2010 Prime Minister's Literary Awards shortlists - media release 15 ...

MEDIA RELEASE The Hon Peter Garrett MP Minister for Environment Protection, Heritage and the Arts PG/82

15 July 2010

2010 PRIME MINISTER’S LITERARY AWARDS SHORTLISTS Minister for the Arts Peter Garrett today announced the four shortlists for the 2010 Prime Minister’s Literary Awards. Minister Garrett said being shortlisted for the Prime Minister’s Literary Awards is a great achievement for authors that will bring further public recognition of their writing. “The judges were highly impressed by the quality of the 2010 entries in all four categories. Twenty-nine books have earned their place on this year’s shortlist through the skill, inventiveness and hard work of their authors,” Mr Garrett said. “This year we announce the inaugural Young Adult Fiction and Children’s Fiction awards. These two awards recognise the special talent that authors and illustrators of books for young audiences bring to the page. Importantly it is the quality of this storytelling through writing and illustration that engenders a life-long passion for reading. “I congratulate all the authors whose books are on the 2010 shortlist. I encourage Australians of all ages to dive into the 2010 shortlists and experience great Australian writing.” The Prime Minister’s Literary Awards provide a $100,000 prize for the winners of each of the categories: Fiction, Non-Fiction, Young Adult Fiction and Children’s Fiction. The 2010 shortlists are: Fiction Summertime by J. M. Coetzee The Book of Emmett by Deborah Forster The Lakewoman by Alan Gould Dog Boy by Eva Hornung Ransom by David Malouf Lovesong by Alex Miller As the Earth turns Silver by Alison Wong Non-Fiction The Water Dreamers: The Remarkable History of Our Dry Continent by Michael Cathcart Strange Places: A Memoir of Mental Illness by Will Elliott The Colony: A History of Early Sydney by Grace Karskens The Life and Death of Democracy by John Keane The Blue Plateau: A Landscape Memoir by Mark Tredinnick The Ghost at the Wedding by Shirley Walker

Young Adult Fiction Stolen by Lucy Christopher The Winds of Heaven by Judith Clarke Confessions of a Liar, Thief and Failed Sex God by Bill Condon The Museum of Mary Child by Cassandra Golds Swerve by Phillip Gwynne Jarvis 24 by David Metzenthen Beatle meets Destiny by Gabrielle Williams Children’s Fiction Cicada Summer by Kate Constable The Terrible Plop by Ursula Dubosarsky and illustrator Andrew Joyner Just Macbeth by Andy Griffiths and illustrator Terry Denton Mr Chicken goes to Paris by Leigh Hobbs Running with the Horses by Alison Lester Star Jumps by Lorraine Marwood Mannie and the Long Brave Day by Martine Murray and illustrator Sally Rippin Tensy Farlow and the Home for Mislaid Children by Jen Storer Harry and Hopper by Margaret Wild and illustrator Freya Blackwood Fiction panel chair Professor Peter Pierce said “Once again, the fiction shortlist welcomes both first-time novelists and others with prize-studded careers that span decades. From an impressive array of fiction works entered into the awards, the judges have recommended what they believe is an outstanding fiction shortlist in 2010.” Non-Fiction panel chair Mr Brian Johns AO said “The non-fiction entries covered an exciting range of titles from biography to contemporary issues and a marked diversity of subject, with many of the books written over long years of experience and questioning. The non-fiction shortlist is a powerful reminder that the book continues to occupy a key position in the market-place of ideas.” Dr Robyn Sheahan-Bright, chair of the Young Adult and Children’s Fiction panel, said “The quality and inventiveness of the writing in these two award categories made the task of selecting the shortlists very difficult. Both featured writers of established reputation as well as many debut writers, indicating that Australian publishers are strongly supporting new voices. “The Children’s shortlist offers a diverse range of picture books and junior fiction, demonstrating both illustrators’ and writers’ talents. The Young Adult shortlist reveals how innovative and original Australian Young Adult publishing is, in style and content.” More information about the books and authors can be found at www.arts.gov.au/pmliteraryawards