Shortlist announced for Australia’s richest biography and memoir prize
The remarkable biographies of celebrated writers Donald Horne, Frank Moorhouse and Shirley Hazzard, pioneering composer Margaret Sutherland, bohemian rebel Bee Miles and a memoir of a daughter’s quest to free her imprisoned father have been shortlisted for the National Biography Award, the State Library of NSW announced TODAY [10 July 2024].
Selected from a record 107 entries, the six shortlisted works — five of which are debut biographies/memoirs — are:
Donald Horne: A Life in the Lucky Country by Ryan Cropp (La Trobe University Press/Black Inc.) — debut biography
Bee Miles: Australia's famous bohemian rebel, and the untold story behind the legend by Rose Ellis (Allen & Unwin) — debut biography
Inner Song: A Biography of Margaret Sutherland by Jillian Graham (Melbourne University Publishing) — debut biography
The Shape of Dust: A father wrongly imprisoned. A daughter's quest to free him by Lamisse Hamouda (Pantera Press) — debut memoir
Frank Moorhouse: A life by Catharine Lumby (Allen & Unwin)
Shirley Hazzard: A Writing Life by Brigitta Olubas (Virago) — debut biography
Senior Judge Dr Melinda Harvey commented: “This magnificent shortlist is united in a single pursuit: to understand Australian lives, from the famous to the forgotten, as snapshots of political and social history. But not only that: these books harbour the belief that the act of remembering what Australians have experienced and contributed is, itself, potentially transformative for our country’s future.”
The judging panel, comprising Dr Melinda Harvey (chair), Eda Gunaydin and Jason Om, also gave a highly commended mention to Graft: Motherhood, Family and a Year on the Land by Maggie MacKellar (Penguin Random House).
According to State Librarian Dr Caroline Butler‐Bowdon: “The State Library is at the heart of literature, research and writing and we’re pleased that the National Biography Award —Australia’s richest biography and memoir prize — continues to thrive thanks to the generosity of the John Lamble Foundation, Graham & Charlene Bradley Foundation and Sarah Crouch.”
The winners will be announced in late July 2024.
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