I’m not going to write a long post on the Stella Prize longlist because Paula Grunseit has written a good rundown of the books on the Australian Women Writers’ challenge website. Do check it out if you are interested to know more about the books (which I’ll list below).
The Stella Prize, regular readers here will know, is a new Australian literary prize for women writers, this being only its second year. One prize is awarded for a book that can be fiction (literary or genre, novel or short stories, poetry or prose) or non-fiction.
This year’s longlist was announced yesterday. It includes three books I’ve read and reviewed. (An improvement for me on last year when I’d read none at the time of longlisting, though by the end of the year I had read a few!) As last year, it’s a diverse collection, which includes debut novels, novels by indigenous authors, a short story collection, memoirs, a biography, and social analysis non-fiction (I have no idea what else to call books like Night games and The misogyny factor).
Courtesy: Black Inc
Anyhow, here is the list, in alphabetical order by author:
- Letter to George Clooney, by Debra Adelaide (Picador): fiction, short story collection
- Moving among strangers, by Gabrielle Carey (UQP): non-fiction, memoir
- Burial rites, by Hannah Kent (Picador): fiction, debut novel
- Night games, by Anna Krien (Black Inc): non-fiction, see my review
- Mullumbimby, by Melissa Lucashenko (UQP): fiction, novel
- The night guest, by Fiona McFarlane (Penguin): fiction, debut novel
- Boy, lost, by Kristina Olsson (UQP): non-fiction, memoir
- The misogyny factor, by Anne Summers (New South): non-fiction
- Madeleine, by Helen Trinca (Text): non-fiction, biography, see my review
- The swan book, by Alexis Wright (Giramondo): fiction, novel
- The forgotten rebels of Eureka, by Clare Wright (Text): non-fiction, history
- All the birds, singing, by Evie Wyld (Random House): fiction, novel, see my review
Three books published by UQP (University of Queensland Press)! Good for them.
For those of you who are interested, this year’s judges are:
- Kerryn Goldsworthy, critic and writer (chair, and on last year’s panel)
- Annabel Crabb (journalist and broadcaster)
- Brenda Walker (author and academic)
- Fiona Stager (bookseller, and on last year’s panel)
- Tony Birch (writer and lecturer )
The winner will be announced on March 20.
Whispering Gums 
Glad to see there is a short story collection on the list. Will definitely be hunting down a review of this one. Looks like a varied and vivid longlist!
It sounds like a good collection Catherine … I’m going to try to read it sometime but there’s a lot there I’d like to read!
I saw the Stella Prize mentioned on Twitter, and have been wondering about it. Thanks for this post. And… Letter to George Clooney… what’s that about? Just saw The Monuments Men, haven’t written a review, or, don’t know if I will. But just let me say, find another one.
Oh, you didn’t like Monuments Men, Arti? As for the books, the link I provided gives a good description. Don’t you love the George Clooney title?
I have NIght Games on my list of things I’d like to get around to some day. It’s still pricey over here…
That’s a shame Guy … Hope it comes down soon.
Love the title “Letter to George Clooney”!
I do too Stefanie!
My publishers entered my book for just one prize: the WA Premier’s, alas. I suspect that was only because they thought I might attack them with a meat-axe, otherwise. :-\
Oh that’s a shame, MR. I don’t know much about this aspect of awards.
Reblogged this on The Life Of Von and commented:
The Stellas……
Reblogged this on patricia.leslie and commented:
Interesting list. I’m looking forward to reading some of these titles.
The UK equivalent of this has led me to some great books so will look out for these. In 2012 the sponsor Orange dropped out and after one year of being kept going by private donors got a new sponsor through Bailey’s Liqueur. It sparked a debate about whether it was good news “Bailey’s is a treat so this celebrates women” or was bad news “being sponsored by a trite liqueur is demeaning to women’s fiction”. As a simple bemused bloke I’m simply looking forward to the books!
Thanks Col … I knew the Orange Prize had changed names/sponsors but had no idea of this history. I agree, just enjoy the books.