The ACT Writing and Publishing Awards are an

Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...

literary award A literary award or literary prize is an award presented in recognition of a particularly lauded literary piece or body of work. It is normally presented to an author. Organizations Most literary awards come with a corresponding award ceremony. Ma ...

presented by the ACT Writers Centre for the best books in the categories of

non-fiction Nonfiction, or non-fiction, is any document or media content that attempts, in good faith, to provide information (and sometimes opinions) grounded only in facts and real life, rather than in imagination. Nonfiction is often associated with be ...

fiction Fiction is any creative work, chiefly any narrative work, portraying individuals, events, or places that are imaginary, or in ways that are imaginary. Fictional portrayals are thus inconsistent with history, fact, or plausibility. In a traditi ...

poetry Poetry (derived from the Greek ''poiesis'', "making"), also called verse, is a form of literature that uses aesthetic and often rhythmic qualities of language − such as phonaesthetics, sound symbolism, and metre − to evoke meanings i ...

and children's literature written in the

Canberra Canberra ( ) is the capital city of Australia. Founded following the federation of the colonies of Australia as the seat of government for the new nation, it is Australia's largest inland city and the eighth-largest city overall. The ci ...

region. They have been awarded since 2004. The winners in each category receive a $500 prize.''ACT Writing and Publishing Awards, ACT Writer's Centre''
The ''Anne Edgeworth Fellowship'' is for an emerging ACT region writer, and commemorates Anne Edgeworth (also known as Anne Godfrey-Smith). The ''June Shenfield Poetry Award'' is for an emerging Australian poet, and is awarded in collaboration with Demos Journal. The ''Marjorie Graber-McInnis Short Story Award'' is for an emerging ACT region writer. It was established to commemorate the late short story writer Graber-McInnis, who lived in Canberra. The ''Michael Thwaites Poetry Award'' was previously known as the ''ACT Writers Centre Poetry Award''. The Publishing awards span four categories of fiction, non-fiction, poetry and children's books.

List of winners

2004

* Non-fiction – ''Huts in the Victorian Alps'' by

Klaus Hueneke Klaus is a German, Dutch and Scandinavian given name and surname. It originated as a short form of Nikolaus, a German form of the Greek given name Nicholas. Notable persons whose family name is Klaus * Billy Klaus (1928–2006), American baseb ...

* Fiction – ''You'' by Narelle Wickham * Poetry – ''Indigo Book of Modern Australian Sonnets'' by

Geoff Page Geoffrey Donald Page (born 7 July 1940) is an Australian poet, translator, teacher and jazz enthusiast. He has published 22 collections of poetry, as well as prose and verse novels. Poetry and jazz are his driving interests, and he has also writ ...

2005

* Non-fiction – ''Days of Innocents'' edited by

Hilary Trotter Hilary or Hillary may refer to: * Hillary Clinton, American politician * Hillary Coast, Antarctica * Hilary (name), or Hilarie or Hillary, a given name and surname * Hilary term, the spring term at the Universities of Oxford and Dublin * ''Hikari ...

* Fiction – ''Trouble in the Garden'' by Peter Frankis * Poetry – ''Unfinished Journey'' by

Michael Thwaites Michael Rayner Thwaites, AO (30 May 1915 – 1 November 2005) was an Australian academic, poet, and intelligence officer. Early life and education Thwaites was born in Brisbane, to Yorkshire immigrant Robert Ernest Thwaites who taught at Brisba ...

* Children's – ''The Year of the Mean Queen'' by Graeme Hume and Caroline Ambrus

2006

* Non-fiction – ''Unlocking History's Secrets'' by

Graeme Barrow Graeme Thomas Barrow OAM (16 June 1936 – 15 May 2017) was an Australian author best known for his bushwalking guide books and books on local history. Almost all his 28 books have been self-published through his business, Dagraja Press, establ ...

