Whilst I do not like our current Prime Minister at all, I am rather glad that he is continuing the tradition of the annual Prime Minister's Literary Awards. The awards were founded in 2007 by then Prime Minister Kevin Rudd, the first awards were announced in 2008. Initially only awarding adult fiction and nonfiction the categories were expanded in 2010 to include children's fiction, young adult fiction. Poetry and history categories were included from 2012.
The short list for 2014 was released this week. Winners will be announced before the end of the year.
We will only consider the children and YA fiction here. The rest of the shortlists are here.
Young Adult Fiction
The Incredible Here and Now - Felicity Castagna (Winner)
Pureheart - Cassandra Golds
Girl Defective - Simmone Howell
Life in Outer Space - Melissa Keil
The First Third - Will Kostakis (see my review)
Children's Fiction
Silver Buttons - Bob Graham (see my review) (Winner)
Song for a Scarlet Runner - Julie Hunt
My Life as an Alphabet - Barry Jonsberg (see my review)
Kissed by the Moon - Alison Lester (see my review)
Rules of Summer - Shaun Tan (see my review)
Hmm, there's rather an oversight in the Childrens section isn't there? I don't know how the judges will pit picture books against the longer books in that section, the YA section seems a simpler decision just based on format. I'm not sure how I'd pick between them, but I loved both My Life as an Alphabet and Kissed by the Moon.
Yes, a major flaw in the children's section!
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