2017 Victorian Premier’s Literary Awards

Victorian Prize for Literature
The Drover’s Wife by Leah Purcell 

People’s Choice Award
When Michael Met Mina by Randa Abdel-Fattah 

Between a Wolf and a Dog by Georgia Blain (Scribe Publications)

Offshore: Behind the wire on Manus and Nauru by Madeline Gleeson (NewSouth Publishing)

The Drover’s Wife by Leah Purcell (Currency Press)

Carrying the World by Maxine Beneba Clarke (Hachette Australia)

When Michael Met Mina by Randa Abdel-Fattah (Pan Macmillan Australia)

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The Shortlist

FICTION

Between a Wolf and a Dog by Georgia Blain (Scribe Publications)

The Healing Party by Micheline Lee (Black Inc.)

Wood Green by Sean Rabin (Giramondo)

Waiting by Philip Salom (Puncher and Wattmann)

The Rules of Backyard Cricket by Jock Serong (Text Publishing)

The Love of a Bad Man by Laura Elizabeth Woollett (Scribe Publications)

NON-FICTION

Songs of a War Boy by Deng Adut with Ben Mckelvey (Hachette Australia)

The Hate Race by Maxine Beneba Clarke (Hachette Australia)

The Killing Season Uncut by Sarah Ferguson with Patricia Drum (Melbourne University Publishing)

Offshore: Behind the wire on Manus and Nauru by Madeline Gleeson (NewSouth Publishing)

Position Doubtful by Kim Mahood (Scribe Publications)

The Fighter by Arnold Zable (Text Publishing)

DRAMA

Girl Shut Your Mouth by Gita Bezard (Black Swan State Theatre Company)

Trigger Warning by Zoë Coombs Marr (Melbourne International Comedy Festival)

The Drover’s Wife by Leah Purcell (Currency Press)

POETRY

Carrying the World by Maxine Beneba Clarke (Hachette Australia)

Painting Red Orchids by Eileen Chong (Pitt Street Poetry)

Bull Days by Tina Giannoukos (Australian Scholarly Publishing)

WRITING FOR YOUNG ADULTS

When Michael Met Mina by Randa Abdel-Fattah (Pan Macmillan Australia)

The Bone Sparrow by Zana Fraillon (Hachette Australia)

The Other Side of Summer by Emily Gale (Penguin Random House Australia)

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Highly Commended

FICTION

An Isolated Incident by Emily McGuire (Pan Macmillan)

Our Magic Hour by Jennifer Down (Text Publishing)

After the Carnage by Tara June Winch (University of Queensland Press)

WRITING FOR YOUNG ADULTS

Freedom Swimmer by Wai Chim (Allen and Unwin)

Frankie by Shivaun Plozza (Penguin Books Australia)

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The Judges

FICTION

Stella Charls, Alice Pung, Jo Case (convener)

NON-FICTION

Bruce Pascoe, Sami Shah, Jordy Silverstein, Michaela McGuire, Sharon Mullins (convener)

DRAMA

Jane Harrison, Emilie Collyer, John Bailey (convener)

POETRY

Samah Sabawi, Emilie Zoey Baker, Alicia Sometimes (convener)

WRITING FOR YOUNG ADULTS

Marlee Jane Ward, Davina Bell, Jess Tran (convener)

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The Victorian Premier’s Literary Awards were inaugurated by the Victorian Government in 1985 to honour literary achievement by Australian writers. The awards are administered by the Wheeler Centre on behalf of the Premier of Victoria.