Update 18/1/18 Apologies: most of the links on this page are dead. The Sydney Writers Centre is now The Australian Writers Centre, and most of the 2012 award winning blogs seem to be defunct. The award logo for the category winners has vanished, so I’ve replaced it with the competition logo which the AWC was able to supply, and if you hover over it you can click the link to the archived page at the AWC). It’s disappointing to see that the competition itself doesn’t seem to have survived: the last year it was held appears to have been 2014…
***
Well, the news is out now: I am pleased to announce ANZ LitLovers has won the 2012 Best Australian Blogs competition in the ‘Words’ category. I still can’t quite believe it!
When in 2008 I started this blog, I had no idea how rewarding it would become. Reading is no longer a solitary occupation: with every book I read I now happily anticipate chatting about it here with my friends. I love that.
But I also love the opportunity this blog presents for me to share my love of Australian literature, to promote our authors and to introduce the best in our books to readers from all over the world. This award isn’t just a win for me, it’s a win for Australian books and writing, and the authors, editors and publishers who bring our unique stories to life.
The Best Blog Overall winner was
- Edenland by Eden Riley (Update 18/1/18: Warning – strong language content)
The other category winners are:
- Business: The Story of Telling by Bernadette Jiwa
- Lifestyle/ Personal: Edenland by Eden Riley
- Commentary: Feeding the Chooks by Martin McKenzie-Murray
- Parenting: Caro and Co by Caro Webster
People’s Choice
- Tv Tonight by David Knox
Special Awards
- Outstanding funny blog post: Ben Pobjie
- Outstanding advocacy blog post (fundraising or an issue): Mr Denmore
- Best new blog (under 6 months old): Anna Spargo-Ryan
- Best young blogger: Alexander Virgo
To read the judges comments, visit the Sydney Writers’ Best Blogs Competition website. Congratulations to all the winners!
Thank you to my guest bloggers; to visitors and contributors to the conversation on the blog; to fellow Shadow jurors; to my behind-the-scenes mentors and support team, Kevin from Canada and Sue from Whispering Gums; to authors who contribute to Meet an Aussie Author and to the publicists who have supported this blog in a variety of ways. If you’d like to read more about these wonderful supporters, please see my previous post where I expressed my gratitude in more detail.
Thank you to my dear friend Jenny who nominated me, to all of you who have sent lovely messages of support here, on Twitter and on Facebook and of course f2f; to the judge of the Words category Angela Meyer, and to everyone at the Sydney Writers Centre, especially Rose Powell who rang me with the exciting news! And a big (yes, mushy) thank you to The Spouse, who kick-started my writing from the time we first met and encouraged my first forays into publication.
I also want to congratulate again the other four finalists. If you have visited their blogs, you know just how good they are. I am especially pleased that this competition has enabled my new friendship with Katy McDevitt – who just yesterday generously contributed a guest post to ANZ LitLovers about the editing process. This is what’s best about this Best Australian Blogs competition: it brings attention to blogs that will become part of your reading life on the web so make sure you visit:
- Just Add Story by Wade Bowmer;
- Kill Your Darlings edited by Estelle Tang;
- PublishEd Adelaide by Katy McDevitt; and
- The Book Post by Tara Moss.
PS: There has been a small downside to making the finals. It will come as no surprise to anyone that I follow Angela Meyer’s Literary Minded blog but because she was the judge of the competition, it was obviously inappropriate for me to comment on her blog for the duration of the competition. So I wasn’t able to post congratulations on the five-year anniversary of her blog earlier this week. Sorry Angela, please accept my belated congratulations now!
ANZ LitLovers LitBlog
Congratulations! What wonderful, and well-deserved, news!
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By: Stephanie @ Read in a Single Sitting on May 10, 2012
at 11:08 am
Woo-hoo!! This is FANTASTIC news Lisa!! How brilliant for you — but especially for us, the readers and writers of Australia, for whom you are doing a wonderful, wonderful service.
Here’s a glass raised to you! Congratulations
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By: Susan Johnson on May 10, 2012
at 11:09 am
Thank you, Susan and Stephanie, it’s amazing!
