Billy Griffiths’ novel, Deep Time Dreaming: Uncovering Ancient Australia, has won both Book of the Year ($10,000) and the Douglas Stewart Prize for Non-fiction ($40,000) at the Premier’s Literary Awards.
Trent Dalton was another double winner, taking out the UTS Glenda Adams Award for New Writing ($5,000) and the People’s Choice Award with Boy Swallows Universe.
The Special Award ($10,000) went to Behrouz Boochani for his work No Friend But the Mountains: Writing from Manus Prison, translated by Omid Tofighian.
Congratulating the winners, Premier, Gladys Berejiklian said this year marked the 40th anniversary of the awards, the nation’s richest State-based literary contest.
Ms Berejiklian said that since 1979 the NSW Government had been supporting Australian writers and it looked forward to continuing to do so for the next 40 years and beyond.
State Librarian, John Vallance said the 2019 winners explored a vast range of ideas.
“They challenge us as readers to expand our thinking and to learn more from the society around us,” Dr Vallance said.
“They provide views into mental illness and dealing with grief; ancient Australian archaeology; war in Afghanistan; racism in Western Sydney; life as a transgender woman, to name a few.”
Senior Judge, Suzanne Leal said that in their exploration of regret and forgiveness, hardship and resilience, loneliness and inclusion, this year’s winning entries were rigorous in their interrogation of the past and consideration of the present.
“Curiosity and warmth, humour spanning from the gentle to the caustic, and clarity of thought and vision stand out in these exceptional works,” Ms Leal said.
A total of $305,000 was awarded across 13 prizes.
Full details on the winners and the judges’ comments can be accessed at this PS News link.
