Commonwealth Writers’ Prize Shortlist announced

The Commonwealth Writers’ Prize, supported by the Macquarie Group Foundation and now in its 25th year, has selected both household names and other emerging stars for the shortlist for Best Book and Best First Book awards.

The winners from South East Asia and the Pacific will go on to compete against  writers from across the Commonwealth at the Commonwealth Writers’ Prize’s final programme to be held at Sydney Writers’ Festival from 16-22 May.

• Reading Madame Bovary by Amanda Lohrey (Australia)
• That Deadman Dance by Kim Scott (Australia)
• Time’s Long Ruin by Stephen Orr (Australia)
• Hand Me Down World by Lloyd Jones (New Zealand)
• Notorious by Roberta Lowing (Australia)
• Gifted by Patrick Evans (New Zealand)

• 21 Immortals by Rozlan Mohd Noor (Malaysia)
• A Man Melting by Craig Cliff (New Zealand)
• The Graphologist’s Apprentice by Whiti Hereaka (New Zealand)
• The Body in the Clouds by Ashley Hay (Australia)
• Traitor by Stephen Daisley (Australia/New Zealand)
• A Few Right Thinking Men by Sulari Gentill (Australia)

For the last 25 years the Commonwealth Writers’ Prize has played a key role in unearthing international literary stars, bringing compelling stories of human experience to a wider audience.

Winners of this year’s Commonwealth Writers’ Prize will follow in the footsteps of the biggest names in fiction, such as Peter Carey, who won the Best First Book award in both 1998 with Jack Maggs, and in 2001 with True History of the Kelly Gang.

The regional winners of the Best Book and Best First Book prizes will be announced on the 3rd March, with the final programme commencing on the 16th May at the Sydney Writers’ Festival in Australia.

This will bring together the finalists from the four different regions of the
Commonwealth, and the two overall winners will be announced on the 21st May.