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Helen Garner John Marsden Alex Miller Dorothy Porter Hannie Rayson Finalist Exhibition 13 – 27 November 2006 Federation Square Melbourne Melbourne Prize for Literature 2006 finalists Helen Garner John Marsden Alex Miller Dorothy Porter Hannie Rayson Best Writing Award finalists Azhar Abidi Ben Chessell Neil Grant Sonya Hartnett Mary Ellen Jordan David McCooey Ross Mueller Carrie Tiffany Christos Tsiolkas Henry von Doussa The Melbourne Prize The exhibition of finalists for Literature 2006 will be held in the Atrium at catalogue provides a Federation Square between review of the finalists 13 – 27 November 2006. for the following awards: Further information on / Melbourne Prize the Melbourne Prize Trust for Literature 2006 and Melbourne Prize for / Best Writing Award Literature 2006 please visit www.melbourneprizetrust.org or call 03 9650 8800 The Melbourne Prize for Government Partner Literature 2006 is made possible by the support of our partners and patrons. The Melbourne Prize Founding Partners Founding Partner Trust would like to thank & Exhibition Design all supporters for their generosity. Patrons Lady Southey AC Diana Gibson AO Janet Calvert-Jones AO Melbourne Prize for Literature 2006 Partners Event and Exhibition Partner Exhibition Construction Flags and Banners Presentation Trophy Fundere Foundry Professional Services Media Communications Print Partner Exhibition Consultants Coleby Consulting Dion Hall Web Development littleirrepressiblewonton.com The Melbourne Prize Trust is delighted with the strong response to the Melbourne Prize for Literature 2006. The prize, made possible by the generous support of our partners and patrons, recognises and rewards literary excellence and creativity. Demonstrating the value we place on our creative resources, the prize assists in positioning Melbourne and Victoria as a centre of great writing and opportunity for writers and provides the public with access to the wealth and diversity of talent we have in this state. Simon H Warrender Executive Director & Founder Melbourne Prize Trust 01 Melbourne Prize for Literature 2006 A cornerstone of a vibrant and The City of Melbourne is a proud The Melbourne Prize is unique healthy economy and community supporter of the Melbourne Prize amongst Australian literary prizes, is creativity, in all its forms, across for Literature 2006. The response not only for its generosity but varied sectors. The Committee to this year’s prize is evidence also for its acknowledgement for Melbourne is proud to be a of the literary talent we have of the careers and contributions founding partner of the annual in our community. The calibre of Victoria’s writers and for Melbourne Prize as it fosters of the shortlist, in both prize its recognition of our younger the development of our creative categories, demonstrates the writers. It has been a great resources and demonstrates strength and diversity of our pleasure and privilege to be the value we place on talent and writers and reinforces Melbourne part of the Melbourne Prize. creative excellence. This year and Victoria’s reputation as the I’ve reacquainted myself with the quantity and quality of the cultural capital of Australia. the works of some of my favourite response to the Melbourne Prize Lord Mayor John So writers and discovered some for Literature 2006, which is City of Melbourne wonderful new writers and their the most valuable literary prize works. The only drawback about in Australia, is evidence of The Melbourne Prize for Literature the prize is that there can only the abundant writing talent 2006 and the Best Writing Award, be two winners. All the writers we have in Victoria and firmly unlike other Australian prizes, we shortlisted have made such reinforces our position as a are across genres and media. wonderful contributions and there major cultural capital. This makes judging rather a were many writers and works that Janine Kirk AM challenge but our reading and aren’t in the shortlist that also Executive Director discussions over the shortlists demonstrate the richness of Committee for Melbourne were hugely enjoyable. The Victoria’s literary culture. I would Director established writers we had to like to congratulate them all and Melbourne Prize Trust choose between are all great of course the Melbourne Prize talents whose work is essential Trust and its sponsors for this I found the experience of judging reading. The shortlisted writers wonderful initiative. this rich and innovative prize for the Best Writing Award ranged Mark Rubbo OAM challenging, interesting and widely and reassured us that Awarding Committee member rewarding. The imaginative and highly original and risk-taking Managing Director formal diversity of entries across work has not gone away. Readings Books Music Film the two divisions of the prize, the quality of much of the writing, The Melbourne Prize for Literature the confidence and willingness to 2006 is one of those generous take risks among the Best Writing initiatives that doesn’t happen entrants and the sheer class and often enough. This one, with the substance of the established potential to grow