The Marion Ink (formerly ACT Writers’ Centre) 30th anniversary awards went off in convivial style at the Shine Dome on Thursday.
With poetry firmly at the forefront, the evening began with the only international prize at the annual event, the June Shenfield Poetry Award, this year attracting a record number of entries and eventually taken out by Krystle Herdy for A Metabolism of Self.
Each of the shortlistees won $750 and indeed the impoverished life of poets was very much on the mind of Marion CEO Katy Mutton during the evening.
The three shortlisted writers for the Anne Edgeworth Emerging Writer’s Fellowship were all awarded fellowships this year in a first for this award, Elisa Cristallo winning $2450, Matthew Crowe $2500 and Deborah Huff-Horwood $1000.
Another new award, the $2000 Canberra Airport Recognition Award for Literacy Inclusion went to Danny Corvini, editor of the queer magazine Stun.
After a video message from absent writer, Craig Cormick, who performed a birthday ode to Marion, poet Andrew Cox from Canberra Slam took the mic to perform a poem.
The main fiction prize went to Julie Janson for her book Compassion, described as “a woman’s answer to Lord of the Flies”. Contrary to what some punters in Moruya had said about her writing, she assured us, “this is not a dirty book”.
The main award for children’s literature in the younger category went to Big, Big Love by Lisa Fuller and Samantha Campbell, while the Middle Grade Award went to Tigg and the Bandicoot Bushranger by Jackie French. The Young Adult Fiction award went to The Unexpected Mess of it all, by Gabrielle Tozer.
The award for self-published non-fiction went to An Unexpected Life by Vesna Cvjetićanin, while the overall non-fiction winner was Warra Warra Wai: How Indigenous Australians discovered Captain Cook, and what they tell about the coming of the Ghost People by Darren Rix and Craig Cormick,
The chief poetry award of the night went to poet and CityNews visual arts reviewer, Barrina South, for her anthology Makarra.
Helen Musa
But wait, there was more, as the Marion Halligan Award, given in the name of one of the two Marions whose names inspired the organisation’s name, was presented to Tania McCartney, author of Flora: Australia’s Most Curious Plants, by Halligan’s small grandson, Eddie.
The evening ended up with Marion lifetime memberships going to authors Nigel Featherstone, Irma Gold, Katarina Pearson, Deb Stevens and in absentia, Jenni Kemarre Martiniello.
The full list of awards
Children’s Literature
WINNER
- Big, Big Love by Lisa Fuller and Samantha Campbell (ill.), Magabala Books
WINNER (Middle Grade)
- Tigg and the Bandicoot Bushranger by Jackie French, HarperCollins Australia
WINNER (YA Fiction)
- The Unexpected Mess of it all by Gabrielle Tozer, HarperCollins Australia
HIGHLY COMMENDED
- Flora: Australia’s Most Curious Plants by Tania McCartney, NLA Publishing
- Sensational Australian Animals by Stephanie Owen Reeder and Cher Hart (ill.), CSIRO
Publishing
Fiction
WINNER
- Compassion by Julie Janson, Magabala Books
HIGHLY COMMENDED
- The Sea Captain’s Wife by Jackie French, HarperCollins Australia
Nonfiction
An Unexpected Life by Vesna Cvjetićanin
WINNER
- Warra Warra Wai: How Indigenous Australians discovered Captain Cook, and what
they tell about the coming of the Ghost People by Darren Rix and Craig Cormick,
Scribner Australia
HIGHLY COMMENDED
- Australian Carillonists by Melissa Bray (self published)
- Max Dupain: A Portrait by Helen Ennis, HarperCollins Australia
Poetry
Makarra by Barrina South, Recent Work Press
Refugia by Elfie Shiosaki, Magabala Books
June Shenfield National Poetry Awards
The June Shenfield Poetry Award is an annual, nationwide prize established in memory of the poet June Shenfield. This award aims to encourage the writing, publishing, and reading of poetry, specifically among emerging Australian poets.
- First place: “A metabolism of self” by Krystle Herdy
- Second place: “This is a Recipe” by Elizabeth Walton
- Third place: “Building” by Josephine Shevchenko
Anne Edgeworth Emerging Writer’s Fellowship recipients
Three shortlisted writers were all awarded Fellowships this year in a first for the Trust.
- Elisa Cristallo $2450
- Matthew Crowe $2500
- Deborah Huff-Horwood $1000
Finding Beauty Poetry Prize
- First place: “As a Matter of Great Importance” by Alisha Brown $5000
- Second place: “Rosalie” by Cate Furey $2000
- Shortlisted: “;” by Annie O’Connell $750
- Shortlisted: “Still Green” by Sara Pronger $750
Canberra Airport Recognition Award for Literacy Inclusion
The Marion Halligan Award
- Flora: Australia’s Most Curious Plants by Tania McCartney, NLA Publishing
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