ANZ LitLovers LitBlog

Last year, to some discontent, there was no winner of the 2019 Vogel Literary Award, the annual prize awarded to an author under the age of thirty-five since its inception in 1980.  The Vogel, as it is known, has launched the careers of over 100 Australian authors, including Tim Winton, Rohan Wilson, Kate Grenville, Andrew McGahan and Gillian Mears.  More recent winners include

• 2018 — Emily Grady, The Yellow House, see my review
• 2017 — Marija Peričić, The Lost Pages, see my review
• 2016 — Katherine Brabon, The Memory Artist, see my review
• 2015 — Murray Middleton, When There’s Nowhere Else to Run, see my review
• 2014 — Christine Piper, After Darkness, see my review
• 2013 — No prize awarded
• 2012 — Paul D. Carter, Eleven Seasons
• 2011 — Rohan Wilson, The Roving Party, see my review
• 2009 — Kristel Thornell, Night Street see my review, and Lisa Lang, Utopian Man, see my review
• 2008 — Andrew Croome, Document Z, see my review
• 2004 — Steven Lang, An Accidental Terrorist, see my review

As you can see, standards for winning the prize are high.  But there was no such problem this year.  I am pleased to share the press release:

The winner of The Australian/Vogel’s Literary Award 2020 is K.M. Kruimink from Tasmania for A Treacherous Country—an authentic, original and playful novel set in 19th century Tasmania. Competition judge and author Tegan Bennett Daylight calls it a ‘witty, warm and lively story’.

The announcement was made yesterday evening via the Allen & Unwin Facebook page, in a much anticipated virtual event to continue celebrating the rich history of this award in supporting young Australian writers.