Barbara Jefferis Award

Last updated

The Barbara Jefferis Award is an Australian literary award prize. The award was created in 2007 after being endowed by John Hinde upon his death to commemorate his late wife, author Barbara Jefferis. It is funded by his $1 million bequest. Originally an annual award, it has been awarded biennially since 2012.

Contents

Jefferis was an Australian writer, and a founding member and first female president of the Australian Society of Authors. She died in 2004. [1] Australian author, Thomas Keneally, described Jefferis as "a rare being amongst authors, being both a fine writer but also organisationally gifted". [2]

The award, which comprises $50,000 for the winner with $5,000 distributed amongst the shortlist, is one of Australia's richest literary prizes. It is awarded to "the best novel written by an Australian author that depicts women and girls in a positive way or otherwise empowers the status of women and girls in society". [2] The novel can be in any genre and does not have to be set in Australia. [1] The award does not specify the author's gender. It is administered by the Australian Society of Authors and is expected to rival the Miles Franklin Award ($42,000) and the biennial Tasmania Pacific Fiction Prize ($40,000). [1]

The prize was first awarded in 2008 to Rhyll McMaster for Feather Man (Brandl & Schlesinger).

Controversy

The announcement of the award caused a minor controversy in Australian literary circles due to its target. Susan Wyndham, journalist and literary editor, best summarises the issue in the questions opening her article in The Sydney Morning Herald Blogs: "Does Australia need a new fiction award that encourages 'positive' portrayals of women and girls? Or is it an outdated gesture in a post-feminist culture rich with female authors, characters and readers?" [1]

Wyndham reports Rosalind Hinde, daughter of John Hinde and Barbara Jefferis, as saying that her father had "the very clear and strong intention to honour my mother's writing, her feminism and her devotion to other writers". [1] Several writers have supported the award, including Tom Keneally, Helen Garner, Frank Moorhouse, Gerald Murnane, Anne Deveson, Kerryn Goldsworthy and Brian Castro. However, writer and critic, Andrew Reimer dislikes the idea of focusing on "social agenda" over "novelist's skill and imagination", and novelist Emily McGuire agreed, stating that she doesn't "like the idea of judging fiction based on its message". [1] Author and critic, Debra Adelaide, expressed her concern that the award might encourage "safe and constrained" writing and wondered whether "we are getting to the point where we have more awards than publishing opportunities". [1]

Winners

Each year's winners and shortlists, along with the past winners, are listed on the relevant Australian Society of Authors page. [3]

Shortlisted works

Winners are listed in bold type.

YearTitleAuthorPublisherReferences
2008 Feather Man Rhyll McMaster Brandl & Schlesinger [5]
The Anatomy of Wings Karen Foxlee University of Queensland Press
Burning In Mireille Juchau Giramondo
The Gospel of Gods and Crocodiles Elizabeth Stead University of Queensland Press
The Lost Dog Michelle de Kretser Allen & Unwin
Seamstress Geraldine Wooller University of Western Australia Press
2009 The Spare Room Helen Garner Text [6] [5]
Addition Toni Jordan Text
The Last Sky Alice Nelson Fremantle Press
The Lifeboat Zacharey Jane University of Queensland Press
People of the Book Geraldine Brooks Fourth Estate (HarperCollins)
Sustenance Simone Lazaroo University of Western Australia Press
2010 The China Garden Kristina Olsson University of Queensland Press [5]
Headlong Susan Varga UWA Publishing
The Lost Life Steven Carroll HarperCollins
Swimming Enza Gandolfo Vanark Press
The World Beneath Cate Kennedy Scribe
2011 Come InsideG. L. OsborneClouds of Magellan [5]
Good Daughter Honey Brown Penguin/Viking
Indelible Ink Fiona McGregor Scribe
Like Being a WifeCatherine HarrisVintage
Sustenance Simone Lazaroo University of Western Australia Press
2012 All That I Am Anna Funder Penguin [4]
Cold Light Frank Moorhouse Vintage
Five Bells Gail Jones Vintage
Foal's Bread Gillian Mears Allen & Unwin
Too Close to Home Georgia Blain Vintage
When We Have WingsClaire CorbettAllen & Unwin
2014 Sea Hearts Margo Lanagan Allen & Unwin
The Night Guest Fiona McFarlane Penguin
The First Week Margaret MerrileesWakefield Press [7]
PilgrimageJacinta Halloran Scribe
The Life and Loves of Lena Gaunt Tracy Farr Fremantle Press
The Mountain Drusilla Modjeska Vintage
Sufficient GraceAmy EspesethScribe Publications
2016 Hope Farm Peggy Frew Scribe Publications [8]
A Guide to Berlin Gail Jones Vintage
Laurinda Alice Pung Black Inc.
The Natural Way of Things Charlotte Wood Allen & Unwin
The Protected Claire Zorn University of Queensland Press
This Picture of You Sarah Hopkins Allen & Unwin
2018 The Trapeze ActLibby AngelText [9]
From the Wreck Jane Rawson Transit Lounge
Goodwood Holly Throsby Allen & Unwin
StorylandCatherine McKinnonHarperCollins
TroppoMadelaine DickieFremantle Press
2020 Wolfe Island Lucy Treloar Picador [10]
There Was Still Love Favel Parrett Hachette [11]
Too Much Lip Melissa Lucashenko University of Queensland Press
The White Girl Tony Birch University of Queensland Press
The Yield Tara June Winch Hamish Hamilton
2022 Revenge: Murder in Three PartsS. L. LimTransit Lounge [12]
BenevolenceJulie JansonMagabala
Bodies of Light Jennifer Down Text
Ordinary Matter Laura Elvery University of Queensland Press
Smart Ovens for Lonely PeopleElizabeth TanBrio
The Bass Rock Evie Wyld Penguin
2024 Salonika Burning Gail Jones Text [13]
Edenglassie Melissa Lucashenko University of Queensland Press
Sunbirds Miranda Riwoe University of Queensland Press
Songs For the Dead and LivingSara M. SalehAffirm
Days of Innocence and Wonder Lucy Treloar Pan Macmillan Australia
Stone Yard Devotional Charlotte Wood Allen & Unwin

