Premier names winners of 2015 Queensland Literary Awards

Premier and Arts Minister Annastacia Palaszczuk has announced the winners of new literary awards supported by the Queensland Government at tonight’s presentation at State Library of Queensland. 

“This year my government reinstated support for the Queensland Literary Awards, matching the sponsorship and funding of ten awards and establishing new awards,” the Premier said. 

“Tonight we see the results of that decision – the celebration of talented voices telling Queensland stories. 

“The winner of the $25 000 Queensland Premier’s Award for a Work of State Significance is Warrior, by Libby Connors, for the dramatic story of young Aboriginal leader Dundalli and his life on the colonial frontier set against a portrait of early Brisbane. 

“This award recognises writing with a Queensland focus, celebrating important Queensland authors, stories, history and voices and the judges’ decision to award Warrior was unanimous,” Ms Palaszczuk said. 

The winners of the two Queensland Premier’s Young Publishers and Writers Awards for writers aged 18-30, each to the value of $12 500, are Megan McGrath, who was raised on North Stradbroke Island and Toowoomba-based Rebecca Jessen. 

The prize includes career development support from Queensland Writers Centre, to help foster the next generation of Queensland writers. 

The three $20,000 Queensland Writers’ Fellowships go to Sunshine Coast-based Inga Simpson, Brisbane writer Krissy Kneen and Karen Foxlee, who lives in Gympie. 

“These writers will use their fellowships to develop a manuscript or writing project towards publication by the end of 2016,” the Premier said.

The Premier applauded the QLA organisers, sponsors and publishers who kept the awards alive when the previous governments stripped funding.

“Congratulations to all involved for refusing to let Queensland voices be silenced, for maintaining a fine tradition of recognising our literary talent,” she said. 

In 2015, the Queensland Literary Awards, administered by State Library of Queensland, awarded writers in twelve categories across fiction, non-fiction and poetry, including The Courier-Mail People’s Choice Queensland Book of the Year Award. 

The Queensland Literary Awards are supported through the Queensland Government, the University of Queensland, Griffith University, the University of Southern Queensland, Claire Booth, the Copyright Agency Limited Cultural Fund and The Courier-Mail. 

For a complete list of winners see www.qldliteraryawards.org.au

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