PREMIER APPLAUDS QUEENSLAND MILES FRANKLIN WINNER
Published Friday, 22 June, 2007 at 06:32 PM
Premier and Minister for Trade
The Honourable Peter Beattie
Premier Peter Beattie today congratulated Indigenous author Alexis Wright for telling a story about Queensland which has brought Indigenous culture to the attention of the literary world.
Ms Wright won the 2007 Miles Franklin Literary Award for her second novel Carpentaria which is set in her traditional homeland in the southern highlands of the Gulf Country.
“The Miles Franklin is a coveted literary award, carrying a prize of $42,000, so this is great recognition of Ms Wright’s literary skills and the Indigenous culture of Queensland,” Mr Beattie said.
“The Queensland Government had the foresight a decade ago to recognise Ms Wright’s exceptional talent by contributing funding for her debut novel Plains of Promise which was first published in 1997 by University of Queensland Press (UQP),” he said.
Plains of Promise has since been reprinted several times and was short-listed in the Commonwealth Writers’ Prize, The Age Book of the Year, and the NSW Premier’s Awards. The book has also been translated into French.
An excerpt of Plains of Promise was included in Fresh Cuttings – UQP’s first Black Australian Writing Anthology released in 2003.
The State Government, in partnership with UQP, has a strong record of supporting Indigenous writers and Mr Beattie has long been a passionate promoter of Aboriginal and Torres Straight Islander artists around the world.
Mr Beattie today also paid tribute to Ms Wright for her role on the judging panel of the David Unaipon Award in the annual Queensland Premier’s Literary Awards.
Alexis Wright, a member of the Waanyi people, was born in Cloncurry. She has been involved as a writer and activist in Aboriginal affairs and has appeared at writers’ festivals and conferences in London, Paris, Barcelona, New York and Brisbane.
Other Queensland-born winners of the Miles Franklin Award include Andrew McGahan (2005) for The White Earth and David Malouf (1991) for The Great World.
Media Contact: Premier’s Office – 3224 4500
Ms Wright won the 2007 Miles Franklin Literary Award for her second novel Carpentaria which is set in her traditional homeland in the southern highlands of the Gulf Country.
“The Miles Franklin is a coveted literary award, carrying a prize of $42,000, so this is great recognition of Ms Wright’s literary skills and the Indigenous culture of Queensland,” Mr Beattie said.
“The Queensland Government had the foresight a decade ago to recognise Ms Wright’s exceptional talent by contributing funding for her debut novel Plains of Promise which was first published in 1997 by University of Queensland Press (UQP),” he said.
Plains of Promise has since been reprinted several times and was short-listed in the Commonwealth Writers’ Prize, The Age Book of the Year, and the NSW Premier’s Awards. The book has also been translated into French.
An excerpt of Plains of Promise was included in Fresh Cuttings – UQP’s first Black Australian Writing Anthology released in 2003.
The State Government, in partnership with UQP, has a strong record of supporting Indigenous writers and Mr Beattie has long been a passionate promoter of Aboriginal and Torres Straight Islander artists around the world.
Mr Beattie today also paid tribute to Ms Wright for her role on the judging panel of the David Unaipon Award in the annual Queensland Premier’s Literary Awards.
Alexis Wright, a member of the Waanyi people, was born in Cloncurry. She has been involved as a writer and activist in Aboriginal affairs and has appeared at writers’ festivals and conferences in London, Paris, Barcelona, New York and Brisbane.
Other Queensland-born winners of the Miles Franklin Award include Andrew McGahan (2005) for The White Earth and David Malouf (1991) for The Great World.
Media Contact: Premier’s Office – 3224 4500