,000 — sponsored by Multicultural NSW)
The Permanent Resident by Roanna Gonsalves (UWA Publishing)
Indigenous Writers’ Prize ($30,000) — biennial award
Taboo by Kim Scott (Pan Macmillan Australia)
People’s Choice Award
The Book of Dirt by Bram Presser (Text Publishing)
“One of the State Library’s most important responsibilities centres on supporting Australian writers and our unique collections have inspired many great works,” said State Librarian John Vallance. “We are proud to be entrusted with the management of our country’s longest standing and richest state funded awards.”
The NSW Premier’s Literary Awards are administered by the State Library of NSW in association with Create NSW. For more information, visit: www.sl.nsw.gov.au for details.
Image: courtesy of State Library of NSW