Christopher Koch has been awarded the 2008 CAL Waverley Library Award for Literature (‘The Nib') for his novel The Memory Room (Vintage).
This is the first time in seven years that a work of fiction has won the prize, this year worth $20,000. The award 'primarily recognises excellence in research and has attracted ... renowned and respected authors' said Waverley Mayor Sally Betts. This year 165 works were nominated--a record number.
The award judges found that for Christopher Koch ‘fascination lies in the nature of the psychological need which might propel a person into a life of espionage', and the novel shows that he has ‘researched in convincing detail the actual operations of professional secret agents'.
Betts acknowledged the generous support of the Copyright Agency Limited, which has committed to support the award for the next three years.
The Nib' has previously been won by Helen Garner, Gideon Haigh, Geoffrey Blainey, Barry Hill, Tim Low, and John Bailey.
Bestsellers In the retail days around Christmas Stephenie Meyer held her Bestseller lead with New Moon and Eclipse (Hachette), followed by J K Rowling’s slim volume of magical fairytales The Tales of Beedle the Bard (Bloomsbury).7 January, 2009
Stanner Award to UQP title Gunyah, Goondie & Wurley: the Aboriginal Architecture of Australia (Paul Memmott, UQP) is the recipient of the 2008 Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies' (AIATSIS) Stanner Award.7 January, 2009
Human Rights award for Scribe title Human Rights Overboard: Seeking Asylum in Australia authors Linda Briskman, Susie Latham and Chris Goddard have been awarded the Literature Nonfiction Award as part of the 2008 Human Rights Medal awards.7 January, 2009
Byron Bay Writers' Festival date and location change The organisers have announced that this year's Byron Bay Writers' Festival (BBWF) will be held on the new grounds of Belongil Fields, Byron Bay.7 January, 2009
Bestsellers this week No surprises in the charts this week as Christmas book-buying gets underway with gusto.10 December, 2008
Omar Musa wins poetry slam Canberra's hip-hop poet Omar Musa has won the 2008 Australian Poetry Slam.10 December, 2008
Toltz misses out on ‘Guardian' First Book prize Australian author Steve Toltz's A Fraction of the Whole (Hamish Hamilton) has been beaten out by New Yorker music critic Alex Ross with The Rest is Noise (Picador) for the Guardian First Book prize for 2008.10 December, 2008
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