The Australian Indie Awards have been announced by the Independent Booksellers Association:
All That I Am (see my somewhat ambivalent review) by Anna Funder has won The Indie Book of the Year and The Street Sweeper (see my review) has won Fiction Book of the Year.
I’ll update this when I find out who won what in the other categories.
Thanks to Narelle from the ANZ LitLovers bookgroup for alerting me to the news!
Update:
Worse Things Happen at Sea: Tales of Life, Love, Family and the Everyday Beauty in Between by William McInnes and Sarah Watt has won the non-fiction category, and The Little Refugee by Anh and Suzanne Do – and illustrated by one of Australia’s best, Bruce Whatley - has won the children’s book category. (I do a unit of work on Whatley’s books with the Preps every year.)
Thanks to Bray’s Book Blog for the scoop!
Availability:
Fishpond: All That I Am or (cheaper) pre-order for May delivery) All That I am
Book Depository: All That I Am or (cheaper) pre-order for April delivery All That I Am
Fishpond: The Street Sweeper
Book Depository: The Street Sweeper
Click the links on the book titles above to buy Worse Things Happen at Sea or The Little Refugee. (Only available in Australia as far as I can tell).
Very happy to see The Street Sweeper scoop up the fiction prize.
By: Annabel Smith on March 11, 2012
at 5:41 pm
Me too!
By: Lisa Hill on March 11, 2012
at 5:48 pm
I’ve finally got my hands on a copy of The Street Sweeper but with so many other books vying for my attention — honestly, EVERYTHING that is coming through the door right now, I want to read immediately — so not sure when I will get around to it. But I’m pleased to see it’s won this award, especially after that nasty hatchet job of a review I read in an American paper made me so angry on Perlman’s behalf.
By: kimbofo on March 12, 2012
at 8:52 am
It was that hatchet job that made me drop everything else and read it, but by the time I was 20 pages into the book that motivation was all forgotten – it is that good and I expect the Indie to be the first of many awards.
I’m glad you haven’t named the paper or the reviewer, I wouldn’t want to give it air. Just a publicity seeker vying for that nasty, nasty award for Best Hatchet Job. Why any professional reviewer would want that I can’t imagine.
By: Lisa Hill on March 12, 2012
at 9:09 am
I know… I deliberately avoiding ‘naming and shaming’ which would only give him more publicity.
By: kimbofo on March 12, 2012
at 8:51 pm
Good for you!
By: Lisa Hill on March 12, 2012
at 9:02 pm
I was somewhat ambivalent about All That I am too, but obviously there are plenty of other people out there who love it.
Need to get to The Street Sweeper in due course!
By: Marg on March 12, 2012
at 5:05 pm
It’s the same in our book group, it seems. Mind you, that makes for good discussion!
By: Lisa Hill on March 12, 2012
at 5:10 pm