- Poetry category of the Western Australian Premier’s Book Awards renamed in honour of Dr Charmaine Papertalk Green Smith
- Celebrated poet, writer, artist, researcher and community leader passed away in 2025
- Dr Papertalk Green Smith to be inducted to the Western Australian Writers Hall of Fame
The poetry category of the Western Australian Premier’s Book Awards has been renamed to honour late Yamaji-Wilunyu elder Dr Charmaine Papertalk Green Smith.
Born and raised in the Mid West, where she lived and worked, Dr Papertalk Green Smith was a celebrated poet, writer, artist, social sciences researcher and community leader.
Dr Papertalk Green Smith was a member of the Wajarri, Badimaya and Wilunyu cultural groups of Yamaji Country.
Dr Papertalk Green Smith was the author of five critically acclaimed poetry and verse books, including Nganajungu Yagu (2019), which won two major national literary awards, and was widely respected in the Western Australian creative community.
Her research and advocacy as an academic and community leader was recognised across Australia, particularly in relation to disadvantages experienced by First Nations women in regional areas.
The Dr Charmaine Papertalk Green Smith Poetry Prize will be awarded for the first time in September 2026 for the best Western Australian poetry book published in the preceding year as part of the annual Western Australian Premier’s Book Awards administered by the State Library.
Dr Papertalk Green Smith’s contribution to the State’s writing sector will be celebrated with posthumous induction into the Western Australian Writers Hall of Fame at the same event.
Writers in the Hall of Fame are recognised for their exemplary and distinctive work, critical acclaim and significant place in Western Australian literature.
The renaming of the poetry prize and the Hall of Fame induction are undertaken with the support of Dr Charmaine Papertalk Green Smith’s family and representatives from the Western Australian poetry community.
As stated by Premier Roger Cook:
“Dr Charmaine Papertalk Green Smith’s was a powerful voice for First Nations people, and she was deeply committed to transformative social change.
“Her research and advocacy were recognised across Australia, and my government is proud to honour Dr Papertalk Green Smith’s significant contribution to Western Australian writing.”
As stated by Creative Industries Minister Simone McGurk:
“A friend and collaborator of many writers and artists, Dr Papertalk Green Smith made a rich contribution to the Western Australian community, in both her creative and academic work.
“I thank Dr Papertalk Green Smith’s family for their support in naming the poetry category and offer my sympathies to those who loved her and those who learned from her.”
