2016 Queensland Literary Awards announced

The winners of the 2016 Queensland Literary Awards were announced today at a gala ceremony at State Library of Queensland.

Minister for Innovation, Science and the Digital Economy Leeanne Enoch commended the 16 award winners for their literary success.

“The Queensland Literary Awards demonstrate the Palaszczuk Government’s commitment to nurture and grow opportunities for writers and continue to build Queensland’s reputation as a leader in the national literary landscape,” Ms Enoch. “The exceptional list of winning entries shows the depth of literary talent in our state.”

On behalf of Premier and Arts Minister Annastacia Palaszczuk, Minister Enoch presented the

Queensland Premier’s Award for a work of State Significance to Indigenous mother and daughter writing team Lesley and Tammy Williams for their book Not Just Black and White.

The $25,000 award recognises writing with a Queensland focus, celebrating important Queensland stories, history and voices.

“Mrs Lesley Williams and her daughter Tammy have written a searing account of a period of Queensland’s history and of a fight for social justice for Indigenous workers, while they also movingly share a very personal memoir of mother and daughter,” Minister Enoch said.

The winners of the two Queensland Premier’s Young Publishers and Writers Awards for writers aged 18 to 30, each to the value of $12,500, are Emily Craven and Michelle Law.

Emily is the CEO and editor of Story City, a social enterprise publishing platform and interactive app, as well as a young adult fiction author. The judges noted that Emily showed impressive initiative in the publishing industry, and that Story City is a ‘superbly imaginative marriage of story, technology, landscape and place’.

Described by the judges as an ‘emerging star of the literary scene’, the second recipient Michelle Law is an author, freelance writer and screenwriter of fiction, non-fiction, television and film. Michelle’s films have been screened on the ABC and at film festivals locally and abroad.

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

The three $15,000 Queensland Writers Fellowships go to Brisbane writers Trent Jamieson, Amanda O’Callaghan and Pamela Rushby.

Minister Enoch also presented the State Library of Queensland Poetry Collection – Judith Wright Calanthe Award to David Musgrave for his book Anatomy of Voice.

Acclaimed author Georgia Blain took out the coveted The University of Queensland Fiction Book Award with her novel Between a Wolf and a Dog, amid what the judges described as “an outstanding array of Australian novels this year.”

State Librarian Vicki McDonald said State Library is proud to continue as custodians of the Queensland Literary Awards and thanked the sponsors, judges and publishers who support them.

“Queensland has always been home to a vibrant and passionate literary community,” Ms McDonald said.

“The Queensland Literary Awards demonstrate the strength of writing and publishing in Queensland.”

In 2016, the Queensland Literary Awards, managed by State Library of Queensland, awarded 16 writers in 12 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 by the Queensland Government, The University of Queensland, Griffith University, The University of Southern Queensland, Claire Booth, Copyright Agency Limited Cultural Fund and The Courier-Mail.

2016 Queensland Literary Awards winners

Queensland Premier's Award for a work of State Significance (Prize: $25,000)

• Not Just Black and White, Lesley and Tammy Williams

Queensland Premier's Young Publishers and Writers Awards (Two Prizes of $10,000 each)

• Emily Craven
• Michelle Law

2016 Queensland Writers Fellowships (Prize: $15,000 each)

• Trent Jamieson
• Amanda O’Callaghan
• Pamela Rushby

State Library of Queensland Poetry Collection – Judith Wright Calanthe Award (Prize: $10,000)

• Anatomy of Voice, David Musgrave

University of Queensland Fiction Book Award (Prize: $10,000)

• Between a Wolf and a Dog, Georgia Blain

University of Queensland Non-Fiction Book Award (Prize: $10,000)

• Small Acts of Disappearance: Essays on Hunger, Fiona Wright

Griffith University Young Adult Book Award (Prize: $10,000)

• Dreaming the Enemy, David Metzenthen

Griffith University Children’s Book Award (Prize: $10,000)

• KidGlovz, Julie Hunt (author) and Dale Newman (illustrator)

University of Southern Queensland History Book Award (Prize: $10,000)

• The Pearl Frontier: Indonesian Labour and Indigenous Encounters in Australia’s Northern Trading Network, Julie Martinez and Adrian Vickers

University of Southern Queensland Australian Short Story Collection – Steele Rudd Award (Prize: $10,000, co-winners awarded $5,000 each)

• A Few Days in the Country: And Other Stories, Elizabeth Harrower
• The High Places, Fiona McFarlane

Unpublished Indigenous Writer – David Unaipon Award (Prize: $10,000)

• Dancing Home, Paul Collis

Emerging Queensland Writer – Manuscript Award (No winner, two $5,000 encouragement awards presented)

• The Boatman, H.E. Crampton
• The Elements, Laura Elvery

The Courier-Mail People's Choice Queensland Book of the Year Award

• Swimming Home, Mary-Rose MacColl

For more information about the awards visit www.qldliteraryawards.org.au

Photos available upon request - Cinnamon Watson Publicity, 0432 219 643 cinn@cinnamonwatsonpublicity.com.au

Media contact: Daniel Lato 0438 830 201