CHEERS TO THE NIB WINNER
Historian Clare Wright (pictured) has added to the accolades for The Forgotten Rebels of Eureka by winning The Nib: Waverley Library Award for Literature, worth $20,000 and recognising excellence in literary research - the only national book award given by a local council. Wright also won the People's Choice Award based on public voting for the finalists, who each receive the $1000 Alex Buzo Prize: Let the Land Speak by Jackie French, Where Song Began by Tim Low (who won the first Nib in 2002), The Reef by Iain McCalman, Kings Cross by Louis Nowra and Killing Fairfax by Pamela Williams. The judges said in her "powerful book" Wright "discovered records of many other women who were present on the Ballarat goldfields, and by seeing the story from their point of view has been able to show, in vivid and entertaining detail, how much has remained unknown in the narrative." Wright won this year's Stella Award and is shortlisted for the Prime Minister's Literary Awards and the Queensland Literary Awards (winners in both will be announced on December 8). Her first book, Beyond the Ladies Lounge: Australia's Female Publicans, was recently reissued.
NEW AWARD FOR NEW NOVELIST
Fiona McFarlane's first novel, The Night Guest, has won the new Voss Literary Prize, chosen by the Australian University Heads of English. The $6500 prize is funded by the estate of a historian, Vivian Voss, who died in 1963. McFarlane has been shortlisted for many prizes and won the UTS Glenda Adams Award for New Writing (I was a judge). For the Voss she was up against heavyweight competition: Barracuda by Christos Tsiolkas, Eyrie by Tim Winton, The Swan Book by Alexis Wright and another excellent first novel, Burial Rites by Hannah Kent.
ELEGY FOR ABC POETRY
One victim of the ABC budget cuts is Poetica, the Saturday afternoon poetry program on Radio National. Mike Ladd, a long-time broadcaster, writer and poet, started Poetica in 1997 and as producer/presenter has helped create a precious archive of readings, interviews and features. Most established Australian poets have appeared, as have many newcomers. "I've always seen Poetica as a kind of canary in the cultural mine," says Ladd. There's word that a new half-hour, multi-purpose weekday feature slot on RN might have the odd spot for poetry, so let's hope Ladd and his colleagues have a place there. However, Poetica's 60,000 listeners will be disappointed by the loss of a dedicated poetry show. Ladd will continue his occasional poetry reviews for Spectrum.
HELP FOR READERS
Cheryl Akle has been known as a passionate promoter of books through the Get Reading! campaign and TV book reviews. Her new website betterreading.com.au recommends books for "people who are not tuned in to reviews or TV, and are waiting for someone to tell them what to read". Knowing the barriers to reading are choice, price and time, she selects 50 to 60 "new releases that won't let you down" each month and adds specialist lists such as prize winners and guest editors' choices (I will have a list up next month along with kids' writers Will Kostakis and Deborah Abela). Akle started Better Reading with support from publishers but says she can self-fund it until March, and hopes to find a partner while remaining independent. Libraries, booksellers and readers are keen, with one woman using the lists in prisons where she works.
