The Australian Society of Authors is most pleased to announce the shortlist for the 2014 Barbara Jefferis Award.
The Barbara Jefferis Award is offered for “the best novel written by an Australian author that depicts women and girls in a positive way or otherwise empowers the status of women and girls in society”. The Award is in its sixth year, and previous winners include Helen Garner, Rhyll McMaster, Kristina Olsson, GL Osborne and Anna Funder.
With prizes totalling $55,000, this important award represents one of the highest prize pools in the Australian literary landscape. The Award is open to male authors, but to date only female authors have won – a trend set to continue in 2014, since all shortlisted books are by female authors.
The Award judges in 2014 are Margaret Barbalet, Georgia Blain and Dorothy Johnston.
Shortlist
Amy Espeseth: Sufficient Grace (Scribe)
Tracy Farr: The Life and Loves of Lena Gaunt (Fremantle Press)
Jacinta Halloran: Pilgrimage (Scribe)
Margo Lanagan: Sea Hearts (Allen & Unwin)
Fiona McFarlane: The Night Guest (Penguin Books)
Margaret Merrilees: The First Week (Wakefield Press)
Drusilla Modjeska: The Mountain (Vintage, Random House Australia)
The following novel was highly commended:
Laura Buzo: Holier Than Thou (Allen & Unwin)
The winner will be announced in Sydney in November 2014. Shortlisted authors are available for interview. Please contact Jacqui Dent ([email protected]), Communications Officer, for author photos.
The Award is made available from the Barbara Jefferis Literary Fund, established by a bequest from Barbara’s husband, much-loved film critic John Hinde. Barbara Jefferis was a novelist, a founding member of the Australian Society of Authors and its first woman President.
October 2014
For more details contact Angelo Loukakis, Executive Director, Australian Society of Authors on 02 9211 1004 or 0402 117 370.
