Premier

Victorian Premier’s Literary Awards Announced

28 January 2015

Premier Daniel Andrews today announced the winners of the 30th Annual Victorian Premier’s Literary Awards.

Writer and historian Alan Atkinson received the Victorian Prize for Literature – Australia’s richest single literary prize – for The Europeans in Australia: Volume Three: Nation.

Atkinson’s non-fiction work is the third and final volume of his landmark study into the history of Australia. Told from the perspective of European settlers, this account takes readers on a journey from Federation to World War 1 and its aftermath.

As well as winning the $100,000 major prize, Mr Atkinson took out the Prize for Non-Fiction, winning a further $25,000.

Mr Atkinson’s work was chosen from a shortlist of 21 works, across five main award categories. Other category winners for the 2015 awards are:

· Rohan Wilson’s To Name Those Lost, a father-and-son story set against the backdrop of Launceston in 1874 (Fiction);

· Resplendence, a one-man play that reflects on the world we live in by Victorian playwright Angus Cerini (Drama);

· The Beautiful Anxiety, Jill Jones’ collection of poetry focusing on the interconnectedness of life (Poetry)

· Claire Zorn’s The Protected, an honest and searing tale that centres on the repercussions of teen bullying (Young Adult).

More than 800 readers voted for their favourite work from the shortlist, with Tim Low named the winner of the People’s Choice Award for his non-fiction work, Where Song Began.

The Victorian Premier’s Literary Awards are administered by the Wheeler Centre for Books, Writing and Ideas on behalf of the Premier of Victoria.

Quotes Attributable to Premier Daniel Andrews

“Victoria is the creative capital of Australia and Melbourne is a proud UNESCO City of Literature.”

“These Awards are a way to recognise and encourage the writers who contribute so much to our state.”

“Congratulations to all the winners. I look forward to seeing their works in Victoria’s libraries, lectures and living rooms alike.”

Reviewed 19 August 2020

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