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By: Lisa Hill on May 10, 2012
at 11:32 am
Well done – well deserved :)
Of course, another down side is that you will now have every publisher in the country clamouring to shower you with free review copies of everything ;)
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By: Tony on May 10, 2012
at 11:57 am
*chuckle* They have to find out my address first!
Anyway, if that happened (there’s no sign of an Australia Post truck at the door), I’d know where to get help. Yours is one of the best OzLit blogs around and it’s just an accident that I was nominated for this and you weren’t. Something I shall redress in 2013…
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By: Lisa Hill on May 10, 2012
at 12:03 pm
No, I think what they said about the clear focus is spot on (on top of the great reviews, of course!). I prefer to meander about, switching focus as the whim takes me ;)
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By: Tony on May 10, 2012
at 4:40 pm
No, no deal, Tony. You can relax for now because there’s still no OzPost truck at the door *grin* – but you’re a mate, and I enjoy your witty reviews and if fans of OzLit need a little bit of space in your meanderings I’ve got you ‘on-call’!
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By: Lisa Hill on May 10, 2012
at 4:59 pm
Congratulations! You definitely deserve it!
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By: wookieebender on May 10, 2012
at 12:03 pm
Thanks, Tania, the bubbles are in the fridge for tonight!
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By: Lisa Hill on May 10, 2012
at 12:30 pm
Don’t wait, Lisa! If ever there were an excuse for pre-sun-past-yard-arm bubbles, this is it! :o)
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By: PublishEd Adelaide (@KatyMcDevitt) on May 10, 2012
at 3:24 pm
What *laughing*, and risk not giving the book I’m reading my full attention?!
PS (5 minutes later) The Spouse has just delivered a congratulatory box of chocs, so I’m celebrating with that while the bubbles chill.
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By: Lisa Hill on May 10, 2012
at 3:28 pm
Congratulation on your well-deserved win Lisa. I have waxed lyrical before but I’d just like to say again that you do a wonderful job and I particularly want to thank you from an Aussie writer’s point of view for the encouragement and goodwill you show to so many of us. I just happen to have one of those mini bottles of champas in the fridge (fancy that!) and the cork will be popping tonight.
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By: karenlee thompson on May 10, 2012
at 12:08 pm
Karen, you deserve that champagne too: your guest posts here have been awesome.
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By: Lisa Hill on May 10, 2012
at 12:31 pm
Congratulations Lisa. One of the great aspects of the competition is it broadens my own awareness of what else is out there. I’ve subscribed to your RSS feed already. Regards,
Mr Denmore
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By: Mr Denmore on May 10, 2012
at 1:01 pm
Thanks, and you are right: I’ve been visiting all the winning blogs and they are all so impressive, that’s the value of this competition:)
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By: Lisa Hill on May 10, 2012
at 1:13 pm
Well done Lisa! This is wonderful news. Not that I ever had any doubt you are the BEST Australian blogger ;)
Jenny
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By: Jenny Snell (@wellreadisjen) on May 10, 2012
at 1:22 pm
*hug*
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By: Lisa Hill on May 10, 2012
at 2:23 pm
Congratulations, Lisa. Well deserved. BTW, have you picked your Miles Franklin winner yet? John.
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By: musingsofaliterarydilettante on May 10, 2012
at 3:07 pm
Thanks, John:)
No, I haven’t yet, I’m still waiting on a copy of Blood. I think (hope) The Spouse is picking it up from the PO box today…
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By: Lisa Hill on May 10, 2012
at 3:11 pm
Congratulations and jubilations – well done Lisa.
Meg
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By: Meg on May 10, 2012
at 3:13 pm
Thanks, Meg!!
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By: Lisa Hill on May 10, 2012
at 3:22 pm
Lisa, thanks so much for this wrap-up (and yes, I’ll add my congratulations here too!). I know how hard you work to deliver the fantastic material that your blog publishes, and I’m so pleased to be a new member of the community that has sprung up around the site. I’m looking forward to working more with you in the future. Enjoy your win and here’s to many, many happy blogging days ahead. Cheers! Katy
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By: PublishEd Adelaide (@KatyMcDevitt) on May 10, 2012
at 3:30 pm
Congratulations Lisa – well deserved!
