The announcement of the 2019 Banjo Prize shortlist was made last night, with three finalists selected from a list of over 250 entries.
The prize, established by HarperCollins Australia and named after the one and only Banjo Patterson, has the lofty goal of finding Australia’s next great storyteller.
Check out this year’s shortlist:
- Beware of Dogs by Elizabeth Flann
- Nina and Pearl by Fleur Glenn
- The True Love Story of David Collins and Terra Nullius by Terry Whitebeach
Catherine Milne, Head of Fiction at HarperCollins, said:
“I am, as ever, astounded by the creativity, imagination and dedication of every writer who entered The Banjo Prize – to receive over 250 entries in our second year of offering the prize was overwhelming – and very exciting. After weeks of dedicated reading and much debate, we finally managed to whittle it down to three manuscripts on the shortlist. Each of these manuscripts is quite distinct: Beware of Dogs is a strikingly tense female-driven thriller; Nina and Pearl, a delicate, unfolding story of mothering and an ode to the beauty of the natural world; and The True Story of David Collins and Terra Nullius, an intriguing tangle of a love story, a history, a family story. Each one so different, yet each so compelling in its own way.”
The winner will receive a publication contract with HarperCollins, with an advance of $15,000, while the two runners up will receive a written assessment of their manuscript.
Last year’s winner was Tim Slee, whose book Taking Tom Murray Home was published in July of this year. The 2019 Banjo Prize winner will be announced on 17th September – stay tuned!
Taking Tom Murray Home
Winner of the 2018 Banjo Prize
The winner of the inaugural Banjo Prize, Taking Tom Murray Home is a funny, moving, bittersweet Australian story of fires, families and the restorative power of community.
Bankrupt dairy farmer Tom Murray decides he'd rather sell off his herd and burn down his own house than hand them over to the bank. But something goes tragically wrong, and Tom dies in the blaze. His wife, Dawn, doesn't want him to have died for nothing and decides to hold a funeral procession...
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Olivia Fricot
Olivia Fricot (she/her) is Booktopia's Senior Content Producer and editor of the Booktopian blog. She has too many plants and not enough bookshelves, and you can usually find her reading, baking, or talking to said plants. She is pro-Oxford comma.
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The 2019 Banjo Prize Winner has been revealed!
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