into a major writers were all cause for great national and then international satisfaction and excitement in award, will make its mark for sure. these times when our literary Hilary McPhee AO culture so often has to struggle Awarding Committee member in a philistine social and political environment. All in all, a wonderful undertaking splendidly administered and conducted by the Melbourne Prize Trust. Professor Brian Matthews Awarding Committee member 02 The Best Writing Award finalists Sure, I remember where I was My thanks to the Melbourne represent a lively cross-section when Harold Holt drowned, and Prize for boosting the recognition of writing styles and genres, watching Cathy Freeman’s lap of paid to our homegrown (and world from works of non-fiction to honour (draped in red, black and class) literary talent. These two plays, poetry to novels. Age gold), and marvelling at pictures prizes have given us an opportunity notwithstanding, that shortlist of Rachel Griffiths protesting to celebrate and investigate a includes some of Australia’s most topless at Crown Casino’s launch. wide variety of literary creation adept writers. The shortlist for the But when I recall first reading sometimes divided by form, age, Melbourne Prize for Literature Porter’s Akhenaten, or Garner’s experience, content and style. 2006 is also incredibly substantial, Monkey Grip, and falling headlong Despite the difficulties in judging having been drawn from a complete into Rayson’s world at Theatreworks, across (sometimes) arbitrary list of some of Australia’s Most I not only remember where I was, divides, the shortlists (and those Wanted Writers. It is a credit to but who I was. Just as these artists left off them) well reflect the talent our literary culture that the task have continued to, now perhaps that originates in Victoria. We are of narrowing them down was so it’s also Hartnett’s Surrender or lucky to have fostered such a range tricky, and it’s an absolute delight Tsiolkas’ Dead Europe which will of writers in the past, and with the to have such gratifyingly meaty watermark the me of now. The Best Writing Award I hope that lists the first year of the prize. joy of reading for the Melbourne we can continue to support and Louise Swinn Prize was being reminded just promote those who represent the Advisory Group member how indebted I am to these writers future. Indeed, it’s been a pleasure Editorial Director for my very self-possession, and to be part of a prize that recognises, Sleepers Publishing to know the award gives thanks celebrates and promotes writers on behalf of us all. who are at both stages of their career, and these prizes have By any estimation Victoria is Stephen Armstrong Advisory Group member made me hopeful that we’ve bursting at the seams with writers from all generations who writing talent. The quality of Executive Producer Malthouse Theatre are willing to challenge the way entrants for the Melbourne Prize we view ourselves. for Literature 2006 in particular was outstanding - it was a Steve Grimwade challenge, albeit a wonderful one, Advisory Group member to compare and rate writers of Director such experience and diversity. The Emerging Writers Festival entrants for the Best Writing Award Program Manager represent the future of our literary Victorian Writers Centre culture and in this regard there is much cause for celebration. All ten shortlistees excel in their chosen media and are producing works that are by turns daring, original and accomplished. Congratulations should also go to the Melbourne Prize Trust for their commitment to fostering and promoting those individuals whose artistic endeavours enrich our lives. Rod Morrison Advisory Group member Associate Publisher Hardie Grant Books 03 Helen Garner Finalist – Melbourne Prize for Literature 2006 Prize criteria: an outstanding contribution, by a Victorian writer, to Australian literature and to cultural and intellectual life. Helen Garner, who was born in Geelong Published Works in 1942, is one of Australia’s finest writers. She has been publishing novels, short stories, Monkey Grip non-fiction and journalism since 1977 when her first novel,Monkey Grip, became an Honour & Other instant bestseller. Then came Honour & People’s Children Other People’s Children, which established Helen Garner as a realist with remarkable The Children’s Bach powers of observation. Subsequent works include the stories Postcards from Surfers Postcards from Surfers and the collected stories My Hard Heart, and the novels The Children’s Bach Cosmo Cosmolino and Cosmo Cosmolino, as well as the screenplays for the feature filmThe Last The Last Days of Days of Chez Nous and Jane Campion’s TV drama Two Friends. Chez Nous (screenplay) Helen Garner’s non-fiction works include the Two Friends widely-debated and controversial The First Stone, published in 1995; True Stories; (screenplay) The Feel of Steel, a collection of her journalism and essays; and more recently Joe Cinque’s The First Stone Consolation - about the killing of Joe Cinque, and the trials of the two young women who True Stories were charged with his murder.
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