- Premier's Book Awards shortlists announced
- Western Australian writers and illustrators shine
- The new Book of the Year category features an eclectic mix of genres
What do a monster, a witch, an assassin, and an owl have in common? They are all nominated for the 2023 Western Australian Premier's Book Awards. This year an eclectic mix of gothic literature, personal stories and eloquent poetry represents the best in WA writing.
Culture and the Arts Minister David Templeman has announced the shortlist for the 2023 WA Premier's Book Awards.
For the first time, a self-published book, Acacia House, has made the shortlist shining a light on three palliative care nurses who learn that humour and kindness are universal. The Emerging Writer shortlist is filled with stories about people who fight for love, life and dignity. The Children's Book of the Year category is a menagerie of captivating animal tales.
The brand-new Premier's Prize for Book of the Year category, sponsored by Writing WA, is a powerful mix of genres.
The winners will be revealed at an award ceremony at the State Library of Western Australia, with details to be announced soon.
The shortlists:
The Western Australian Writer's Fellowship ($60,000)
- Carolyn Wadley Dowley
- Madison Godfrey
- Michael Trant
- Norman Jorgensen
- Tracy Ryan
Premier's Prize for Book of the Year, sponsored by Writing WA ($15,000)
- Clean - Scott-Patrick Mitchell (Upswell Publishing)
- Nimblefoot - Robert Drewe (Penguin Random House)
- The Red Witch: A Biography of Katharine Susannah Prichard - Nathan Hobby (Melbourne University Publishing)
- The Shield and the Spear: the Kimberley Land Council - Joe Fox (Magabala Books)
- Thistledown Seed: A Memoir - Louise Helfgott (Brandl & Schlesinger)
The Premier's Prize for an Emerging Writer ($15,000)
- Acacia House - Vivien Stuart (self-published)
- Banjawarn - Josh Kemp (UWA Publishing)
- Bone Picker - Thomas Simpson (Ginninderra Press)
- T - Alan Fyfe (Transit Lounge)
- The Assassin Thief - Madeline Te Whiu (New Dawn Publishing)
Premier's Prize for Children's Book of the Year ($15,000)
- Lion is that You - Moira Court (Fremantle Press)
- Nenek Tata and the Mangrove Menace - Judith Vun Price and Jacqui Vun (Crotchet Quaver noteworthy publications)
- Owl and Star - Helen Milroy (Fremantle Press)
- The Raven's Song - Zana Fraillon and Bren MacDibble (Allen & Unwin)
- Wild Australian Life - Leonard Cronin illustrated by Chris Nixon (Allen & Unwin)
The Daisy Utemorrah Award for Unpublished Indigenous Junior and YA Fiction ($15,000 and a publishing contract with Magabala Books)
- Getting Dusty - Jared Thomas
- The Ultimate AGD - Kim Morrison
- A Queen's Glory - Kristie Harris
The awards support, develop and recognise excellence in writing. The $60,000 WA Writer's Fellowship is one of the most valuable awards in Australian arts. The awards are open to primarily WA authors except for the Daisy Utemorrah Award, which is open Australia wide.
The Daisy Utemorrah Award for Unpublished Indigenous Junior and Young Adult Fiction is managed by Broome-based Indigenous publisher Magabala Books with support from the Department of Local Government, Sport and Cultural Industries.
For more information about the awards, go to the State Library of Western Australia's website at www.slwa.wa.gov.au
As stated by Culture and the Arts Minister David Templeman:
"What a wonderful shortlist of incredible stories. There is something for everyone: fantasy, crime, drama, and true stories. I encourage you to read and support Western Australia's talented writers.
"The State Library of Western Australia is the home of the Premier's Book Awards because it is the home of knowledge, literature and our State's history - a cultural hub that collects and preserves our State's stories for now and the future.
"This represents an enchanting collection of children's books that would be a perfect addition to your Premier's Reading Challenge list."
