Showing posts with label literary awards. Show all posts
Showing posts with label literary awards. Show all posts

Man Booker Prize winner, 2011.

The Man Booker Prize winner for 2011 was announced yesterday. Congratulations to Julian Barnes, author of the winning title " The Sense of an Ending". Barnes has been shortlisted three time previously for this prize, in 1984 with Flaubert's Parrot , in 1998 with England, England, and with Arthur & George in 2005. According to Dame Stella Rimmington, Chair of this years judging panel, this book has "the markings of a classic of English Literature. It is exquisitely written, subtly plotted and reveals new depths with each readings". You can reserve a copy at the library.

Man Booker Prize for Fiction shortlist, 2011.

The Man Booker Prize for Fiction Shortlist, 2011 has been announced. Authors Julian Barnes, Carol Birch, Patrick deWitt, Esi Edugyan, Stephen Kelman and A.D. Miller are the six contenders for the award. The list includes two authors who have been listed for the prize in the past as well as two first time novelists.

Julian Barnes has been shortlisted three times previously for this award:
In 2005 for "Arthur and George ",
In 1998 for " England, England ,
and in 1984 for "Flaubert’s Parrot ".

Carol Birch was previously longlisted for this award in 2003 for "Turn again home".

The two first time novelists are Stephen Kellman and A.D. Miller.

The six books selected from the longlist of 13, are:

"The sense of an ending" by Julian Barnes.

"Jamrach’s Menagerie " by Carol Birch.

The Sisters Brothers by Patrick De Witt.

"Half Blood Blues" by Esi Edugyan.

"Pigeon English" by Stephen Kelman, a first time novelist.

"Snowdrops" by A.D Miller, a first time novelist.

The winner of this prestigious award will be announced on 18 October, 2011. Who do you think will win?

Man Booker Prize Longlist, 2012



The Man Booker prize long list was announced on Tuesday, 26th July. The “Manbooker dozen” includes one previous winner of this award, Alan Hollinghurst, along with two authors who have been previously shortlisted for this award; Sebastian Barry and Julian Barnes. There are also four new authors, Stephen Kelman, A.D. Miller, Yvvette Edwards and Patrick McGuinness.





The Man Booker Prize Longlist, 2012:
Julian Barnes - The Sense of an Ending
Sebastian Barry - On Canaan's Side
Carol Birch - Jamrach's Menagerie
Patrick deWitt - The Sisters Brothers
Esi Edugyan - Half Blood Blues
Yvette Edwards - A Cupboard Full of Coats
Alan Hollinghurst - The Stranger's Child
Stephen Kelman - Pigeon English
Patrick McGuinness - The Last Hundred Days
A.D. Miller - Snowdrops
Alison Pick - Far to Go
Jane Rogers - The Testament of Jessie Lamb
D.J. Taylor - Derby Day



Do you think the judges got it right so far? The shortlist will be announced Tuesday 6th September, followed by the announcement of the winning book on 18th October, 2011.

Prime Ministers Literary Awards, 2011.

The winners of this year's Prime Minister's Literary Awards were announced on friday, 8th July, 2011. The prizes were awarded by Prime Minister Julia Gillard in Canberra. Each winner received a cash prize of $80,000, with the short listed titles in each category receiving $5000.

Congratulations to the following winners:

The fiction prize was awarded to Traitor by Stephen Daisley.
The non fiction prize winner is The Hard Light of Day by Rod Moss.
The young adult fiction prize was presented to Graffiti Moon by Cath Crowley.
The children' s fiction prize was received by Shake a Leg by Boori Monty Pryor and Jan Ormerod.

2011 Prime Ministers Literary Awards Shortlist has been announced

Recently, the Prime Ministers Literary Awards shortlist was announced. This the fourth year of these awards, which recognise and celebrate excellence in Australian literature. There are four categories, fiction, non-fiction, young adult fiction and childrens fiction. The winners will be announced in the week of 4th-8th July, 2011.
The shortlisted titles are as follows:

Fiction
Glissando” by David Musgrave
"Notorious" by Roberta Lowing
That deadman dance” by Kim Scott
Traitor” by Stephen Daisley
When Colts ran” by Roger McDonald

Non Fiction
How to make gravy” by Paul Kelly
Sydney” by Delia Falconer
The hard light of day” by Rod Moss
“The party” by Richard McGregor
“Claude Levi-Strauss by Patrick Wicklen

Young adult fiction
About a girl” by Joanne Horniman
Good Oil” by Laura Buzo
Graffiti Moon” by Cath Crowely
The Pipers son” Melina Marchetta
The three loves of Persimmon” by Cassandra Golds

Childrens fiction
April Underhill, tooth fairy" by Bob Graham
Why I love Australia” by Bronwyn Bancroft
Shake a leg”by Boori Monty Pryor and Jan Ormerod
Now” by Morris Gleitzman
Flyaway” by Lucy Christopher

Who do you think should win?

