ANZ LitLovers LitBlog

The 2011 Queensland Premier’s Literary Awards shortlist have been announced, and I’m pleased to see that works I’ve admired are on the list.  Congratulations to all the authors, editors and publishers – well done!

Fiction Book Award

• Geraldine Brooks for Caleb’s Crossing (on my TBR) HarperCollins Publishers Australia
• Amanda Lohrey for Reading Madame Bovary Black Inc. (See my review)
• Peter Rose for Roddy Parr HarperCollins Publishers Australia
• Kim Scott for That Deadman Dance Pan Macmillan Australia (See my review)
• Ouyang Yu for The English Class Transit Lounge Publishing (See my review).

Kim Scott and Ouyang Yu have both been featured in my Meet an Aussie Author series.

Non-Fiction Book Award

• John Bradley for Singing Saltwater Country: Journey to the Songlines of Carpentaria Allen & Unwin
• David Hicks for GUANTANAMO: my journey Random House Australia
• Anna Krien forInto the Woods: The Battle for Tasmania’s Forests Black Inc. (See Sally’s review)
• Maggie MacKellar forWhen It Rains: A Memoir Random House Australia
• Mark McKenna forAn Eye for Eternity: The Life of Manning Clark The Miegunyah Press (on my TBR)

History Book – Faculty of Arts, University of Queensland Award

• Tim Bonyhady forGood Living Street: The Fortunes of my Viennese family Allen & Unwin (my good friend Lurline has just read this and says it’s terrific).
• Emma Christopher forA Merciless Place: The Lost Story of Britain’s Convict Disaster in Africa and How it Led to the Settlement of Australia Allen & Unwin (I toyed with buying this at the weekend, now I wish I had!)
• Alan Powell forNorthern Voyagers: Australia’s monsoon coast in maritime history Australian Scholarly Publishing
• Penny Russell forSavage or Civilised?: Manners in Colonial Australia University of New South Wales Press
• Martin Thomas forThe Many Worlds of R.H. Mathews: In search of an Australian anthropologist Allen & Unwin

Children’s Book – Mary Ryan’s Award

• Michael Gerard Bauer forJust a Dog Omnibus Books*
• Christine Bongers forHenry Hoey Hobson Random House Australia*
• Luke Edwards forThe Staring Owl Omnibus Books
• Elizabeth Fensham forBill Rules University of Queensland Press
• Tina Matthews forWaiting for Later Walker Books Australia

*Links to my thoughts about these chidlren’s books are on my professional blog. Click here.

Young Adult Book Award

• Cath Crowley for Graffiti Moon Pan Macmillan Australia
• Ursula Dubosarsky for The Golden Day Allen & Unwin
• Belinda Jeffrey for Big River, Little Fish University of Queensland Press
• Barry Jonsberg for Being Here Allen & Unwin
• Mark Svendsen for To Die For Woolshed Press

Science Writer Award

• Jo Chandler forFeeling the Heat Melbourne University Press
• Richard Smith forVoyage to the Planets – Episodes 1, 2 and 3 – Mars, Jupiter and Saturn Essential Media and Entertainment
• Cheryll Williams forMedicinal Plants in Australia: Volume 1 Bush Pharmacy Rosenberg Publishing Pty Ltd
• John Wrigley and Murray Fagg forEucalypts: A celebration Allen & Unwin

Poetry Collection – Arts Queensland Judith Wright Calanthe Award

• Caroline Caddy forBurning Bright Fremantle Press
• Barry Hill and John Wolseley forLines for Birds: Poems & Paintings UWA Publishing
• Ann Shenfield forYou Can Get Only So Close On Google Earth Australian Scholarly Publishing
• John Tranter forStarlight: 150 poems University of Queensland Press

Australian Short Story Collection – Arts Queensland Steele Rudd Award

• Patrick Holland forThe Source of the Sound Salt Publishing
• Amanda Lohrey forReading Madame Bovary Black Inc.  (See my review)
• Wayne Macauley forOther Stories Black Pepper Publishing
• Emmett Stinson forKnown Unknowns Affirm Press

Literary or Media Work Advancing Public Debate – The Harry Williams Award

• Anna Krien for Into the Woods: The Battle for Tasmania’s Forests Black Inc. (See Sally’s review)
• David Marr forQuarterly Essay 38: Power Trip – The Political Journey of Kevin Rudd Black Inc.
• George Megalogenis forQuarterly Essay 40: Trivial Pursuit – Leadership and the End of the Reform Era Black Inc.
• Victoria Midwinter Pitt forLeaky Boat Matchbox Pictures
• Lindsay Tanner forSideshow: dumbing down democracy Scribe Publications (See my review)

Film Script – Screen Queensland Award

• Alice Addison forThe Hunter Porchlight Films
• Beck Cole forHere I Am Scarlett Pictures Pty Ltd
• Shaun Grant forSnowtown Warp Films Australia

Drama Script (Stage) Award – Griffith University Creative Writing Program Award

• David Burton forApril’s Fool Playlab Press
• Jonathan Gavin for Bang
• Declan Greene for MOTH
• Daniel Keene forLife Without Me Currency Press Pty Ltd
• Alana Valentine forHead Full of Love

Television Script – QUT Creative Industries Award

• Wain Fimeri forCharles Bean’s Great War 360 Degree Films
• Jonathan Gavin forOffspring – Episode 109 Southern Star John Edwards
• Christopher Lee forPaper Giants: The birth of Cleo – Part 1 Southern Star John Edwards
• Christopher Lee forPaper Giants: The birth of Cleo – Part 2 Southern Star John Edwards
• Michael Miller forEast West 101 – The Hero’s Standard – Season 3, Episode 14 East West 101 Season 3 Pty Limited

Names to watch out for:

Emerging Queensland Author – Manuscript Award

• Andrea Dudley for From Winter or River
• Annah Lee Faulkner for The Beloved
• Bruce Nash for Empty Beach
• Sally Piper for At Mother’s Elbow
• Ross Watkins for The Arc

Unpublished Indigenous Writer – Arts Queensland David Unaipon Award

• Dylan Coleman for Clear Water White Death: STORM ON THE HORIZON
• Dylan Coleman for ‘Mazin’ Grace
• Brenda Saunders for SKIN DEEP