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Barbara Jefferis Award

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The Barbara Jefferis Award is an Australian literary award prize. The award was created in 2007 after being endowed by John Hinde upon his death to commemorate his late wife, author Barbara Jefferis. It is funded by his $1 million bequest. Originally an annual award, it has been awarded biennially since 2012.

Jefferis was an Australian writer, and a founding member and first female president of the Australian Society of Authors. She died in 2004.[1] Australian author, Thomas Keneally, described Jefferis as "a rare being amongst authors, being both a fine writer but also organisationally gifted".[2]

The award, which comprises $50,000 for the winner with $5,000 distributed amongst the shortlist, is one of Australia's richest literary prizes. It is awarded to "the best novel written by an Australian author that depicts women and girls in a positive way or otherwise empowers the status of women and girls in society".[2] The novel can be in any genre and does not have to be set in Australia.[1] The award does not specify the author's gender. It is administered by the Australian Society of Authors and is expected to rival the Miles Franklin Award ($42,000) and the biennial Tasmania Pacific Fiction Prize ($40,000).[1]

The prize was first awarded in 2008 to Rhyll McMaster for Feather Man (Brandl & Schlesinger).

Controversy

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The announcement of the award caused a minor controversy in Australian literary circles due to its target. Susan Wyndham, journalist and literary editor, best summarises the issue in the questions opening her article in The Sydney Morning Herald Blogs: "Does Australia need a new fiction award that encourages 'positive' portrayals of women and girls? Or is it an outdated gesture in a post-feminist culture rich with female authors, characters and readers?"[1]

Wyndham reports Rosalind Hinde, daughter of John Hinde and Barbara Jefferis, as saying that her father had "the very clear and strong intention to honour my mother's writing, her feminism and her devotion to other writers".[1] Several writers have supported the award, including Tom Keneally, Helen Garner, Frank Moorhouse, Gerald Murnane, Anne Deveson, Kerryn Goldsworthy and Brian Castro. However, writer and critic, Andrew Reimer dislikes the idea of focusing on "social agenda" over "novelist's skill and imagination", and novelist Emily McGuire agreed, stating that she doesn't "like the idea of judging fiction based on its message".[1] Author and critic, Debra Adelaide, expressed her concern that the award might encourage "safe and constrained" writing and wondered whether "we are getting to the point where we have more awards than publishing opportunities".[1]

Winners

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Each year's winners and shortlists, along with the past winners, are listed on the relevant Australian Society of Authors page.[3]

Shortlisted works

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Winners are listed in bold type.

