Queenslanders will soon be celebrating home-grown literary talent, with nominations now being accepted for the 2018 Queensland Literary Awards.
Minister for the Arts Leeanne Enoch said the awards recognised outstanding writers across many genres. “The Palaszczuk Government supports the Queensland Literary Awards which celebrate top writing talent, help share our stories, and nurture the next generation of writers,” said Minister Enoch.
“These awards have been supported by the Palaszczuk Government since 2015, when our Government matched the sponsor and partnership funding of the Queensland Literary Awards. The Queensland Literary Awards were established after the former LNP Government scrapped the former prestigious Queensland Premier’s Literary Awards when they first formed Government.
“This move prompted outcry in the Queensland literary community, which then established the Queensland Literary Awards. The Palaszczuk Government has been supporting these awards since we formed Government, and this year we are contributing a total $180,000 to the awards. The Queensland Literary Awards highlight the important role of literature in today’s society as well as the wealth of writing talent that exists in Queensland and Australia.”
Ms Enoch said the $25,000 Queensland Premier’s Award for a Published Work of State Significance recognises writing with a Queensland focus and celebrates important Queensland authors, stories and history. “I also encourage young writers under 30 years of age to apply for two Queensland Premier’s Young Publishers and Writers Awards, each to the value of $12,500, for traditional or contemporary forms,” said Ms Enoch.
“The three $15,000 Queensland Writers Fellowships, also supported by the Queensland Government, will provide three Queensland writers with an opportunity to develop their manuscripts and writing projects.”
Ms Enoch said these fellowships were about discovering local writers with great potential and helping them shape their work. “We have many creative and inventive writers in Queensland who have a story to tell but may need financial support to help them on their journey, and further develop their writing,” Ms Enoch said.
“The Queensland Government’s ongoing commitment to match sponsorship and philanthropy support for the Queensland Literary Awards has greatly helped to generate more investment from the private sector. I can’t wait to see the calibre of this year’s shortlist.”
The 2018 Queensland Literary Awards categories:
Open to all Australian writers:
– Queensland Premier’s Award for a work of State Significance ($25,000)
– The University of Queensland Fiction Book Award ($15,000)
– The University of Queensland Non-fiction Book Award ($15,000)
– Griffith University Children’s Book Award ($15,000)
– Griffith University Young Adult Book Award ($15,000)
– QUT Digital Literature Award ($15,000)
– University of Southern Queensland History Book Award ($10,000)
– University of Southern Queensland Short Story Collection – Steele Rudd Award ($10,000)
– State Library of Queensland Poetry Collection – Judith Wright Calanthe Award ($10,000)
– David Unaipon Award for an Unpublished Indigenous Writer ($15,000)
Open to Queensland writers only:
– Glendower Award for an Emerging Queensland Writer ($15,000)
– Queensland Premier’s Young Publishers and Writers Awards (two awards of $12,500)
– The Courier-Mail People’s Choice Award ($10,000)
– Queensland Writers Fellowship (three awards of $15,000)
The Queensland Literary Awards are administered by the State Library of Queensland. Nominations close Thursday 31 May 2018 – 5.00pm. Winners will be announced in October. For more information, visit www.qldliteraryawards.org.au for details.
Image: Open book on table (sourced)