AFTER recent dramas over eligibility for the ACT Book of the Year award, a record number of nominations have been received for books published in the 2013 calendar year, and all but one were from ACT residents.
Minister for the Arts Joy Burch announced today that in total, 48 nominations across fiction, non-fiction and poetry were received, up from 28 for last year’s prize.
“The shortlist will be announced in time for Canberrans to support their local writers and bookstores by stocking up on some great Christmas holiday reading for themselves and as gifts for family and friends,” Joy said.
She added that in talks with the Canberra region arts community, it had been clear to her that that writers used their shortlisting to promote their work. “I am listening to our writers and will announce further improvements over the coming months.”
Previous winners include “The Sex Lives of Australians: A History” by Frank Bongiorno, “The Biggest Estate on Earth” by Bill Gammage, “The River” by Chris Hammer, and “Valley of Grace” by Marion Halligan.
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