& "''Australian Speculative Fiction: A Genre Overview''" B
Donna Maree Hanson
* Fiction – ''The Grinding House'' by

Kaaron Warren Kaaron Warren is an Australian author of horror, science fiction, and fantasy short stories and novels. She is the author of the short story collections ''Through Splintered Walls'', ''The Grinding House'', and ''Dead Sea Fruit''. Her short st ...

* Poetry – ''Southbound'' by Michael Byrne * Children's – Not Awarded

2007

* Non-fiction – ''

Men at Birth ''Men at Birth'' is a book from Australian writer David Vernon. The book is an edited anthology of birth experiences, written by men. The experiences described are diverse, ranging from caesarean births and VBAC births, to births that take pla ...

'' by David Vernon * Fiction – ''Ghosts in the Helmet Trees'' by

Rory Steele Rory Steele is an Australian author and former public servant and diplomat. Born 1943 in Western Australia. Oxford University 1962-66 (BA Hons Modern Languages). Taught Italian in Naples 1964–65. In 1969 he joined the Australian Diplomatic S ...

* Poetry – ''Verbal Medicine'' by

Tim Metcalf Tim Metcalf is an Australian poet and doctor and has been described as one of Australia's most published doctor-poets. He lives at Brogo, New South Wales ) , nickname = , image_map = New South Wales in Australia.svg , map_caption = Lo ...

* Children's – ''Secrets'' by Stephen Matthews

2008

* Non-fiction – ''Rainbow'' by Jennifer Horsfield * Fiction – ''Not a Flotation Device'' by Peter Frankis * Poetry – ''Migrant writer on a bus, thinking of Kundera'' by Danijela Kambaskovic-Sawers (unpublished poem by an ACT writer) Andy Jackson (unpublished poem by an Australian writer) * Children's –

2009

* Non-fiction – ''The Campbell Community'' by Alan Foskett * Fiction – ''Smoke and mirrors'' by

Kel Robertson Kel Robertson is an Australian novelist who was born in the 1950s on the south coast of New South Wales. His novel ''Smoke & Mirrors'' shared the 2009 Ned Kelly Award for Best Novel, with ''Deep Water'' by Peter Corris. Robertson lived in Sydne ...

* Poetry – ''Sleeping Alone'' by Michael Thorley * Children's – ''Butterscotch: Family and Friends'' by

William Nevin Morison William is a masculine given name of Norman French origin.Hanks, Hardcastle and Hodges, ''Oxford Dictionary of First Names'', Oxford University Press, 2nd edition, , p. 276. It became very popular in the English language after the Norman conques ...

& Rebecca Dempsey * Marjorie Graber-McInnis Short Story Award – ''Basant'' by Maryanne Khan

2010

* Non-fiction – ''Capital Sailing: The history of the Canberra Yacht Club 1959–2009'' by Alan Foskett * Fiction – ''Hornet Bank'' by Gordon Reid * Poetry – ''Before Afterwards'' by Leon Trainor * Children's – (not awarded) * Short story – "Acts of Kindness" by Jennifer Shapcott

2011

* Non-fiction – ''Who Lied? The Ly-ee-moon Disaster and a Question of Truth'' by

* Fiction – ''Dead Sea Fruit'' by

* Poetry – ''A Man of Emails'' by Michael Byrne * Children's – (not awarded) * Short story – ''The Day for Travelling'' b
Robyn Cadwallader

2012

* Marjorie Graber-McInnis Short Story Award 2012 ** Winner: ''Paper Cranes'' by Rachael Rippon ** Highly Commended: Fiona Hamer * Michael Thwaites Poetry Award 2012 ** Winner: Isi Unikowski ** Highly Commended: Monica Carroll * Children's Book category ** Winner: Tracey Hawkins * Nonfiction Book category ** Winner: Irma Gold ** Highly Commended: Ann Villiers ** Highly Commended: Alan Foskett * Fiction Book Category ** Winner: Nigel Featherstone ** Highly Commended: Irma Gold ** Highly Commended: Elizabeth Egan * Poetry Book Category ** Winner: Michael Byrne * Z4 Award for book reviews ** Winner: Colin Steele

