ACTWC Awards
Our 2019 Awards evening and Christmas party was held on Thursday 5 December at The Street Theatre, and brought together over 100 members of the arts, writing and publishing community to celebrate and recognise creative works.
The ACT Writing and Publishing Awards were founded in 2004 to recognise, reward and promote writing by ACT region authors that has been published by small publishers or been self-published. This year we presented awards to works published across 4 categories: Fiction; Nonfiction; Children’s books and Poetry.
Thank you to our many friends, colleagues, members, supporters, and partners. The awards night was a fantastic way to draw the year to a close. We revelled in celebrating all your achievements and remarkable they are.
2019 Award for Fiction
Shane Smith, Triumviratus
Winner
Alison Booth, A Perfect Marriage
Craig Cormick, The Years of the Wolf
Penelope Hanley, After She Left
Highly Commended
Highly Commended
Highly Commended
2019 Award for Nonfiction
Craig Cormick, Backseat Drivers
Winner
Angelika Erpic, Joe Baker
Kathryn Spurling, Fire at Sea: HMAS Westralia 1998
Highly Commended
Highly Commended
2019 Children’s Book Award
Nicole Godwin and Demelsa Haughton, Billie
Amy Laurens, When Worlds Collide
Joint Winners
Joint Winners
2019 Poetry Award
Penelope Layland, Things I’ve Thought to Tell You Since I Saw You Last
Winner
KA Nelson, Inlandia
Highly Commended
The June Shenfield Poetry Award
Riahta Ranford, Satan's Brew
Simone King, Last Lights On the Great Divide
Rosalind Moran, Keeping My Wits About Me
Winner
Highly Commended
Highly Commended
The Marjorie Graber-McInnis Short Story Award
Ron Schroer, Pig Headed
Sophie Campbell, Nobody's Home
Elizabeth Egan, The Shearer's Wife
Winner
Highly Commended
Highly Commended
The Anne Edgeworth Fellowship Award
Kellie Nissen
Simone King
Rebekka Leary
Gemma Nethercote Way
Winner
Highly Commended
Highly Commended
Highly Commended
Changes to Our Team
We said farewell to our Chair David Vernon who has now officially stepped down from the ACT Writers Centre Board, and we welcomed Abra Pressler as our new Chair. Sadly there were some very special people who were unable to attend last night and our thoughts were with you all. In particular we wish the best to our patron Marion Halligan who has been unwell, but was well represented by her remarkable partner in crime John Stokes. Our thoughts also turned to all of you, in our community, who are navigating the firescapes wreaking havoc in our region and causing many sleepless nights. Keep safe and we send you our very best x.
To our sponsors and partners: artsACT; The Australia Council; Bytes n Colours; Harry Hartog; Eden Road Wines; Canberra Contemporary Art Space; University of Canberra; UNSW Canberra; National Library of Australia; Street Theatre; Sue Terry (Whispering Gums); First Nations Australia Writers Network; Ainslie and Gorman Arts Centres – our sincerest thanks, for supporting us in our simple mission, developing writers and their work.
