West Australian Premier Colin Barnett has announced Richard Flanagan as the winner of the Premier’s Prize at the Premier’s Book Awards for his novel The Narrow Road to the Deep North.
Mount Lawley-based novelist Yvette Walker received the Western Australian Emerging Writers Award for her first book,Letters to the End of Love.
Mr Barnett said 11 of Australia’s top authors and two illustrators were recognised in this year’s awards. The winners will share $130,000 in prize money.
“The Premier’s Book Awards recognise literary excellence and I would like to congratulate all of this year’s winners,” he said.
“Literature is an important element of a culturally rich society. Reading and understanding the written word is not only empowering, it can be life changing. These awards help to encourage more West Australians to pick up a book.”
“Each year the awards receive hundreds of entries from authors across Australia and this year was no different. I am thrilled that two of the world’s finest literary talents, Richard Flanagan and Tim Winton, have been recognised in this year’s awards.”
Culture and the Arts Minister John Day said the inaugural Western Australian Emerging Writers category received 14 entrants, testament to the abundance of talent in the State.
“I would like to congratulate first-time published author, Yvette Walker, who was selected from a strong list of Western Australian writers for her book about love and loss,” Mr Day said.
This year the Western Australian public voted Tim Winton’s Eyrie as their favourite nominated work and winner of the People’s Choice Award sponsored by The West Australian.
Western Australian Premier’s Book Awards – 2014 Category Winners:
Children’s Books (jointly awarded)
Light Horse Boy by Dianne Wolfer (Albany, WA)
Illustrator: Brian Simmonds (Duncraig, WA)
Illustrator: Brian Simmonds (Duncraig, WA)
The Swap by Jan Ormerod (VIC)
Illustrator: Andrew Joyner (SA)
Illustrator: Andrew Joyner (SA)
Digital Narrative
AUTHENTIC IN ALL CAPS by Christy Dena (QLD)
Fiction
The Narrow Road to the Deep North by Richard Flanagan (TAS)
Non-fiction
Boy, Lost: A Family Memoir by Kristina Olsson (QLD)
Poetry
Six Different Windows by Paul Hetherington (ACT)
Scripts
The Bull, the Moon and the Coronet of Stars by Van Badham (NSW)
Western Australian History Award
Kerry Stokes: Self-Made Man by Margaret Simons (VIC)
Western Australian Emerging Writers Award
Letters to the End of Love by Yvette Walker (Mount Lawley, WA)
Writing for Young Adults
Alex As Well by Alyssa Brugman (NSW)
Premier’s Prize
The Narrow Road to the Deep North by Richard Flanagan (TAS)
People’s Choice Award presented by The West Australian
Eyrie by Tim Winton (WA)
Source: State Library of WA
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