2013

* Marjorie Graber-McInnis Short Story Award 2013 ** Winner: ''This Square Called a Ring'' by Monica Carroll ** Highly Commended: *** ''Breath'' by Michelle Brock *** ''Feather-light'' by Claire Delahunty * Michael Thwaites Poetry Award 2013 ** Winner: ''Ode to a Toothbrush'' by Penny O'Hara ** Highly Commended: *** ''After Nights'' by Claire Delahunty *** ''An Untimely Death'' by Rebecca Fleming * Nonfiction Book Category ** Winner: ''Canberry Tales: An Informal History'' (Arcadia) by G.A. Mawer ** Highly Commended: ''Leaving the Rest Behind: An Immigrant’s Story'' by Ann Nugent * Fiction Book Category ** Winner: ''Through Splintered Walls'' (Twelfth Planet Press) by Kaaron Warren ** Highly Commended: *** ''I’m Ready Now'' (Blemish Books) by Nigel Featherstone *** ''Provocation'' (Arcadia) by Donald McMaster * Poetry Book Category ** Winner: ''First…Then…'' (Ginninderra Press) by Melinda Smith ** Highly Commended: *** ''The Love Procession'' (Ginninderra Press) by

Suzanne Edgar Suzanne Edgar (born 13 October 1939) is an Australian poet, short story writer and historian. Life Suzanne Edgar was born Glenelg, South Australia on 13 October 1939. She was educated at Adelaide Teachers' College and the University of Adel ...

*** ''In Country'' (Bat Trang Road Press) by Leon Trainor * Children's Book Category ** Co-winner: ''Sarah’s Song'' (A Tiny Publication) by Tanya Davies ** Co-winner: ''My Aunt Ate a Plate'' (Starry Night Publishing) by Maree Teychenne * Z4 Award for book reviews ** Winner: Duncan Driver’s review of Martin Amis’s novel ''Lionel Asbo: State of England'' * Anne Edgeworth Fellowship for Young ACT Writers ** Brian Obiri-Asare to produce his play ''In Between the Solitude of Sunburnt Islands''

2014

* Marjorie Graber-McInnis Short Story Award 2014 ** Winner: ''‘A White Woman in Ōjin’'' by Ashley Thomson ** Highly Commended: *** ''‘Hooking In by Christine Kearney *** ''‘The Loose Thread and the Sterile Needles’'' by Cara Lennon *** ''‘The Garden House’'' by Alison O’Hara * Michael Thwaites Poetry Award 2014 ** Winner: ''‘Stilettos’'' by Robyn Lance ** Highly Commended: *** ''‘Calling me in’'' by Susan McGrath *** ''‘Jack and Jill’'' by Gregory A Gould *** ''‘Implausible Birds’'' by Kavya Robinson * Nonfiction Book Category ** Winner: ''18 Days – Al Jazeera English and the Egyptian Revolution'' (Editia) by Scott Bridges ** Highly Commended: *** ''Meat Pies and Mumbling Blokes – A Canberra Memoir ''(Ginninderra Press) by Margitta Acker *** ''Australian Eagles: Australians in the Battle of Britain'' (Barrallier Books) by Kristen Alexander * Fiction Book Category ** Winner: ''The Happiness Jar ''(Storytorch Press) by Samantha Tidy ** Highly Commended: ''Round and Round'' by Jordan Morris * Poetry Book Category ** Winner: ''The Petrov Poems ( Pitt Street Poetry)'' by Lesley Lebkowicz ** Highly Commended: *** ''Improving the News (''Pitt Street Poetry) by Geoff Page *** ''Drag down to unlock or place an emergency call (''Pitt Street Poetry) by Melinda Smith *** ''Extravagance ''(Ginninderra Press) by Irene Wilkie * Children's Book Category ** Winner: ''An Aussie Year ''(Exisle Publishing) by Tania McCartney ** Highly Commended: *** ''The Very Sad Fish-lady'' by Joy McDonald *** ''A Lion, a Whale and a Flea'' by Maree Teychenne * Anne Edgeworth Fellowship for Young ACT Writers ** Winners: Zoya Patel and Lisa Fuller

