All-female Hungerford list looks to Asia Pacific for inspiration
Five authors are contenders for the 2014 City of Fremantle T.A.G. Hungerford Award. Louise Allan, Madelaine Dickie, Portland Jones, Mihaela Nicolescu and Nicole Sinclair are in the running for a cash prize of $12,000 plus a publishing contract with Fremantle Press.
Fremantle Press fiction publisher and Hungerford judge Georgia Richter said the Hungerford was an anonymous competition in which manuscripts were judged on content, style and market appeal.
‘It is unusual that the shortlist contains only women and that four out of five authors set their stories in the Asia Pacific. It is also clear from the 61 entries that new Western Australian authors are interested in exploring how we interact with the cultures and peoples of our near neighbours,’ said Richter.
Richter said the award had a long history of helping authors of outstanding talent at the crucial early stages of their careers, with not only winners but sometimes shortlisted contenders identified for publication.
‘Established authors like Gail Jones and Brenda Walker each had their first publishing opportunity thanks to this award, while more recent winners have gained recognition in the Miles Franklin Literary Awards, the Barbara Jefferis Award for Literature, the Kibble Literary Awards for Women Writers and in the Sydney Morning Herald Young Novelist of the Year awards,’ said Richter.
The shortlist was announced by the Mayor of Fremantle at a City of Fremantle ceremony on Thursday 11 December. Mayor Pettitt said the City prided itself on its vibrant arts culture.
‘Our commitment to the City of Fremantle T.A.G. Hungerford Award is a way of fostering the emerging writers who will contribute so much to our culture,’ said Mayor Pettitt.
The winner of the 2014 City of Fremantle T.A.G. Hungerford Award will be announced in early 2015.
The Hungerford is given biennially to a full-length manuscript of fiction or creative non-fiction, by a Western Australian author previously unpublished in book form. It is sponsored by the City of Fremantle, Fremantle Press, writingWA and The West Australian.
The shortlist
Ida’s Children – Louise Allan
Troppo – Madelaine Dickie
Seeing the Elephant – Portland Jones
Other Place – Mihaela Nicolescu
All That’s Gone Before – Nicole Sinclair