Variety of work chosen for Colin Roderick shortlist

Variety of work chosen for Colin Roderick shortlist

First published September 27, 2013

A shortlist has been decided for the 2012 Colin Roderick Award – for the best book of the preceding year published in Australia in any genre and dealing with an aspect of Australian life.

The annual award is hosted by James Cook University’s Foundation for Australian Literary Studies Limited (FALS Limited).

The late Professor Colin Roderick was an enthusiastic champion of Australian literature, who became JCU’s foundation Professor of English in 1965.

He created FALS to promote and foster the study of Australian literature. He himself published widely on Australian writers, edited Henry Lawson’s verse, fiction and letters and wrote biographies of Rosa Praed, Lawson, Leichardt and Miles Franklin.

The judges, Professor Donat Gallagher, Professor Peter Pierce, Associate Professor Stephen Torre and Ms Mary Vernon, were impressed by the outstanding quality of the titles submitted and by the wide range of modes, styles, subjects and innovative approaches in the 2012 publications.

Professor Gallagher said the short list was chosen from an exceptionally strong and varied field comprising poetry, prose fiction, memoir, biography, environment, social exploration and Indigenous studies.

The shortlist is:

Chan, Lilly. Toyo (Black Inc)

Fitzpatrick, Peter. The Two Frank Thrings (Monash University Publishing)

Forster, Deborah. The Meaning of Grace (Random House Australia)

Jordan, Toni. Nine Days (Text Publishing)

Keneally, Tom. The Daughters of Mars (Random House Australia)

Niall, Brenda. True North (Text Publishing)

Wright, Pattie. Ray Parkin’s Odyssey (Pan Macmillan Australia)

The winner, who will be announced at the Foundation’s Award Presentation Dinner next month, will receive $10,000 and the H. T. Priestley Medal.

Details:

PRESENTATION OF THE 2012 COLIN RODERICK AWARD

Date: Thursday 17 October 2013

Location: George Coates Restaurant, Barrier Reef Institute of TAFE, Cnr Fulham Road and Hugh Street, Pimlico, Townsville

Time: Pre-Dinner Drinks: 6.30 pm Dinner: 7.00 pm

JCU Media contact: Caroline Kaurila (07) 4781 4586 or 0437 028 175