2015

* Marjorie Graber-McInnis Short Story Award 2015 ** Winner: ''Torvald's Year'' by C.H. Pearce ** Highly Commended: ''Frozen Stiff'' by Elizabeth Egan ** Highly Commended: ''Now and Then'' by Jennifer Hand * Michael Thwaites Poetry Award 2015 ** Winner: ''Ode to a Papermate Inkjoy 100'' by Penny O'Hara ** Highly Commended: ''Winter evening on the Monaro'' by Laurence Anderson ** Highly Commended: ''Action (Bus Route 2)'' by Sarah Rice ** Highly Commended: ''Memorabilia'' by Michelle Brock * Z4 Review Writing Award 2015 ** Winner: ''Excavate'' by Shu-Ling Chua * Publishing Awards: Fiction Category ** Winner: ''Uncle Adolf'' by

Craig Cormick Craig Cormick is an Australian science communicator and author. He was born in Wollongong in 1961, and is known for his creative writing and social research into public attitudes towards new technologies. He has lived mainly in Canberra, bu ...

** Highly Commended: ''Capital Yarns'' by Sean Costello * Publishing Awards: Nonfiction Category ** Winner: ''Australia's Few and the Battle of Britain'' by Kristen Alexander ** Highly Commended: ''The Pearl King'' by Robert Lehane * Publishing Awards: Children's Fiction Category ** Winner: ''Midnight Burial'' by Pauline Deeves ** Highly Commended: ''Tottie and Dot'' by Tania McCartney * Publishing Awards: Poetry Category ** Winner: ''Fire in the Afternoon'' by John Stokes ** Highly Commended: ''The Stars Like Sand: Australian Speculative Poetry'' by P. S. Cottier and Tim Jones * Anne Edgeworth Fellowship for Young Writers ** Winner: Louis Klee

2016

* Fiction ** Winner: ''Cranky Ladies of History'' edited by

Tansy Rayner Roberts Tansy Rayner Roberts (born 22 May 1978) is an Australian fantasy writer. Her short stories have been published in a variety of genre magazines, including ''Andromeda Spaceways Inflight Magazine'' and ''Aurealis''. She also writes crime fiction a ...

& Tehani Wessely ** Highly Commended: ''Olmec Obituary'' (

Dr Pimms, Intermillennial Sleuth The Dr Pimms, Intermillennial Sleuth series, also known as the ''Dr Pimms novels'', is a series of books written by Queanbeyan-based author L.J.M. Owen. Owen has a similar background to the main character, sharing studies in archaeology and lib ...

