Only in its second year, The Stella Prize is a major literary award, named after Stella Maria ‘Miles’ Franklin and is awarded to celebrate Australian women’s writing. (It is not to be confused with the Miles Franklin Literary Award for Australian fiction which is open to men also).
Unusually for a literary prize, both non-fiction and fiction books by Australian women are eligible for entry.
The Stella Prize 2014 longlist has recently been announced and includes:
Letter to George Clooney by Debra Adelaide (Fiction)
Moving Among Strangers : Randolph Stow and my family by Gabrielle Carey (Non-fiction)
Burial Rites by Hannah Kent (Fiction)
Night Games by Anna Krien (Non-fiction)
Mullumbimby by Melissa Lucashenko (Fiction)
The Night Guest by Fiona McFarlane (Fiction)
Boy, Lost by Kristina Olsson (Non-fiction)
The Misogyny Factor by Anne Summers (Non-fiction)
Madeleine : a life of Madeleine St John by Helen Trinca
The Swan Book by Alexis Wright (Fiction)
The Forgotten Rebels of Eureka by Clare Wright (Non-fiction)
All the Birds, Singing by Evie Wyld (Fiction)
You can read the full judges’ report and much, much more on the Stella Prize website. The shortlist will be announced by Thursday 20 March.
Stella Prize Shadow Reading Group
Could your book club read six books in six weeks? The Stella Prize organisers are looking for book clubs to read alongside the Stella Prize judges and select their own winner from the judges’ shortlist of 4 to 6 books. If you are interested, contact the Stella Prize Manager, Megan Quinlan, to register your club’s interest: megan@thestellaprize.com.au That could be fun!