Year Title Author Publisher References
2008 Feather Man Rhyll McMaster Brandl & Schlesinger [5]
The Anatomy of Wings Karen Foxlee University of Queensland Press
Burning In Mireille Juchau Giramondo
The Gospel of Gods and Crocodiles Elizabeth Stead University of Queensland Press
The Lost Dog Michelle de Kretser Allen & Unwin
Seamstress Geraldine Wooller University of Western Australia Press
2009 The Spare Room Helen Garner Text [6][5]
Addition Toni Jordan Text
The Last Sky Alice Nelson Fremantle Press
The Lifeboat Zacharey Jane University of Queensland Press
People of the Book Geraldine Brooks Fourth Estate (HarperCollins)
Sustenance Simone Lazaroo University of Western Australia Press
2010 The China Garden Kristina Olsson University of Queensland Press [5]
Headlong Susan Varga UWA Publishing
The Lost Life Steven Carroll HarperCollins
Swimming Enza Gandolfo Vanark Press
The World Beneath Cate Kennedy Scribe
2011 Come Inside G. L. Osborne Clouds of Magellan [5]
Good Daughter Honey Brown Penguin/Viking
Indelible Ink Fiona McGregor Scribe
Like Being a Wife Catherine Harris Vintage
Sustenance Simone Lazaroo University of Western Australia Press
2012 All That I Am Anna Funder Penguin [4]
Cold Light Frank Moorhouse Vintage
Five Bells Gail Jones Vintage
Foal's Bread Gillian Mears Allen & Unwin
Too Close to Home Georgia Blain Vintage
When We Have Wings Claire Corbett Allen & Unwin
2014 Sea Hearts Margo Lanagan Allen & Unwin
The Night Guest Fiona McFarlane Penguin
The First Week Margaret Merrilees Wakefield Press [7]
The Life and Loves of Lena Gaunt Tracy Farr Fremantle Press
The Mountain Drusilla Modjeska Vintage
Pilgrimage Jacinta Halloran Scribe
Sufficient Grace Amy Espeseth Scribe Publications
2016 Hope Farm Peggy Frew Scribe Publications [8]
A Guide to Berlin Gail Jones Vintage
Laurinda Alice Pung Black Inc.
The Natural Way of Things Charlotte Wood Allen & Unwin
The Protected Claire Zorn University of Queensland Press
This Picture of You Sarah Hopkins Allen & Unwin
2018 The Trapeze Act Libby Angel Text [9]
From the Wreck Jane Rawson Transit Lounge
Goodwood Holly Throsby Allen & Unwin
Storyland Catherine McKinnon HarperCollins
Troppo Madelaine Dickie Fremantle Press
2020 Wolfe Island Lucy Treloar Picador [10]
There Was Still Love Favel Parrett Hachette [11]
Too Much Lip Melissa Lucashenko University of Queensland Press
The White Girl Tony Birch University of Queensland Press
The Yield Tara June Winch Hamish Hamilton
2022 Revenge: Murder in Three Parts S. L. Lim Transit Lounge [12]
The Bass Rock Evie Wyld Penguin
Benevolence Julie Janson Magabala
Bodies of Light Jennifer Down Text
Ordinary Matter Laura Elvery University of Queensland Press
Smart Ovens for Lonely People Elizabeth Tan Brio
2024 Salonika Burning Gail Jones Text [13]
Edenglassie Melissa Lucashenko University of Queensland Press
Sunbirds Miranda Riwoe University of Queensland Press
Songs For the Dead and Living Sara M. Saleh Affirm
Days of Innocence and Wonder Lucy Treloar Pan Macmillan Australia
Stone Yard Devotional Charlotte Wood Allen & Unwin

See also

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Notes

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  1. ^ a b c d e f g Wyndham (2007)
  2. ^ a b James Bennett (Firm)
  3. ^ ""Barbara Jefferis Award"". Australian Society of Authors. Retrieved 20 January 2024.
  4. ^ a b ""'All That I Am' wins 2012 Barbara Jefferis Award"". Books+Publishing. Retrieved 27 March 2024.
  5. ^ a b c d Austlit – "Barbara Jefferis Award"
  6. ^ "'The Spare Room' wins ASA Barbara Jefferis Award". Books+Publishing. 31 March 2009. Archived from the original on 25 April 2021. Retrieved 25 April 2021.
  7. ^ ""Barbara Jefferis Award 2014 shortlist announced"". Books+Publishing. Retrieved 27 March 2024.
  8. ^ ""Barbara Jefferis Award Winner 2016"". Archived from the original on 1 November 2016. Retrieved 1 November 2016.
  9. ^ "Angel wins 2018 Barbara Jefferis Award for 'The Trapeze Act' | Books+Publishing". Retrieved 7 November 2018.
  10. ^ Steger, Jason (19 November 2020). "Lucy Treloar wins $50,000 Barbara Jefferis award with Wolfe Island". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 29 December 2020.
  11. ^ "Barbara Jefferis Award 2020 shortlist announced". Books+Publishing. 2 October 2020. Archived from the original on 8 October 2020. Retrieved 7 October 2020.
  12. ^ "Lim wins 2022 Barbara Jefferis Award". Books+Publishing. 30 September 2022. Retrieved 13 August 2023.
  13. ^ "Barbara Jefferis Award 2024 Shortlist Announced". Whispering Gums. 18 September 2024. Retrieved 18 September 2024.

References

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