A brand-new category in the Western Australian Premier’s Book Awards has been announced – The Premier’s Prize for Book of the Year Award sponsored by Writing WA.
The category celebrates books published or self-published in the calendar year of 2022. Open to Western Australian resident writers of any style or genre, including fiction, non-fiction, poetry, history or young adult. The new category is sponsored by Writing WA, the peak body for writers in WA and broadens the scope of the Awards, allowing more Western Australian writers to be honoured.
The Awards are managed by the State Library of Western Australia and prizes will be awarded in the following categories:
- The Premier’s Prize for Book of the Year, sponsored by Writing WA ($15,000);
- The Premier’s Prize for an Emerging Writer ($15,000);
- The Premier’s Prize for Children’s Book of the Year ($15,000);
- The Daisy Utemorrah Award for Unpublished Indigenous Junior and Young Adult Fiction ($15,000 and a publishing contract with Magabala Books); and
- The Western Australian Writer’s Fellowship ($60,000).
The Daisy Utemorrah Award is administered and funded by Broome-based Indigenous publisher Magabala Books with support from the Department of Local Government, Sport and Cultural Industries. Entries for all categories will open on 8 December 2022 and close on 19 January 2023. Winners will be announced at the State Library in June 2023.
For more information about the WA Premier’s Book Awards, and how to enter, visit the State Library’s website www.slwa.wa.gov.au
As stated by Culture and the Arts Minister David Templeman:
“The Book of the Year category further acknowledges and supports our wonderful Western Australian writing community, with thanks to Writing WA.
“Western Australia has an incredible pool of talented writers. I am sure the writing community will be delighted with the news of this exciting new category.
“The State Library is the home of the WA Premier’s Book Awards because it is the home of our literary history. The State Library cherishes, collects and preserves historical photographs, diaries, maps, newspapers, letters, music, film and literature.”