Aurealis Awards 2011. The winners are...


The winners of the Aurealis Awards, 2011, were  recently announced at a glittering ceremony at North Sydney's Independent Theatre. The awards were selected from around 600 entries across thirteen categories. They represent the best of Australian fantasy, horror and science fiction as judged by a panel of their peers.

Childrens fiction – told primarily through words

The Keepers, Lian Tanner

Childrens fiction – told primarily through pictures

The Boy and the Toy, Sonya Hartnett (writer) & Lucia Masciullo (illustrator)

Young Adult short story

‘A Thousand Flowers’, Margo Lanagan, Zombies V Unicorns

Young Adult novel

Guardian of the Dead, Karen Healey

Illustrated Book/ Graphic Novel

Changing Ways, Justin Randall

Collection

The Girl With No Hands, Angela Slatter

Anthology

Wings of Fire, edited by Jonathan Strahan and Marianne S. Jablon

Horror short fiction

‘The Fear’, Richard Harland, Macabre: A Journey Through Australia’s Darkest Fears

Horror long fiction

Madigan Mine, Kirstyn McDermott

Fantasy short fiction

‘The February Dragon’, LL Hannett & Angela Slatter, Scary Kisses and

‘Yowie’, Thoraiya Dyer, Sprawl

Fantasy novel

Power and Majesty, Tansy Rayner Roberts

Science Fiction short fiction

‘The Heart of a Mouse’, K.J. Bishop,

Science Fiction novel

Transformation Space, Marianne de Pierres,

Peter McNamara Convenors’ Award

Helen Merrick


Congratulations to all the winners!

2011 NSW Premier's Literary Award Winners Announced!

The winners of the 2011 NSW Premier's Literary Award were announced last week at the Sydney Opera House. These awards were established in 1979 and were Australia's First Premier's Awards. Prize money for these awards range from $5000 - $40 000 (that's a great incentive to write a best seller).

Notable winner's included Alex Miller, who took out both the Christina Stead Prize for Fiction and the People's Choice Award for his novel, Lovesong; Malcolm Fraser and Margaret Simons, winners of both the Douglas Stewart Prize for non-fiction and Book of the Year for Malcolm Fraser: The Politcal Memoirs; and Libby Gleeson, who received the Special Award for her contribution to children's literature.

Have you read any of these winners? And do you agree with the judges?

Christina Stead Prize for Fiction: Alex Miller - Lovesong
Douglas Stewart Prize for Non-Fiction: Malcolm Fraser and Margaret Simons - Malcolm Fraser: The Political Memoirs
Kenneth Slessor Prize for Poetry: Jennifer Maiden - Pirate Rain
Ethel Turner Prize for Young People's Literature: Cath Crowley - Graffiti Moon
Patricia Wrightson Prize for Children's Literature: Sophie Masson - My Australian Story: The Hunt for Ned Kelly
Script Writing Award: Debra Oswald - Offspring
Play Award: Patricia Cornelius - Do not go Gentle  . . .
NSW Premier's Translation Prize & PEN Medallion: Ian Johnston
Community Relations Commission Award: Ouyang Yu - The English Class
UTS Glenda Adams Award for New Writing: Stephen Daisley - Traitor
Book of the Year: Malcolm Fraser and Margaret Simons - Malcolm Fraser: The Political Memoirs
Special Award: Libby Gleeson
People's Choice Award: Alex Miller - Lovesong

Aurealis awards shortlist for 2010.

The finalists for the 2010 Aurealis Awards have recently been announced. As you may know, the Aurealis Awards are annual literary awards for Australian speculative fiction, covering the categories of science fiction, horror and fantasy fiction. Only Australians are eligible for the award, and the book must have been published within the last twelve months. Here are the Young Adult novel and Adult Science fiction, Horror and Fantasy fiction shortlists:

YOUNG ADULT Novel


Merrow, by Ananda Braxton--‐Smith.


Guardian of the Dead, by Karen Healey.


The Midnight Zoo, by Sonya Hartnett.


