QWC Responds to Canceled Lit Award

The Queensland Writers Centre has responded to the cancellation of the Queensland Premier’s Literary Awards in a public statement released just 12 hours after Premier Campbell Newman made the announcement.

“We are particularly concerned about the loss of critical opportunities for emerging Queensland writers and Indigenous writers represented by the Unpublished Manuscript Emerging Author Award and the David Unaipon Award,” read the statement from the QWC.

Queensland Writers Centre CEO Kate Eltham described the awards as being “critical opportunities for writers to connect with readers  by being published for the first time.”

“We also received quite a lot of feedback from QWC members and members of the public expressing tier views on the cancellation,” said Ms Eltham.

Of particular loss is the David Unaipon Award for Indigenous Authors, which was established by the University of Queensland Press and predates the Premier’s Literary Awards.

“It’s become quite a strong national awards with a national profile and there have been some very high profile winners of that awards including Doris Pilkington who’s the author of Rabbit Proof Fence, which is quite a well-known indigenous text,” said Ms Eltham, “So it has been a really important award in terms of finding new indigenous voices.”

However, the statement from QWC also acknowledges the efforts of authors Krissy Kneen and Matthew Condon in undertaking to co-ordinate the Queensland Literary Awards in response to the cancellation of the Premier’s Awards.

UQ Press has committed to continue publishing the winners of the David Unaipon Award as they continue with the newly created Queensland Literary Awards.

“Certainly it’s been much bigger than just UQP’s award but it was one that was created form within UQP,” said Ms Eltham, “And I think they feel that their ongoing relationship with it can, and should, last beyond the cancellation of the Premier’s Literary Awards.”

As yet, there has been no word from newly appointed Arts Minister Ros Bates on what arrangements could be made to support writers in Queensland or the new awards. Ms Eltham is awaiting a response from her department.

 “We are really interested to hear what the new arts minister’s plans are for writing in Qld,” said Ms Eltham, “And we would be keen to speak to her about how we can find alternative ways to continue supporting writers in Qld.”

The Queensland Literary Awards are proceeding with minimal information available. They are taking submissions through the website.