14/4/05
Shortlisted titles for the 2004 Western Australian Premier's Book Awards were announced today by Culture and Arts Minister Sheila McHale.
Ms McHale said the 134 books and scripts submitted for the awards continued to show WA's wealth of literary talent.
"The Gallop Government is delighted to continue to recognise the achievements of and provide opportunities for our local writers through the Premier's Book Awards," she said.
"The $80,000 prize money, across the seven categories, helps to encourage and support WA's very passionate, enthusiastic and talented writers."
A new category this year, the Western Australian History Award, is for a significant historical work that makes a major contribution to the understanding of WA's past.
The books shortlisted for this new category explore the history of the Parliament, His Majesty's Theatre, the Midland Railway Workshops and Australian rules football in WA.
The award winners will be announced at a gala dinner on Friday, May 20 at the State Library of WA.
2004 shortlisted titles are:
Fiction:
- Gail Jones, Crawley: Sixty Lights (Random House Australia)
- Philip Salom: Toccata and Rain (Fremantle Arts Centre Press)
- Tim Winton: The Turning (Pan Macmillan).
Poetry: - Michael Heald: Focusing Saturn (Fremantle Arts Centre Press)
- Andrew Lansdown, Dianella: Fontanelle (Five Islands Press)
- Miriam Wei Wei Lo, Manning: Against Certain Capture (Five Islands Press).
Children's Books: - Joanne Crawford, Geraldton and Grace Fielding, Broome: A Home for Bilby (Magabala Books)
- Elaine Forrestal, Scarborough: Black Earth (Puffin Books, Penguin)
- Norman Jorgensen and Brian Harrison-Lever, Perth: The Call of the Osprey (Fremantle Arts Centre Press)
- Suzanne Kelly, Manjimup; Angus Wallam, Manjimup; and Norma MacDonald, Mahogany Creek: Corroboree (Cygnet Books, University of Western Australia Press).
Young Adults Award: - Anthony Eaton, Kewdale: Fireshadow (University of Queensland Press)
- Nathan Hobby, East Victoria Park: The Fur (Fremantle Arts Centre Press)
- Leonie Norrington: The Last Muster (Omnibus Books.)
Non-Fiction: - Greg Craven: Conversations with the Constitution (University of New South Wales Press)
- Ian McNeill Darroch, Waikiki: The 'Boonah' Tragedy (Access Press)
- Kate Lance: Redbill (Fremantle Arts Centre Press)
- Pat Lowe, Broome & Jukuna Mona Chuguna, Broome: Two Sisters: Ngarta and Jukuna (Fremantle Arts Centre Press)
- Joseph Poprzeczny, Dianella: Hitler's Man in the East (McFarland and Co)
- Sandy Toussaint, Crawley and Kate Auty, Kalgoorlie: A Jury of whose Peers? (University of Western Australia Press).
West Australian History Award:These books are also considered shortlisted for the non-fiction category
- Anthony Barker, Crawley: Behind the Play (West Australian Football Commission)
- David Black, Perth and Phillip Pendal, South Perth: House to House (Parliament of Western Australia)
- Nic Ellis, Gooseberry Hill and Chris Smyth, Kardinya: Midland Railway Workshops (West Australian Newspapers)
- David Hough, Swanbourne: A Dream of Passion (His Majesty's Theatre Foundation).
Scripts: - Reg Cribb: The Chatroom (Perth Theatre Company)
- John Rapsey, Highgate: Two episodes of 'Foreign Exchange' (Magma Films / Southern Star Entertainment)
- Jolly Read, South Fremantle: Yandy (Black Swan Theatre Company).
For more information about the Western Australian Premier's Book Awards and past winners visit:
http://www.liswa.wa.gov.au/pba.html Minister's office: 9213 6900
