New South Wales Premier's Literary Awards
The New South Wales Premier's Literary Awards, also known as the NSW Premier's Literary Awards, were first awarded in 1979. They are among the richest literary awards in Australia. Notable prizes include the Christina Stead Prize for Fiction, the Kenneth Slessor Prize for Poetry, and the Douglas Stewart Prize for Non-Fiction.
, the Awards are presented by the NSW Government and administered by the State Library of New South Wales in association with Create NSW, with support of Multicultural NSW and the University of Technology Sydney. Total prize money in 2019 was up to A$305,000, with eligibility limited to writers, translators and illustrators with Australian citizenship or permanent resident status.
History
The NSW Premier's Literary Awards were established in 1979 by the New South Wales Premier Neville Wran. Commenting on its purpose, Wran said: "We want the arts to take, and be seen to take, their proper place in our social priorities. If governments treat writers and artists with respect and understanding, the community will be more likely to do the same." They were the first set of premier's awards offered in Australia.The awards were not presented in 1998 as the eligibility dates were amended.
Judging
The winners of most of the prizes and awards are decided by a judging panel, with no input from Create NSW or the New South Wales Government. The names of each year's judges are not announced until the final winners are decided. The judging has been the subject of controversy in the past, when in 2010, the panel decided not to bestow the Play Award on any of the applicants.In November 2011, the NSW Government announced a review of the Premier's Literary Awards for 2012. An independent panel, chaired by journalist Gerard Henderson, reviewed both the Literary and the Premier's History Awards, focussed on the governance, selection criteria and judging processes. Following the review, the Awards are managed by the State Library of NSW, in association with Create NSW.
Categories
The following prizes and awards are currently given in the New South Wales Premier's Literary Awards.- Christina Stead Prize for Fiction
- Douglas Stewart Prize for Non-Fiction
- Kenneth Slessor Prize for Poetry
- Ethel Turner Prize for Young People's Literature
- Patricia Wrightson Prize for Children's Literature
- NSW Multicultural Award
- #UTS [Glenda Adams Award for New Writing|UTS Glenda Adams Award for New Writing]
- Nick Enright Prize for Playwriting
- Betty Roland Prize for Script Writing
- NSW Premier's Prize for Literary Scholarship
- People's Choice Award
- Special Award
- NSW Premier's Translation Prize
- Multicultural NSW Early Career Translator Prize
- Indigenous Writers Prize
- Gleebooks Prize
Christina Stead Prize for Fiction
The Christina Stead Prize is awarded for a work of fiction that may be either a novel or a collection of stories. The recipient receives a A$40,000 prize as of 2021. It is named in honour of Christina Stead, an Australian novelist and short-story writer. The first recipient was David Malouf, who was awarded the Prize for his novella An Imaginary Life in 1979. In 2019 Michelle de Kretser won with The Life to Come and equalled Peter Carey's record of three wins.Douglas Stewart Prize for Non-Fiction
The Douglas Stewart Prize is awarded for a prose work that is not fiction. The recipient receives a A$40,000 prize as of 2021. It is named in honour of Douglas Stewart, a noted Australian literary editor. The first recipient was Manning Clark, who was awarded the Prize for the fourth volume in his series A History of Australia in 1979. Drusilla Modjeska, with three wins, has won the Prize more than any other individual. In 2019 Billy Griffiths and Sarah Krasnostein were joint winners.Kenneth Slessor Prize for Poetry
The Kenneth Slessor Prize is awarded for a book of poetry, whether collected poems or a single poem of some length, and was first awarded in 1980. The recipient receives a A$30,000 prize as of 2021. It is named in honour of Kenneth Slessor, a noted Australian poet and journalist. The first recipient was David Campbell, who won the Prize posthumously. In 2011, NSW poet Jennifer Maiden became the only individual to win the award three times.Ethel Turner Prize for Young People's Literature
The Ethel Turner Prize is awarded for work of fiction, non-fiction or poetry written for young people of secondary school level. The recipient receives a A$30,000 prize as of 2021. It is named in honour of Ethel Turner, author of the children's classic, Seven Little Australians.The Children's Literature section of the Premier's Literary Awards began as a single award in 1979, but was redefined in 1999 to create the Patricia Wrightson Prize and the Ethel Turner Prize. The Ethel Turner Award was also given to all previous winners in the Children's Literature section. The Prize was first won, jointly, by Patricia Wrightson and Jenny Wagner in 1979. Australian author Ursula Dubosarsky and writer Jaclyn Moriarty have each won the prize three times.
Patricia Wrightson Prize for Children's Literature
The Patricia Wrightson Prize is awarded for work of fiction, non-fiction or poetry written for children up to secondary school level. The recipient receives a A$30,000 prize as of 2021.The Children's Literature section of the Premier's Literary Awards began as a single award in 1979, but was redefined in 1999 to create the Patricia Wrightson Prize and the Ethel Turner Prize. The Patricia Wrightson Prize was created in honour of children's author Patricia Wrightson, who won the first Ethel Turner Prize in 1979. The first recipient was Odo Hirsch, for his debut children's book, Antonio S and the Mystery of Theodore Guzman. The most recent recipient is Leanne Hall, author of Iris and the Tiger. Kierin Meehan is the only author who has won the Prize more than once.
NSW Multicultural Award
This Award was first established in 1980, when it was known as the Ethnic Affairs Commission Award. Later known as the Community Relations Commission Award, and from 2012 referred to as the Community Relations Commission for Multicultural NSW Award, or from 2014 just Multicultural NSW Award, the prize money is worth $20,000 as of 2021.It is offered for: "a book of fiction or non-fiction, memoir or history; a play, musical drama or comedy, theatrical monologue or other theatrical performance; a book of collected poems or a single poem of substantial length published in book form; the screenplay of a feature or documentary film or episode of a television program...; or the script of a radio play or documentary which is deemed by the judges to have made a significant contribution to Australian literature, poetry, theatre, film, radio or television and which also considers any aspect of the Australian migration experience; and/or aspects of cultural diversity and multiculturalism in Australian society."
Award winners
UTS Glenda Adams Award for New Writing
The UTS Glenda Adams Award for New Writing is given for a published book of fiction by an author who has not previously published a work of fiction that is book-length. It was established in 2005, and the winner receives a prize as of 2021. from the University of Technology, Sydney.The award was renamed in 2008 to honour Glenda Adams, the Australian novelist and short story writer who died in 2007.
Nick Enright Prize for Playwriting
The Play Award, established in 1983, is given to a play or musical which has been produced in Australia. The winner is chosen based purely on the merit of the written text, and they receive a A$30,000 prize as of 2021. The award was first given to playwright Nicholas Enright and composer Terence Clarke for the musical Variations. Writers Daniel Keene and Stephen Sewell have each won the Award three times.In 2010, the judges decided not to shortlist any plays for the Award, instead bestowing a $30,000 grant for new playwrights. Their decision was widely criticised by many of Australia's most experienced playwrights. Gil Appleton, head of the judging panel, called for all future judges to see a performance of the play rather than judging the work on the script alone.