ANZ LitLovers LitBlog

Well, the news is out, and now we know the new category for the 2015 10th anniversary Melbourne Prize for Literature!

As you will know if you read my previous post about the prize, the Melbourne Prize is a generous award for writers resident in Victoria.  These are the categories:

The Melbourne Prize for Literature 2015
The winner receives $60,000 cash.  This prize is supported by The Vera Moore Foundation and The Tallis Foundation.

The Melbourne Prize for Literature 2015 is for a Victorian author whose body of published work has made an outstanding contribution to Australian literature and to cultural and intellectual life. The author’s work can include all genres and forms, for example, fiction, non-fiction, essays, plays, screenplays and poetry. There is no age limit for this prize. Entrants must be commercially published authors.

The Best Writing Award
The winner receives $30,000 + $2,500 Qantas airfare credit
This prize is supported by its sole patron, The Robert Salzer Foundation.

The Best Writing Award 2015 is for a published work of outstanding clarity, originality and creativity by a Victorian writer. The work can be any genre for example, fiction, non-fiction, essays, plays, screenplays and poetry. There is no age limit for this award. The recipient of this award will also receive Qantas International air travel to the value of $2,500 (including GST). Entrants must be commercially published authors.

The Civic Choice Award
The winner receives $6,000. This prize is sponsored by Readings Bookstore and Hardie Grant Books.

A public exhibition of the finalists in the Melbourne Prize for Literature 2015, the Best Writing Award 2015 and the Writers Prize 2015 will be held at Federation Square between 9 and 23 November 2015. This award will be given to the finalist with the highest number of public votes. Votes can be made using the online voting form, available at melbourneprize.org from the announcement of finalists on 2 September to the close of the Federation Square exhibition on 23 November. A voting form will also be available in the free catalogue, available during the exhibition. The announcement of the winner of the Civic Choice Award 2015 will be made on 27 November 2015 at melbourneprize.org

And now *drumroll* the new prize in 2015, is

The Writer’s Prize 2015
The winner will receive $20,000 + $2,000 each for five finalists This new prize is funded by the Copyright Agency’s Cultural Fund.

The Writers Prize 2015 is a new category made available this year to continue the 10th anniversary celebrations of the annual Melbourne Prize. Entrants to the Writers Prize 2015 must submit, by the close of entries (20 July 2015), an essay of up to 20,000 words (minimum 10,000 words). The essay must include Melbourne, Victoria or Australia as part of its subject. Submitted work in the Prize must not have been commercially published. Five (5) finalists will be selected by the judges, who will be announced on 2 September. A $2,000 fee (including GST) will be given to each of the five finalists. The winning author will receive the Writers Prize 2015, valued at $20,000.  Entrants must be commercially published authors.

To find out the key dates and other important conditions for entries, download the entry form, or visit the Melbourne Prize website for more information.

ENTRY FORM_Melbourne Prize for Literature 2015 and Awards

Thanks to Simon Warrender, Executive Director and Founder of the Melbourne Trust, for his input to the preparation of this blog post.