I’m not quite sure how I came to overlook the 2016 Victorian Premier’s Literary Awards shortlist announcement last December, but better late than never!
BTW I do like the way the shortlist announcement also includes acknowledgement of Highly Commended titles.
PRIZE FOR FICTION
- Fever of Animals by Miles Allinson (Scribe Publications) – Brunswick, Vic, see my review
- The Other Side of the World by Stephanie Bishop (Hachette) – Springwood, NSW, see my review
- Clade by James Bradley (Penguin) – Darlington, NSW
- Forever Young by Steven Carroll (HarperCollins) – Brunswick East, Vic, see my review
- The World Without Us by Mireille Juchau (Bloomsbury) – Earlwood, NSW
- The Natural Way of Things by Charlotte Wood (Allen & Unwin) – Marrickville, NSW on my TBR
Highly commended:
- Six Bedrooms by Tegan Bennett Daylight (Random House Australia)
- The Mothers by Rod Jones (Text Publishing) see my review, and
- Black Rock White City by A.S. Patrić (Transit Lounge Publishing) see my review
PRIZE FOR NON-FICTION
- Modern Love: The Lives of John and Sunday Reed by Lesley Harding and Kendrah Morgan (MUP) – North Fitzroy, Vic, and Fitzroy, Vic
- Thea Astley: Inventing Her Own Weather by Karen Lamb (UQP) – Dulwich Hill, NSW, see my review
- Australia’s Second Chance by George Megalogenis (Penguin) – North Caulfield, Vic
- Second Half First by Drusilla Modjeska (Knopf) – Birchgrove, NSW
- Something for the Pain by Gerald Murnane (Text Publishing) – Goroke, Vic, on my TBR
- Mannix by Brenda Niall (Text Publishing) – Deepdene, Vic, see my review
Highly commended:
Good Muslim Boy by Osamah Sami (Hardie Grant Books) and
Small Acts of Disappearance by Fiona Wright (Giramondo Publishing)
PRIZE FOR DRAMA
- Mortido by Angela Betzien (Currency Press) – St Peters, NSW
- Broken by Mary Anne Butler (Currency Press) – Rapid Creek, NT
- SHIT by Patricia Cornelius (Melbourne Theatre Company) – Thornbury, Vic
Highly commended: I am a Miracle by Declan Greene
PRIZE FOR POETRY
- The Guardians by Lucy Dougan (Giramondo Publishing) – East Victoria Park, Vic
- Crankhandle by Alan Loney (Cordite) – Malvern East, Vic
- The Subject of Feeling by Peter Rose (UWA Publishing) – Melbourne, Vic
Highly commended: Happiness by Martin Harrison (UWA Publishing)
PRIZE FOR WRITING FOR YOUNG ADULTS
- Sister Heart by Sally Morgan (Fremantle Press) – Bicton, WA
- A Single Stone by Meg McKinlay (Walker Books Australia) – Hamilton Hill, WA
- Welcome to Orphancorp by Marlee Jane Ward (Xoum Publishing) – Brunswick West, Vic
Highly commended:
- Illuminae by Aimee Kaufman and Jay Kristoff (Allen & Unwin) and
- Becoming Kirrali Lewis by Jane Harrison (Magabala Books)
The winners will be announced on January 28th 2016.
ANZ LitLovers LitBlog 
Not. Read. One. Can’t believe that I love Aussie lit so much and I have not read one of these!
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By: sharkell on January 11, 2016
at 7:01 pm
Oh, it’s impossible to keep up. So many new books every year, and some of the best ones get very little publicity so we don’t even know about them.
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By: Lisa Hill on January 11, 2016
at 7:17 pm
I’m trying to read from my shelves as much as possible (which usually accounts for about 50% of my reading) so I guess I shouldn’t be surprised. I see such good books out there and I will never be able to read everything I want to read. Sometimes I find that frustrating. Anyway, onwards and upwards…
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By: sharkell on January 11, 2016
at 8:15 pm
Yes, and you know, it’s not such a bad problem to have!
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By: Lisa Hill on January 11, 2016
at 8:58 pm
I’m always surprised when I hear friends say they don’t know what to read next – that never happens to me ☺
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By: sharkell on January 11, 2016
at 9:11 pm
No, nor me. I think we’re the lucky ones:)
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By: Lisa Hill on January 11, 2016
at 9:30 pm
Read. One! And I’m with you two. I’m never at a loss for what to read next. I too find that quandary completely mystifying.
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By: whisperinggums on January 11, 2016
at 11:24 pm
Which one? Can I have the link?
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By: Lisa Hill on January 11, 2016
at 11:52 pm
Oh, the same one you’ve read – the Astley – so nothing exciting to add to your list I’m afraid!
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By: whisperinggums on January 11, 2016
at 11:59 pm
That’s a great book. Up against Mannix which makes it hard…
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By: Lisa Hill on January 12, 2016
at 12:05 am
Haven’t read Mannix, but totally agree re Astley …. A wonderful contribution to our understanding of her and Australian literature.
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By: whisperinggums on January 12, 2016
at 8:14 am
It would be nice… but I haven’t read the others so it’s really not fair for me to barrack…
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By: Lisa Hill on January 12, 2016
at 11:05 am
No, unfortunately … But we can be happy if something we’ve read and liked wins.
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By: whisperinggums on January 12, 2016
at 1:32 pm
True, but it’s why I’m uneasy about People’s Choice awards…
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By: Lisa Hill on January 12, 2016
at 2:05 pm
Absolutely. You just have to take them with a grain of salt and hope that both winners and losers know that too.
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By: whisperinggums on January 12, 2016
at 5:23 pm