The New South Wales Premier's Literary Awards, also known as the NSW Premier's Literary Awards, were first awarded in 1979. They are among the richest literary awards in Australia. Notable prizes include the Christina Stead Prize for Fiction, the Kenneth Slessor Prize for Poetry, and the Douglas Stewart Prize for Non-Fiction.
, the Awards are presented by the NSW Government and administered by the State Library of New South Wales in association with Create NSW, with support of Multicultural NSW and the University of Technology Sydney (UTS). Total prize money in 2019 was up to A$305,000, with eligibility limited to writers, translators and illustrators with Australian citizenship or permanent resident status.
History
The NSW Premier's Literary Awards were established in 1979 by the New South Wales Premier Neville Wran. Commenting on its purpose, Wran said: "We want the arts to take, and be seen to take, their proper place in our social priorities. If governments treat writers and artists with respect and understanding, the community will be more likely to do the same." They were the first set of premier's awards offered in Australia.
The awards were not presented in 1998.
Judging
The winners of most of the prizes and awards are decided by a judging panel, with no input from Create NSW (former Arts NSW) or the New South Wales Government. The names of each year's judges are not announced until the final winners are decided. The judging has been the subject of controversy in the past, when in 2010, the panel decided not to bestow the Play Award on any of the applicants.
In November 2011, the NSW Government announced a review of the Premier's Literary Awards for 2012. An independent panel, chaired by journalist Gerard Henderson, reviewed both the Literary and the Premier's History Awards, focussed on the governance, selection criteria and judging processes. Following the review, the Awards are managed by the State Library of NSW, in association with Create NSW.
Categories
The following prizes and awards are currently given in the New South Wales Premier's Literary Awards.
Christina Stead Prize for Fiction
Douglas Stewart Prize for Non-Fiction
Kenneth Slessor Prize for Poetry
Ethel Turner Prize for Young People's Literature
Patricia Wrightson Prize for Children's Literature
NSW Multicultural Award (formerly Ethnic Affairs Commission Award, Community Relations Commission Award) UTS Glenda Adams Award for New Writing Nick Enright Prize for Playwriting (formerly the Play Award) Script Writing Award (formerly the separate Film, Television and Radio Writing Awards) NSW Premier's Prize for Literary Scholarship People's Choice Award Special Award NSW Premier's Translation Prize Multicultural NSW Early Career Translator Prize Indigenous Writers Prize Gleebooks Prize (currently inactive)
Christina Stead Prize for Fiction
The Christina Stead Prize is awarded for a work of fiction that may be either a novel or a collection of stories. The recipient receives a A$40,000 prize . It is named in honour of Christina Stead, an Australian novelist and short-story writer. The first recipient was David Malouf, who was awarded the Prize for his novella An Imaginary Life in 1979. In 2019 Michelle de Kretser won with The Life to Come and equalled Peter Carey's record of three wins.
Award winners
Douglas Stewart Prize for Non-Fiction
The Douglas Stewart Prize is awarded for a prose work that is not fiction. The recipient receives a A$40,000 prize . It is named in honour of Douglas Stewart, a noted Australian literary editor. The first recipient was Manning Clark, who was awarded the Prize for the fourth volume in his series A History of Australia in 1979. Drusilla Modjeska, with three wins, has won the Prize more than any other individual. In 2019 Billy Griffiths and Sarah Krasnostein were joint winners.
Award winners
Kenneth Slessor Prize for Poetry
The Kenneth Slessor Prize is awarded for a book of poetry, whether collected poems or a single poem of some length, and was first awarded in 1980. The recipient receives a A$30,000 prize . It is named in honour of Kenneth Slessor, a noted Australian poet and journalist. The first recipient was David Campbell, who won the Prize posthumously. In 2011, NSW poet Jennifer Maiden became the only individual to win the award three times. The latest recipient was Peter Boyle in 2020.