The Life of a Teenage Body--‐Snatcher, by Doug MacLeod.


Behemoth (Leviathan Trilogy Book Two), by Scott Westerfeld.



HORROR Novel


*After the World: Gravesend, by Jason Fischer.


*Death Most Definite, by Trent Jamieson.


*Madigan Mine, by Kirstyn McDermott.



SCIENCE FICTION Novel



Song of Scarabaeus, by Sara Creasy.


Mirror space, by Marianne de Pierres.


Transformation Space, by Marianne de Pierres.



FANTASY novel



The silence of Medair, by Andrea K Host.


Death most definite , by Trent Jamieson.


Stormland rising, by Glenda Larke.


Hearts blood, by Juliet Marillier.


Power and majesty, by Tansy Rayner Roberts.



If you would like to read the full list of thirteen categories, please click here.

Congratulations and good luck to all the finalists. Who do you think should win? The overall winner will be announced at the Aurealis Awards ceremony on the 21st May, 2011.

Commonwealth Writers Prize, South East Asia and the Pacific Regional winners 2011


The Commonwealth Writers regional prize winners for 2011 were announced today, 3rd March 2011. Congratulations to the winner in the South- East Asia and Pacific region, Kim Scott, for "That deadman dance".
Already an award winning author of the Miles Franklin award in 2000 for "Benang: from the heart", Scott is the first indigenous Australian to win this award. The story is a brilliantly written account of the first contact between a fictional British settlement on the Western Australian coast and the Noongar people. It is an inspiring and thought provoking read, well worth requesting from the library.
The winner for best first book was "A man melting" by Craig Cliff of New Zealand.
The overall winners will be announced on 21st May, 2011.
The shortlisted titles for South East Asia and Pacific in the categories of best book and first best book were as follows.
South East Asia and Pacific Best Book:
"Reading Madame Bovary" by Amanda Lohrey (Australia)
"That Deadman Dance" by Kim Scott (Australia)
"Time’s Long Ruin" by Stephen Orr (Australia)
"Hand Me Down World" by Lloyd Jones (New Zealand)
"Notorious" by Roberta Lowing (Australia)
"Gifted" by Patrick Evans (New Zealand)
Best first book
"21 Immortals" by Rozlan Mohd Noor (Malaysia)
"A Man Melting" by Craig Cliff (New Zealand)
"The Graphologist’s Apprentice" by Whiti Hereaka (New Zealand)
"The Body in the Clouds" by Ashley Hay (Australia)
"Traitor" by Stephen Daisley (Australia/New Zealand)
"A Few Right Thinking Men" by Sulari Gentill (Australia)

Prime Minister's Literary Awards 2010 Shortlists announced

Arts Minister Peter Garrett has named the 29 titles that have made this year's Prime Minister's Literary Awards Shorlists. For the first time this year, there is a Children's Fiction and Young Adult's Fiction category in addition to Fiction and Non-Fiction.

So why not have a read of some of these great titles and tell us what you think:

Fiction

Summertime by J. M. Coetzee
The Book of Emmett by Deborah Forster
The Lakewoman by Alan Gould
Dog Boy by Eva Hornung
Ransom by David Malouf
Lovesong by Alex Miller
As the Earth turns Silver by Alison Wong

Young Adult Fiction

Stolen by Lucy Christopher
The Winds of Heaven by Judith Clarke
Confessions of a Liar, Thief and Failed Sex God by Bill Condon
The Museum of Mary Child by Cassandra Golds
Swerve by Phillip Gwynne
Jarvis 24 by David Metzenthen
Beatle meets Destiny by Gabrielle Williams

Non-Fiction

The Water Dreamers: The Remarkable History of our Dry Continent by Michael Cathcart
Strange Places: A Memoir of Mental Illness by Will Elliott
The Colony: A History of Early Sydney by Grace Karskens
The Life and Death of Democracy by John Keane
The Blue Plateau: A Lanscape Memoir by Mark Tredinnick
The Ghost at the Wedding by Shirley Walker

Children's Fiction

Cicada Summer by Kate Constable
The Terrible Plop by Ursula Dubosarsky and illustrator Andrew Joyner
Just Macbeth by Andy Griffiths and illustrator Terry Denton
Mr Chicken goes to Paris by Leigh Hobbs
Running with the Horses by Alison Lester
Star Jumps by Lorraine Marwood
Mannie and the Long Brave Day by Martine Murray and illustrator Sally Rippin
Tensy Farlow and the Home for Mislaid Children by Jen Storer
Harry and Hopper by Margaret Wild and illustrator Freya Blackwood

Man Booker Prize 2009 Shortlist Announced

On Tuesday 8 September 2009 A S Byatt, J M Coetzee, Adam Foulds, Hilary Mantel, Simon Mawer and Sarah Waters were announced as the shortlisted authors for the 2009 Man Booker Prize for Fiction. Start your reading now and see if you agree with the Judges Verdict when the winner is announced on 5 October.