series) b
L.J.M. Owen
** Highly Commended: ''Undad'' b
Shane W. Smith
* Nonfiction ** Winner: ''Building a City: CS Daley and the Story of Canberra'' by Jennifer Horsfield ** Highly Commended: ''Paths into Inner Canberra'' b
P.S. Cottier
** Highly Commended: ''Australian Predators of the Sky'' by Penny Olsen ** Highly Commended: ''Weekend Warriors: A Funny Side'' by James Sanderson * Children's ** Winner: ''Horace the Baker’s Horse'' by Jackie French, illustrated by Peter Bray ** Highly Commended: ''Lennie the Legend: Solo to Sydney by Pony'' b
Stephanie Owen Reeder
** Highly Commended: ''This is Captain Cook'' b
Tania McCartney
illustrated b
Christina Booth
* Poetry ** Winner: ''Deep in the Valley of Tea Bowls'' by Kathy Kituai ** Highly Commended: ''Ripples Under the Skin'' by Janette Pieloor * The Marjorie Graber-McInnis Short Story Award 2016 ** Winner: '''Sandman by Ron Schroer ** Second Place: ''‘Roadwork Ahead’'' by Greg Burgess ** Highly Commended: ''‘Fight or Flight’'' by Isabelo Gacusan ** Highly Commended: ''‘The Abject Redemption of Athalie Roche’'' by Erin Prothero * The June Shenfield Poetry Award ** Winner: ''‘Ghost’'' by Hessom Razavi ** Second Place: ''‘Tumbleweed’'' by Daniel Hutley ** Second Place: ''‘White Lilac (For Deb)’'' by Saaro Umar ** Highly Commended: ''‘brontebright’'' by Samuel Guthrie ** Highly Commended: ''‘My Grandmother’s Language’'' by Nadia Niaz ** Highly Commended: ''‘The Lumber Room’'' b
Stephen Smithyman
* The Anne Edgeworth Fellowship for Young Writers ** Winner: Rosanna Stevens ** Shortlisted

** Shortlisted: Grace Finlayson ** Shortlisted: Leearni Hamilton * 2016 Judges ** Fiction: Karen Viggers &

** Nonfiction
Biff Ward
& Kristen Alexander ** Poetry: Geoff Page & Andrew Galan ** Children's Book: Tracey Hawkins & K.J. Taylor ** The Marjorie Graber-McInnis Short Story Award:

** The June Shenfield Poetry Award: Jenni Kemarre Martiniello
Ann Shenfield
& Holly Zhangthe

2017

* Fiction ** Winner: ''The Grief Hole'' by

** Highly Commended: ''All the King's Men'' by Shane W. Smith ** Highly Commended: ''Fabel'' by Tom Heffernan * Children's ** Winner: ''Amazing Animals of Australia's National Parks'' by Gina Newton ** Highly Commended: ''Australia Illustrated'' by Tania McCartney * June Shenfield Poetry Award ** Winner: "third daughter" by Penny O'Hara ** Winner: "Recycling" by Ella Jeffery ** Highly Commended: "The Uses of a Shark" by Damen O'Brien * Marjorie Graber-McInnis Short Story Award ** Winner: "273" by Cherisse Kelly ** Highly Commended: "The Secret Moons: by Frances Seymour ** Highly Commended: "Intersection" by James Salvage * Anne Edgeworth Fellowship ** Winner: Jemimah Cooper ** Winner: Jacqueline de Rose-Ahern ** Highly Commended: Ellen Harvey ** Highly Commended: Kathryn Hind

2018

* Fiction ** Winner: ''Paper Cuts: Comedic and satirical monologues for audition or performance'' by Kirsty Budding * Nonfiction ** Winner: ''Verity'' by Robert Lehane * Children's ** Winner: ''Trouble in Tune Town'' by Maura Pierlot * Poetry ** Winner: ''A Constellation of Abnormalities'' by Paul Cliff * The Marjorie Graber-McInnis Short Story Award ** Winner: ''Loyal Animals'' by Amanda McLeod * The June Shenfield Poetry Award ** Winner: ''Incursion, Extinctions'' by Natalie Cooke * The Anne Edgeworth Fellowship for Young Writers ** Winner: Gemma Killen

2019

* Fiction ** Winner: ''Triumviratus'' by Shane Smith ** Highly Commended: ''A Perfect Marriage'' by Alison Booth ** Highly Commended: ''After She Left'' by Penelope Hanley ** Highly Commended: ''Years of the Wolf'' by

