Heat and Light


Heat and Light is a 2014 work of fiction by First Nations Australian author Ellen van Neerven. The book contains three stories: "Heat", "Water", and "Light". It was the winner of the Indigenous Writers Prize at the 2016 New South Wales Premier's Literary Awards and was shortlisted for the 2015 Stella Prize.

Reception

Heat and Light received generally positive reviews, with reviewers praising the work as an impressive debut from a promising young writer. In Queensland Review, Jessica Gildersleeve wrote that the book contained innovative narrative experiments and that it spoke to themes of marginalisation and loss. In Southerly, Kate Livett wrote that the book blurred the traditional line between novel and short story collection and that it was written with impressive confidence and maturity. A. S. Patrić wrote in Australian Book Review that the work was fresh and imaginative, but that its stories were uneven in quality and did not form a cohesive whole.

Awards

YearAwardCategoryResult
2016New South Wales Premier's Literary AwardsIndigenous Writers PrizeWon
2016Victorian Premier's Literary AwardsPrize for Indigenous Writing
2015Nita Kibble Literary AwardsDobbie Literary AwardWon
2015The Sydney Morning Herald Best Young Australian NovelistsWon
2015Queensland Literary AwardsQueensland Premier’s Award for a Work of State Significance
2015Readings PrizeNew Australian Fiction Prize
2015New South Wales Premier's Literary AwardsGlenda Adams Award for New Writing
2015Stella Prize
2013Queensland Literary AwardsDavid Unaipon AwardWon