Don Watson wins Book of the Year in 2015 NSW Premier's Literary Awards with a grand and gloomy portrait of The Bush

By Susan Wyndham
Updated May 25 2015 - 10:13am, first published May 19 2015 - 1:52pm
Don Watson, winner of the $10,000 Book of the Year and $40,000 non-fiction awards in the NSW Premier's Literary Awards Photo: Darrian Traynor
Don Watson, winner of the $10,000 Book of the Year and $40,000 non-fiction awards in the NSW Premier's Literary Awards Photo: Darrian Traynor
Don Watson, winner of the $10,000 Book of the Year and $40,000 non-fiction awards in the NSW Premier's Literary Awards Photo: Darrian Traynor
Don Watson, winner of the $10,000 Book of the Year and $40,000 non-fiction awards in the NSW Premier's Literary Awards Photo: Darrian Traynor
Don Watson, winner of the $10,000 Book of the Year and $40,000 non-fiction awards in the NSW Premier's Literary Awards Photo: Darrian Traynor
Don Watson, winner of the $10,000 Book of the Year and $40,000 non-fiction awards in the NSW Premier's Literary Awards Photo: Darrian Traynor
Don Watson, winner of the $10,000 Book of the Year and $40,000 non-fiction awards in the NSW Premier's Literary Awards Photo: Darrian Traynor
Don Watson, winner of the $10,000 Book of the Year and $40,000 non-fiction awards in the NSW Premier's Literary Awards Photo: Darrian Traynor

If his portrait of "the heart of Australia" has offended any country people, Don Watson wasn't aware of them when The Bush was named Book of the Year in the NSW Premier's Literary Awards on Monday night.