Boy from the suburbs shortlisted for a Ned Kelly

Before It Breaks by Dave Warner was today shortlisted for a 2016 Ned Kelly Award for Best Fiction. Run by the Australian Crime Writers Association, the award is this country’s oldest and most prestigious prize honouring crime writing. This was the second year in a row that Fremantle Press books have made the shortlist.

Warner said he was pleased to be on the shortlist for his first crime novel in a decade – particularly since there were so many terrific Australian crime novels.

‘I’ve read three or four rippers which aren’t on the list,’ said Warner.

‘Of course ultimately the most important critics are all those people who trust you enough to spend their hard-earned money on buying your books – I thank those readers every day,’ said Warner.

In its media release the Australian Crime Writers Association called the fiction category a ‘battle of the heavyweights’ with five former winners making the cut. Garry Disher, Candice Fox, Adrian McKinty, Barry Maitland and Mark Dapin are all shortlisted alongside Warner.

The Ned Kelly Awards began in 1995 and have since grown in importance and scope with more categories, more entries and greater acclaim for the winners each year.

Winners of this year’s Ned Kelly Awards will be presented during the Melbourne Writers Festival on Sunday 28 August.

Last year’s shortlisted Fremantle Press book was Sweet One by Peter Docker. Before It Breaks by Dave Warner is available in all good bookstores and online.