Holden Sheppard wins $50,000 Minderoo Artist Fund Award
Congratulations to WA author Holden Sheppard who has received the $50,000 Minderoo Artist Fund Award.
The Minderoo Artist Fund Award is presented to the artist who best leveraged their time in the Minderoo Foundation Artist Fund program to innovate, collaborate and broaden their practice, while making meaningful contributions to the sector.
Nicola Forrest AO presented the award to Sheppard at an event in Perth on Wednesday evening. She said, ‘Holden Sheppard’s writing is raw, unflinching and powerful, and has connected deeply with so many people across Australia and internationally. The Minderoo Foundation Artist Fund gives artists the opportunity to explore new ideas and develop their skills, and I’m delighted to present Holden with the Minderoo Artist Award so he can continue to accelerate what is already an exciting career.’
The Minderoo Foundation Artist Fund program supports mid-career artists as they pursue bold new work that will further their professional practice. And, after joining the program, Holden wrote a sequel to his bestselling novel Invisible Boys.
Sheppard said the support he had received from the Minderoo Foundation had been lifechanging, allowing him the time to focus on his work and grow as an artist – especially now that Invisible Boys has been adapted into a TV series. He said, ‘Getting the [Minderoo Foundation Artist Fund] grant was lifechanging. It gave me the chance to say “okay, I’m not doing any other work for next year and I’m just going to focus on being a full-time writer”’.
Invisible Boys explores the challenges faced by a group of gay teens in the regional WA coastal town of Geraldton. It is available now in all good bookstores and online.
