Hachette Australia and The Emerging Writers’ Festival have announced the shortlist for the Richell Prize, named in memory of former Hachette CEO Matt Richell.
Prior to his sudden death in 2014, Richell was a passionate supporter of new and emerging writers. This is a legacy which the award aims to continue, by celebrating unpublished authors in the genres of adult fiction and adult narrative non-fiction.
The 2016 shortlist features:
Andrea Baldwin – The Illusion of Islands
A family’s attempt to save the loggerhead turtle from extinction
Emma Doolan – Dark Tides
A psychological thriller and Gothic tale of surveillance, obsession, guilt, and identity
Susie Greenhill – The Clinking
An ecological love story about extinction, grief and interconnection
Sophie Overett – The Rabbits
A story about family secrets, art and loneliness where nothing is exactly as it appears
Susie Thatcher – Gardens of Stone
A literary mystery that examines the fate of a missing family
The entries were judged blind, with a 25 year age difference between the oldest and youngest shortlisted author – proof that talent can emerge at any age!
The 2016 judging panel consists of Michaela Maguire, Emerging Writers’ Festival Director; Hannah Richell, author and reviewer; Karen Ferris, bookseller for Harry Hartog Group/Berkelouw Books; Lucy Clark, Senior Editor of The Guardian Australia; and Vanessa Radnidge, Hachette Australia publisher.
Maguire, speaking on behalf of the judges, said: “It’s tremendously exciting to see such wildly inventive, affecting and straight-up beautiful writing coming out of every corner of Australia, and it was extraordinarily difficult to select just five entries for the shortlist.”
The winner will be announced at an award ceremony on September 28th. In addition to the $10,000 prize money, the winning author will also receive a year’s mentoring by one of Hachette Australia’s publishers. The manuscript will be developed over the course of the year, with Hachette Australia receiving first option to publish the work.
The Richell Prize is presented in conjunction with The Emerging Writers’ Festival, Hachette Australia, The Guardian Australia, and Simpsons Solicitors.
For more information, please see The Emerging Writers’ Festival website.
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