  1. Cover: The Children's Book by A. S. ByattThe Children's Book
    by A. S. Byatt
  2. Cover: Summertime by J. M. CoetzeeSummertime by J. M. Coetzee
  3. Cover: The Quickening Maze by Adam FouldsThe Quickening Maze by Adam Foulds
  4. Cover: Wolf Hall by Hilary MantelWolf Hall by Hilary Mantel
  5. Cover: The Glass Room by Simon MawerThe Glass Room by Simon Mawer
  6. Cover: Little Stranger by Sarah WatersLittle Stranger by Sarah Waters

You can even download and listen to extracts of these books on the Man Booker Web site.

Book Week Awards: Winners Announced

The Children's Book Council of Australia have announced The 2009 Book Of the Year Award Winners. The were 6 titles shorltisted in each of the 5 categories. Each category has a winner and two honour titles.

  • Book of the Year : Older Readers
    Cover: Tales from Outer SuburbiaTales from Outer Suburbia by Shaun Tan
    A collection of short stories that use Shaun's trademark illustrative style to increase meaning and enjoyment.

    Honour Books : Older Readers
    Into White Silence by Anthony Eaton
    A Rose for the Anzac Boys by Jackie French


  • Book of the Year : Younger Readers
    Cover: Perry Angel's SuitcasePerry Angel's Suitcase by Gelnda Millard, illustrated by Stephen Michael King
    The third book in the Kingdom of Silk series. Perry Angel arrives at the Kingdom of Silk clinging to his old battered suitcase. A beautifully written and sensitive story.

    Honour Books : Younger Readers
    The Wish Pony by Catherine Bateson
    Then by Morris Gleitzman


  • Book Of the Year : Early Childhood
    Cover: Perry Angel's SuitcaseHow to Heal a Broken Wing by Bob Graham
    In a cool, grey, unfeeling city Will is the only person to notice a fallen bird. Follow him as he cares for the bird.

    Honour Books : Early Childhood
    Leaf by Stephen Michael King
    Tom Tom by Rosemary Sullivan, illustrated by Dee Huxley


  • Picture Book of the Year
    Cover: Collecting ColourCollecting Colour by Kylie Dunstan
    Olive's mother and aunty are traditional basket weavers in the Northern Territory. In this story she and her friend Rose learn about the roots and berries used as dyes in the process.

    Honour Books : Picture Book of the Year
    Home and Away by Matt Ottley, text by John Marsden, published by Lothian Children's Books, Hachette
    The Big Little Book of Happy Sadness by Colin Thompson, published by Randon House Australia


  • Eve Pownall Award for Information Books
    Cover: Alive in the Death ZoneAlive in the Death Zone by Lincoln Hall
    In 2006, an Australian mountaineer was left for dead in the 'death zone' following a successful ascent of Mount Everest. A great account by him of his survival and the perils of such an extreme adventure.

    Honour Books : Eve Pownall Award for Information Books
    The Word Spy by Ursula Duborsarsky, illustrated by Tohby Riddle
    Simpson and his Donkey by Mark Greenwood, illustrated by Frane Lessac

Tim Winton's 'Breath' Wins Miles Franklin Award

Last night Tim Winton won an unprecedented 4th Miles Franklin award with his latest novel, Breath. I thought it was a nice touch when honouring the other books on the shortlist he suggested that he felt like 'the kid who's left holding the parcel when the music stops'.

While Tim Winton couldn't attend the announcement of the winner in person he did prepare a video acceptance speech.



It was interesting to note that Tim Winton used his acceptance speech to defend Australian authors territorial publishing rights in light of the Productivity Commission's review of Copyright Restrictions on the Parallel Importation of Books. This has become quite a hot topic in the Australian book industry as a quick blog search shows.

What about you? Do you have an opinion on this issue? Does the promise of cheaper books outweigh the potential for reduced opportunities for Australian authors to be published, as many authors and book industry professionals have argued?