See also

Notes

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Wyndham (2007)
  2. 1 2 James Bennett (Firm)
  3. ↑ ""Barbara Jefferis Award"". Australian Society of Authors. Retrieved 20 January 2024.
  4. 1 2 ""'All That I Am' wins 2012 Barbara Jefferis Award"". Books+Publishing. Retrieved 27 March 2024.
  5. 1 2 3 4 Austlit – "Barbara Jefferis Award"
  6. ↑ "'The Spare Room' wins ASA Barbara Jefferis Award". Books+Publishing. 31 March 2009. Archived from the original on 25 April 2021. Retrieved 25 April 2021.
  7. ↑ ""Barbara Jefferis Award 2014 shortlist announced"". Books+Publishing. Retrieved 27 March 2024.
  8. ↑ ""Barbara Jefferis Award Winner 2016"". Archived from the original on 1 November 2016. Retrieved 1 November 2016.
  9. ↑ "Angel wins 2018 Barbara Jefferis Award for 'The Trapeze Act' | Books+Publishing" . Retrieved 7 November 2018.
  10. ↑ Steger, Jason (19 November 2020). "Lucy Treloar wins $50,000 Barbara Jefferis award with Wolfe Island". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 29 December 2020.
  11. ↑ "Barbara Jefferis Award 2020 shortlist announced". Books+Publishing. 2 October 2020. Archived from the original on 8 October 2020. Retrieved 7 October 2020.
  12. ↑ "Lim wins 2022 Barbara Jefferis Award". Books+Publishing. 30 September 2022. Retrieved 13 August 2023.
  13. ↑ "Barbara Jefferis Award 2024 Shortlist Announced". Whispering Gums. 18 September 2024. Retrieved 18 September 2024.

Related Research Articles

The Miles Franklin Literary Award is an annual literary prize awarded to "a novel which is of the highest literary merit and presents Australian life in any of its phases". The award was set up according to the will of Miles Franklin (1879–1954), who is best known for writing the Australian classic My Brilliant Career (1901). She bequeathed her estate to fund this award. As of 2016, the award is valued at A$60,000.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Anna Funder</span> Australian author (born 1966)

Anna Funder is an Australian author. She is the author of Stasiland, All That I Am, Wifedom: Mrs Orwell’s Invisible Life and the novella The Girl With the Dogs.

Charlotte Wood is an Australian novelist. The Australian newspaper described Wood as "one of our [Australia's] most original and provocative writers".

Gail Jones is an Australian novelist and academic.

Barbara Jefferis AM was an Australian author.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tara June Winch</span> Australian writer

Tara June Winch is an Australian writer. She is the 2020 winner of the Miles Franklin Award for her book The Yield.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Australian Society of Authors</span>

The Australian Society of Authors (ASA) was formed in 1963 as the organisation to promote and protect the rights of Australia's authors and illustrators. The Fellowship of Australian Writers played a key role it its establishment. The organisation established Public Lending Right (PLR) in 1975 and Educational Lending Right (ELR) in 2000. The ASA was also instrumental in setting up Copyright Agency, the Australian Copyright Council and the International Authors Forum.

The Australian Prime Minister's Literary Awards (PMLA) were announced at the end of 2007 by the incoming First Rudd ministry following the 2007 election. They are administered by the Minister for the Arts.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Melissa Lucashenko</span> Indigenous Australian writer

Melissa Lucashenko is an Indigenous Australian writer of adult literary fiction and literary non-fiction, who has also written novels for teenagers.

Evelyn Rose Strange "Evie" Wyld is an Anglo-Australian author. Her first novel, After the Fire, A Still Small Voice, won the John Llewellyn Rhys Prize in 2009, and her second novel, All the Birds, Singing, won the Encore Award in 2013 and the Miles Franklin Award in 2014. Her third novel, The Bass Rock, won the Stella Prize in 2021.

This article presents a list of the historical events and publications of Australian literature during 2012.

This article presents a list of the historical events and publications of Australian literature during 2013.

<i>Foals Bread</i> Book by Gillian Mears

Foal's Bread is a 2011 novel by Australian author Gillian Mears.

Fiona Kelly McGregor is an Australian writer, performance artist, and art critic whose third novel, Indelible Ink, won the 2011 The Age Book of the Year Award.

Peggy Frew is an Australian novelist.

Transit Lounge Publishing is an independent Australian literary small press founded in Melbourne in 2005. It publishes literary fiction, narrative and trade non-fiction. The books it publishes show the diversity of Australian culture. Distribution is by NewSouth.

Lucy Treloar is an Australian novelist.

The MUD Literary Prize is an Australian literary award awarded annually at Adelaide Writers' Week since 2018 to a debut literary novel. It is sponsored by a philanthropic organisation, the MUD Literary Club, which was founded in 2012.

Jennifer Down is an Australian novelist and short story writer. She won the 2022 Miles Franklin Award for her novel Bodies of Light.

Mirandi Riwoe is an Australian author based in Brisbane. In 2020 Riwoe won the Queensland Literary Award Fiction Book Award for her book Stone Sky Gold Mountain.

References

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.