Australian authors, poets, illustrators and historians could share in a total of $600,000 in tax-free prize money in the 2016 Prime Minister’s Literary Awards which is accepting entries.
Now in their ninth year, the Awards recognise the best literary works of the year in six categories and celebrate the remarkable achievements of the Australian literary sector.
Experts from the literary sector will judge the entries and make recommendations to the Prime Minister.
Ms Louise Adler AM will continue as chair of the Fiction and Poetry judging panel, with panel members Mr Jamie Grant, Mr Robert Gray and Mr Des Cowley. Dr Gerard Henderson will chair the Non-Fiction and Australian History panel with Dr Ida Lichter, Mr Peter Coleman AO and Professor Ross Fitzgerald AM as panel members. The Children’s and Young adult fiction panel will be chaired by Mr Mike Shuttleworth with panel members Ms Kate Colley, Dr Mark MacLeod and Dr Irini Savvides.
Entries must have been published in 2015 and journals, magazines, websites and multimedia works are encouraged to enter in the Australian history category.
The winner of each category — fiction, non-fiction, Australian history, poetry, young adult fiction and children's fiction — is awarded $80,000, with shortlisted entries each awarded $5,000.
Entries for the 2016 Prime Minister’s Literary Award close on 20 May 2016.
Entry forms and eligibility guidelines can be found on the Ministry for the Arts website.