Premier's Literary Award Winners Announced

Cover: A Fraction of the Whole by Steve ToltzThe People's Choice Award for Fiction, Which we wrote about previously, went to A Fraction of the Whole by Steve Toltz. Joan London collected a handy $40,000 for winning the The Christina Stead Prize for Fiction with her novel The Good Parents.

Read about all the winners inlcuding the judges comments on the Premier's Literary Awards site.

It Must be Awards Season - Miles Franklin Literary Award Shortlist

On 16 April, it was announced that the following five novels were shortlisted for this year's Miles Franklin Literary Award:

  1. Cover: Breath by Tim WintonBreath by Tim Winton
  2. Cover: Ice by Louis NowraIce by Louis Nowra
  3. Cover: The Pages by Murray BailThe Pages by Murray Bail
  4. Cover: The Slap by Christos TsiolkasThe Slap by Christos Tsiolkas
  5. Cover: Wanting by Richard FlanaganWanting by Richard Flanagan

The Miles Franklin Literary Award celebrates Australian character and creativity and nurtures the continuing life of literature about Australia. It is awarded for the novel of the year which is of the highest literary merit and presents Australian life in any of its phases.
The winners will be announced on 18 June 2009.

People's Choice - Premier's Literary Awards 2009

The judges for the 2009 Premier's Literary Awards have shortlisted the following works for the $40,000 Christina Stead Prize for Fiction. This year, for the first time, you can have a say about which book you think is best with the introduction of the People's Choice Award. There's not long to go though so you'll have to be quick - get reading and vote!

  1. Cover: The Spare Room by Helen GarnerThe Spare Room by Helen Garner
  2. Cover: The Good Parents by Joan LondonThe Good Parents by Joan London
  3. Cover: The Lieutenant by Kate GrenvilleThe Lieutenant by Kate Grenville
  4. Cover: A Fraction of the Whole by Steve ToltzA Fraction of the Whole by Steve Toltz
  5. Cover: Disquiet by Julia LeighDisquiet by Julia Leigh
  6. Cover: Breath by Tim WintonBreath by Tim Winton

1st Time Novelist wins 2008 Man Booker Prize

Cover: The White Tiger by Aravind Adiga Indian writer Aravind Adiga's first novel, The White Tiger, was announced the winner of the 2008 Man Booker Prize for Fiction.
Born in a village in heartland India, the son of a rickshaw puller, Balram is taken out of school by his family and put to work in a teashop. As he crushes coals and wipes tables, he nurses a dream of escape - of breaking away from the banks of Mother Ganga, into whose depths have seeped the remains of a hundred generations.

The White Tiger is a tale of two Indias. Balram’s journey from darkness of village life to the light of entrepreneurial success is utterly amoral, brilliantly irreverent, deeply endearing and altogether unforgettable.
from:
Man Booker Prize web site
The White Tiger was one of six shortlisted titles for the prize. Also shortlisted for this year's prize were:
  1. Cover: The Secret Scripture by Sebastian BarryThe Secret Scripture by Sebastian Barry
  2. Cover: Sea of Poppies by Amitav GhoshSea of Poppies by Amitav Ghosh
  3. Cover: The Clothes on Their Backs by Linda GrantThe Clothes on Their Backs by Linda Grant
  4. Cover: The Northern Clemency by Philip HensherThe Northern Clemency by Philip Hensher
  5. Cover: A fraction of the Whole by Steve ToltzA Fraction of the Whole by Steve Toltz


Book Week 2008 has Come and Gone

I'm sorry to say that we haven't posted anything here on our blog about Book Week yet - and now it's over for another year. It seems we were so busy preparing the activities and displays for the Libraries throughout the Shire we didn't get around to writing about it.

I hope you had the opportunity to join us for one of our Book Week storytimes or at least saw some of the wonderful displays in all of our libraries, such as this one from Engadine (see more photos at flickr).


To all those who participated in Book Week parades at their school I hope your costumes looked fabulous and you all had a great day.

Of course the major activity of Book Week is the awarding of the Children's Book of the Year winners by the Children's Book Council of Australia. This years winners were:
You can visit the CBCA web site for honour books, the shortlist and winners from previous years.

2008 Prime Minister's Literary Awards Shortlist Announced

It's a busy time for booklovers at the library. We've had author talks, the Good Read Guide is out, NSW Readers Week is coming up and to top it off it's awards time. The shortlist for the Prime Minister's Literary Awards has been announced, which should provide you with some very interesting fiction and non-fiction by Australian authors.

Fiction



Non-Fiction



Covers from LibraryThing where available.