There are some really, really good books on the 2020 ARA Historical Novel Prize longlist.
Longlisted entries include:
- Master of My Fate by Sienna Brown (Penguin Books Australia)
- Bodies of Men by Nigel Featherstone (Hachette Australia), see my review
- Shepherd by Catherine Jinks (Text Publishing), see Jennifer’s review at Tasmanian Bibliophile at Large
- Stone Sky Gold Mountain by Mirandi Riwoe (University of Queensland Press), on my TBR
- The Electric Hotel by Dominic Smith (Allen & Unwin Australia), see my review
- Damascus by Christos Tsiolkas (Allen & Unwin Australia), see Sue’s review at Whispering Gums
- The Dictionary of Lost Words by Pip Williams (Affirm Press), see my review
- The Yield by Tara June Winch (Penguin Books Australia), see my review
The Historical Novel Society of Australia has more info at their website.
For further information about each of the authors and their novels, please visit 2020 ARA Historical Novel Prize Longlist.
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The announcement of the longlist coincides with ARA Group doubling its funding for the inaugural award, increasing the total prize monies to $60,000. The overall prize winner will now receive $50,000, with an additional $5,000 to be awarded to each of the remaining two shortlisted authors.
The increase in funding places the ARA Historical Novel Prize among the top five richest literary prizes in Australia and New Zealand, and makes it the most significant genre-based literary prize in Australia.
***
Sponsored by the ARA Group,
The ARA Historical Novel Prize is designed to give historical novelists the opportunity to be recognised in a class of their own — for the first time ever as part of an Australian and New Zealand literary award.
ANZ LitLovers LitBlog 
I’ve read three ( ‘Bodies of Men’, ‘Shepherd’ and ‘The Yield’) and now I want to read the other five! How wonderful that the prize monies have been increased.
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By: Jennifer on October 7, 2020
at 2:54 pm
Have you reviewed Shepherd? I’d like to add the link if you have…
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By: Lisa Hill on October 7, 2020
at 4:47 pm
Here’s the link to my review, Lisa. Thank you.
https://tasmanianbibliophileatlarge.wordpress.com/2020/01/25/shepherd-by-catherine-jinks
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By: Jennifer on October 7, 2020
at 4:51 pm
Thanks!
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By: Lisa Hill on October 7, 2020
at 9:50 pm
I thought Shepherd was fairly average TBH.
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By: kimbofo on October 7, 2020
at 9:56 pm
I’ve only ever read Jinks’ The Inquisitor, and that was a long time ago. I can’t really remember what I thought of it…
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By: Lisa Hill on October 7, 2020
at 10:00 pm
I really like this new award! Can’t pick a favourite though as I’ve read and enjoyed a few of them.
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By: Theresa Smith Writes on October 8, 2020
at 1:46 pm
I think it’s a good award. From the outset, the Stella proclaimed that it was going to consider all forms of women’s writing including genre fiction, but it never has.
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By: Lisa Hill on October 8, 2020
at 3:29 pm
There is some really good genre fiction out there. It’s a bit snobby to ignore it, really.
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By: Theresa Smith Writes on October 8, 2020
at 6:57 pm
Hmm…I don’t think it’s snobby to have preferred tastes in reading. It’s a leisure pursuit, and we all like different things, and that’s a good thing.
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By: Lisa Hill on October 8, 2020
at 8:23 pm
I’m meaning more from a prize perspective. I think prizes shouldn’t overlook genre fiction.
Personal preferences are different.
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By: Theresa Smith Writes on October 8, 2020
at 8:28 pm
Ah, sorry, I misunderstood.
Yes, I agree. The Stiletto awards for crime fiction have been going for years, so this one is long overdue.
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By: Lisa Hill on October 8, 2020
at 8:33 pm
Yes! Similar sort of thing.
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By: Theresa Smith Writes on October 8, 2020
at 8:54 pm
An interesting prize Lisa. I’ve reviewed Damascus, plus three that you’ve read. I’m Away for three days without my laptop (desperately needed a break from cares and responsibilities) so will check your other posts on my return. But just love this prize.
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By: whisperinggums on October 8, 2020
at 8:06 pm
I knew someone had, thanks, I’ll find it on yours and add it.
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By: Lisa Hill on October 8, 2020
at 8:23 pm
Thanks Lisa.
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By: whisperinggums on October 9, 2020
at 7:59 am
[…] because of the recently announced longlist for the inaugural ARA Historical Novel Prize, which Lisa (ANZLitLovers) posted on recently. Let’s start with the prize’s home, the […]
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By: Monday musings on Australian literature: Supporting genres, 1: Historical fiction | Whispering Gums on October 12, 2020
at 11:00 pm