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By: shelleyrae @ Book'd Out on May 10, 2012
at 4:13 pm
Well done! You deserve it.
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By: ablay1 on May 10, 2012
at 4:27 pm
Thanks, Anna and Shelley:)
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By: Lisa Hill on May 10, 2012
at 5:06 pm
Congratulations Lisa, I’m not surprised at all that you won – well deserved.
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By: sharkell on May 10, 2012
at 7:34 pm
Fantastic Lisa, well done!
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By: annabelsmith on May 10, 2012
at 7:35 pm
Thanks, Annabel:)
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By: Lisa Hill on May 10, 2012
at 8:28 pm
Congrats on your win!
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By: Heather Smith (@HeatherSmithAU) on May 10, 2012
at 9:15 pm
Thanks, Heather, what a great day it’s been:)
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By: Lisa Hill on May 10, 2012
at 9:17 pm
As I’ve already said on Twitter, congratulations Lisa. So exciting for you and well deserved … Thanks for your thanks, but I’ve enjoyed every minute of sharing our blog journeys with each other. It’s added immeasurably to the fun.
Now I look forward to hearing what you do with your prize …
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By: whisperinggums on May 10, 2012
at 11:30 pm
If I learn to write a novel, you can review it on your blog LOL!
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By: Lisa Hill on May 11, 2012
at 12:07 am
it’s a promise … As long as it’s not crime! Well, for you I’d review crime!
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By: whisperinggums on May 11, 2012
at 7:48 am
Yay! Well done Lisa! Very happy for you :)
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By: Sarah on May 11, 2012
at 12:10 am
Hi Sarah, lovely to get your message just as I’m signing off for the night:) It’s been an exciting day!
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By: Lisa Hill on May 11, 2012
at 12:14 am
That’s brilliant news. Well done.
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By: DKS on May 11, 2012
at 12:55 am
Hi Deane – thanks!
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By: Lisa Hill on May 11, 2012
at 6:49 am
very well done lisa ,all the best stu
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By: winstonsdad on May 12, 2012
at 6:48 am
And you too, Stu – in the Top Ten UK Lit BLogs on Twitter! Well done:)
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By: Lisa Hill on May 12, 2012
at 7:20 am
Sorry to be late with congratulations – nonetheless sincere. Your contribution to the literary world – not just Australia – is truly astonishing. We are very indebted to you for such dedication, enthusiasm and hard work. Well done!
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By: Ros on May 18, 2012
at 5:51 pm
Thank you, Ros, much appreciated:)
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By: Lisa Hill on May 18, 2012
at 5:58 pm
I’m also one who has come late to this news. Firstly, my apologies for the tardiness of this note, and secondly my hearty congratulations on the award. Very, very deserved. Keep on bloggin’!
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By: Perry Middlemiss on May 23, 2012
at 10:16 pm
Thank you, Perry:)
I think I’m just part of a great team of Aussie bloggers, each of whom contributes in their own way to spreading the word about our wonderful Aussie lit. I love your blog for your bookcovers series, for the poetry and for the weird and wonderful excerpts you post from the digital archives at the NLA. And your combined reviews are a wonderful resource for us all. Let’s all keep bloggin’!
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By: Lisa Hill on May 23, 2012
at 10:24 pm
I knew your big news of course Lisa, but just have a little bit of time tonight to catch up on some blog posts. What fabulous news this is! So well deserved. I’m constantly impressed by the passion for, and knowledge of Aussie/Kiwi Lit that you convey so well in your blog. I’m so pleased to be able to say that I knew you before you were famous!
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By: Louise on May 24, 2012
at 11:06 pm
*chuckle* Famous, as if!
But thank you for your lovely thoughts all the same *big smile*
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By: Lisa Hill on May 25, 2012
at 4:46 pm