The Tasmanian Premier's Literary Prizes are literary prizes that are awarded biennially in four categories by the Tasmanian Government. There are two panels of three judges: one for the book prizes, the other for the emerging writers and young writer's fellowship. In September 2021 the Tasmanian Government announced that the awards had been renamed the Tasmanian Literary Awards, would only be open to writers living in Tasmania. The six new categories are:
- fiction
- non-fiction
- young readers and children
- Indigenous writing
- poetry and short stories
- young writers fellowship
Tasmania Book Prize winners
Awarded for the best book with Tasmanian content.
| Year | Title | Author | Publisher |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2007 | In Tasmania: Adventures at the End of the World | Nicholas Shakespeare | Knopf |
| 2009 | Van Diemen's Land | James Boyce | Black Inc. |
| 2011 | Wanting | Richard Flanagan | Random House |
| 2013 | 1835: The Founding of Melbourne and the Conquest of Australia | James Boyce | Black Inc. |
| 2015 | The Rise and Fall of Gunns Ltd | Quentin Beresford | New South Publishing |
| 2017 | Into the Heart of Tasmania: A Search for Human Antiquity | Rebe Taylor | Melbourne University Press |
| 2019 | Bridget Crack | Rachel Leary | Allen & Unwin |
Margaret Scott Prize winners
This prize, named in honour of well-known Tasmanian writer, Margaret Scott (1934–2005) is awarded for the best book by a Tasmanian author.
| Year | Title | Author | Publisher |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2007 | Twilight of Love: Travels with Turgenev | Robert Dessaix | Picador |
| 2009 | Closing Hell's Gates: the Death of a Convict Station | Hamish Maxwell-Stewart | Allen & Unwin |
| 2011 | What Now, Tilda B? | Kathryn Lomer | University of Queensland Press |
| 2013 | The Roving Party | Rohan Wilson | Allen & Unwin |
| 2015 | The Narrow Road to the Deep North | Richard Flanagan | Random House Australia |
| 2017 | The Museum of Modern Love | Heather Rose | Allen & Unwin |
| 2019 | Flames | Robbie Arnott | Text |
University of Tasmania Prize winners
The first three awards were for best book by a Tasmanian publisher. Since 2013 the University of Tasmania Prize has been awarded for the best new unpublished literary work by an emerging Tasmanian writer.
| Year | Title | Author | Details |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2007 | The Art of Apple Branding: Australian Apple Case Labels and the Industry Since 1788 | Christopher Cowles and David Walker | Apples from Oz (Tasmanian publisher) |
| 2009 | Antarctic Eye: the Visual Journey | Lynne Andrews | Studio One (Tasmanian publisher) |
| 2011 | Postcards from the Asylum | Karen Knight | Pardalote Press (Tasmanian publisher) |
| 2013 | Kubla | Katherine Johnson | Unpublished emerging writer |
| 2015 | Soon | Lois Murphy | Unpublished emerging writer |
| 2017 | Brodsky Dies | Adam Ouston | Unpublished emerging writer |
| 2019 | The Signal Line | Brendan Colley | Unpublished emerging writer |
| 2022 | The Sand | Cameron Hindrum | Unpublished emerging writer |
Tasmanian Young Writer's Fellowship winners
Awarded to a young writer and sponsored by philanthropists. In its first year it was open to writers under 35, but for 2017 the age was lowered to under 30.
| Year | Writer |
|---|---|
| 2015 | Robbie Arnott |
| 2017 | Erin Hortle |
| 2019 | Sam George-Allen |
| 2022 | Stephanie Jack |
References
- "New and improved Tasmanian Literary Awards announced". Tamar Valley Writers Festival. 15 September 2021. Retrieved 1 December 2021.
- ^ "Book awards: Tasmanian Book Award". Library Thing. Retrieved 1 January 2018.
- ^ Giddings, Lara (3 April 2011). "Flanagan wins 2011 Tasmania Book Prize". Tasmanian Times!com. Retrieved 1 January 2018.
- ^ "2013 Tasmanian Literary Prizes winners announced". Books + Publishing. 23 March 2013. Retrieved 1 January 2018.
- ^ Hodgman, Will (2 December 2015). "Winners of the Premier's Literary Prizes". Department of Premier and Cabinet. Retrieved 1 January 2018.
- ^ Hodgman, Will (27 November 2017). "Winners of the 2017 Premier's Literary Prizes". Department of Premier and Cabinet. Retrieved 1 January 2018.
- ^ "'Bridget Crack' wins 2019 Tasmania Book Prize". Books+Publishing. 6 December 2019. Retrieved 6 December 2019.
- ^ "Home | Tasmanian Literary Awards". www.arts.tas.gov.au. Retrieved 10 January 2023.