NSW Premier's Literary Awards

The NSW Premier’s Literary Awards honour both new and familiar writers, and the novels, poems, biographies, histories, plays and screenplays that have delighted readers of all ages since 1979.

The winners of the 2009 NSW Premier's Literary Awards and Translation Prize are:

Special Award ($20,000)
The Special Award is awarded either to a work not covered by the existing categories, or in recognition of a writer’s achievements. This year the judges nominated Ms Katharine Brisbane AM for her service to Australian literature and theatre.

People's Choice Award for fiction
Steve Toltz, A Fraction of the Whole, Penguin Group (Australia)

2008 Book of the Year Award (additional $10,000)
Nam Le, The Boat, Penguin Group (Australia)
Read the judges' comments here

Christina Stead Prize for fiction ($40,000)
Joan London, The Good Parents, Random House Australia Pty Ltd (Vintage)

Douglas Stewart Prize for non-fiction ($40,000)
Chloe Hooper, The Tall Man: death and life on Palm Island, Penguin Group (Australia)

Patricia Wrightson Prize for children's literature ($30,000)
Ursula Dubosarsky & Tohby Riddle (illus), The Word Spy, Penguin Group (Australia)

Ethel Turner Prize for young people's literature ($30,000)
Michelle Cooper, A Brief History of Montmaray, Random House Australia Pty Ltd

Kenneth Slessor Prize for poetry ($30,000)
L K Holt, Man Wolf Man, John Leonard Press

Script Writing Award ($30,000)
Louis Nowra, Rachel Perkins & Beck Cole, First Australians, Blackfella Films, SBS

Play Award ($30,000)
Daniel Keene, The Serpent’s Teeth, Sydney Theatre Company, Currency Press Pty Ltd

The Biennial NSW Premier’s Translation Prize and PEN Trophy ($30,000)
David Colmer for his translations from the Dutch.

Community Relations Commission Award ($15,000, sponsored by the CRC)
Eric Richards, Destination Australia: migration to Australia since 1901, University of New South Wales Press Ltd

Gleebooks Prize for critical writing ($10,000, sponsored by Gleebooks)
David Love, Unfinished Business: Paul Keating’s interrupted revolution, Scribe Publications Pty Ltd

UTS Glenda Adams Award for New Writing ($5,000, sponsored by UTS)
Nam Le, The Boat, Penguin Group (Australia)