There’s sometimes a fine line in the blogging world between promoting and supporting. I don’t see my role being to promote particular authors or books, but overall I like to think that my blog supports literature in general, and Australian literature in particular. A by-product of that support is probably promotion, but that’s not my goal. However, today I’m going to stray more into the promotion side of the line – but there’s a good reason for it, and there’s no monetary gain for the organisation I’m promoting so, here goes …
This week’s Monday Musings was about my new Australian Literary Awards page in which I’ve listed Australia’s main literary awards for fiction. I included the new Queensland Literary Awards without being completely certain whether they would continue, given their history. Today their continuation was confirmed in an email from Queensland Literary Awards Inc. The email says:
The Queensland Literary Awards (QLAs) were established through significant public support in 2012. The QLAs are Queensland’s most significant suite of literary prizes. They celebrate, nurture, and applaud the talents and achievements of Australia’s writers.
We have received outstanding support from numerous partners to keep the awards alive again this year.
They asked if I would help get the word out about the awards. How could I say no, given all the work they’ve done and the support they’ve received from others? Queensland is, after all, my home state and has a long history of literary awards.
This year’s award categories are:
- The Courier‐Mail People’s Choice Queensland Book of the Year
- Deloitte Fiction Book Award
- University of Queensland Non‐Fiction Book Award
- University of Southern Queensland History Book Award
- State Library Queensland Poetry Collection—Judith Wright Calanthe Award
- Australian Short Story Collection—Steele Rudd Award
- Griffith University Young Adult Book Award
- Children’s Book Award
- Gadens Feature Film Script Award
- Emerging Queensland Author—Manuscript Award (supported by University of Queensland Press)
- Unpublished Indigenous Writer—David Unaipon Award (supported by Copyright Agency Cultural Fund and University of Queensland Press)
Two of the awards – The Courier‐Mail People’s Choice Queensland Book of the Year and the Emerging Queensland Author—Manuscript Award – are limited to Queensland authors, but the other nine are national awards. I rather like the idea of designating a couple of awards for the state of origin while retaining the national focus overall.
If you want to know more about the awards and how to nominate – the time-frame is tight – please click here.
Whispering Gums 
I’m glad the Steele Rudd Award is still going strong. And though the book trade seems to be evolving and branching out so quickly at the moment I think it’s important that these established awards still manage to survive. Am I wrong or do you think there is quite an increase in ‘award fever’ at the moment?
No, I don’t think you’re wrong Catherine … there does seem to be more and more awards being offered which is a good thing overall I think. After all, we hear about football games every week. Why not book awards! Could there be a glut of awards do you think?
Anyhow, regardless, I agree that the longstanding ones like the big state awards need to continue. The QLD one with things like the Steele Rudd and the David Unaipon are important aren’t they?
You could never be a sell-out. Literature needs as much help as it can get, if we’re to hold back the tide of Twilight-influenced drivel.
Glad someone of the younger generation said that! Thanks Hannah!
How wonderful that the award will be continuing. I know some people complain about there being so many awards but if it helps authors and if it helps books get attention they might not otherwise have, I say, yay for awards!
That’s my feeling too Stefanie … think how many sporting competitions there are! Literary awards have a long way to go to catch up I reckon!
Hi Sue, I thought I’d add to this that awards are one of the few ways that writers can make any money! So, the more the better, in my opinion. The QLA have also established a fellowship for Qld writers, which I think is a great initiative, even if it came as an about-face from the govt after the furore over axing the Premier’s literary awards. Details are here in case you have any Qld reader/writers! http://www.queenslandliteraryawards.com/queensland-writers-fellowships.html
Thanks for adding that, Jessica … and I agree that it is a major reason for there being more awards, particularly more with a decent purse.
And thanks for sharing the info about the fellowship. They are great for writers too, aren’t they?