* Nonfiction ** Winner: ''Backseat Drivers'' by

** Highly Commended: ''Joe Baker'' by Angelika Erpic ** Highly Commended: ''Fire at Sea: HMAS Westralia 1998'' by Kathryn Spurling * Children's ** Winner: ''Billie'' by Nicole Godwin and Demelsa Haughton ** Winner: ''When Worlds Collide'' by Amy Laurens * Poetry ** Winner: ''Things I’ve Thought to Tell You Since I Saw You Last'' by Penelope Layland ** Highly Commended: ''Inlandia'' by Ka Nelson * The Marjorie Graber-McInnis Short Story Award ** Winner: "Pig Headed" by Ron Schroer ** Highly Commended: "Nobody's Home" by Sophie Campbell ** Highly Commended: "The Shearer's Wife" by Elizabeth Egan * The June Shenfield Poetry Award ** Winner: "Satan’s Brew" by Riahta Ranford ** Highly Commended: "Last Lights On the Great Divide" by Simone King ** Highly Commended: "Keeping My Wits About Me" by Rosalind Moran * The Anne Edgeworth Fellowship for Young Writers ** Winner: Kellie Nissen ** Highly Commended: Simone King ** Highly Commended: Rebekka Leary ** Highly Commended: Gemma Nethercote Way * 2019 Judges ** Fiction:

and Margaret Innes ** Nonfiction: Amy Walters and Peter Papathansiou ** Poetry: Hazel Hall and Merlinda Bobis ** Children's Book: Tania McCartney and Jacqueline de Rose-Ahern ** The Marjorie Graber-McInnis Short Story Award: Beatrice Smith ** The June Shenfield Poetry Award: Lucy Alexander

2020

* Fiction ** Winner: ''The Light Bearer'' by Andrew Einspruch ** Highly Commended: ''A Tale of Stars and Shadow'' by Lisa Cassidy ** Highly Commended: ''How Not To Acquire A Castle'' by Amy Laurens **Highly Commended: ''Into Bones like Oil'' by Kaaron Warren * Nonfiction ** Winner: ''Bandit Saints of Java'' by George Quinn ** Highly Commended: ''Out of Order'' by Rob Donnelly ** Highly Commended: ''Families in the Digital Age'' by

Toni Hassan Toni Hassan (born 1972) is an Australian journalist, a writer with an interest in contemporary social issues, and emerging artist who works predominantly in painting. Biography Hassan was born in South Africa, settling in Australia with her par ...

* Children's ** Winner: ''Fauna: Australia's Most Curious Creatures'' by Tania McCartney ** Highly Commended: ''Leaping Lola'' by Tracey Hawkins and Anil Tortop * Poetry ** Winner: ''Acting Like a Girl'' by Sandra Renew ** Highly Commended: ''blur by the'' by Cham Zhi Yi **Highly Commended: ''Catching the Light'' by Suzanne Edgar * The Marjorie Graber-McInnis Short Story Award ** Winner: "Bygone" by Sophie Clews ** Highly Commended: "The Navigators" by Mick Donaldson **Highly Commended: "Vertical" by Ian Hart ** Highly Commended: "The Suitcase" by Deborah Huff-Horwood * The June Shenfield Poetry Award ** Winner: "Part of its trunk" by Elanna Herbert ** Second Place: "Paper Daisies" by Carmel Summers ** Third Place: "The Cleaning Woman" by Carla de Goede * The Anne Edgeworth Fellowship for Young Writers ** Winner: Natalie Cooke **Winner: Emilie Morscheck * 2020 Judges ** Fiction: Andrew Hutchinson and Leife Shallcross ** Nonfiction: Helen Ennis and Patrick Mullins **Poetry: Andrew Galan and Eleanor Malbon ** Children's Book: Leanne Barrett and Jacqueline de Rose-Ahern ** The Marjorie Graber-McInnis Short Story Award: Beatrice Smith ** The June Shenfield Poetry Award: Judith Nangala Crispin and Scott-Patrick Mitchell

References

External links

Judges Comments from the 2006 Awards
{{DEFAULTSORT:Act Writing And Publishing Awards Culture of Canberra Australian poetry awards Australian fiction awards Awards established in 2004 Australian non-fiction book awards