Tuesday, November 09, 2010

WINNER – 2010 Australian Prime Minister’s Literary Awards – Children’s Fiction


Star Jumps
By Lorraine Marwood
Walker Books - RRP AUS $ 15.95 NZ $17.99

Star Jumps is currently reprinting and due in on Monday 15 November, 2010.

‘Moving . . . a great read’
The Melbourne Age

We’re delighted with this award win because we hold great faith in the need to publish good children’s poetry,” said Sarah Foster, Managing Director and Publisher of Walker Books Australia who declares a personal commitment to this book. “There’s no gimmicks; I recognised fine quality writing that needed to be published.”

Lorraine Marwood is one of Australia’s foremost poets. As a Bendigo, Victoria resident, Lorraine writes with an authentic rural voice, having lived and brought up six children on a dairy farm in Victoria. She believes that verse novels provide wonderful opportunities for writers to express emotional issues in a spare way that is accessible to children on all different levels.

“I’m really thrilled,” says a very excited Lorraine just after her award win. “I believe it’s important for pieces of Australia’s history and lifestyle to be reflected in our children’s literature and I also wanted to convey that even in times of drought and hardship there can still be times of joy!”

The category of Children’s Fiction was only incorporated into the Prime Minster’s Literary Awards this year, in addition to the introduced category of Young Adult Fiction.

Star Jumps is a verse novel told through the eyes of a young girl depicting the joys and heartbreaks of a farming family as they struggle to cope with the devastating effects of long-term drought. According to the judges, it was the ‘surprise package’ in the list and the voice in which it is written is appealing, authentic and irresistible.

“The Prime Minister's Literary Awards celebrate the contribution of Australian literature to the nation's cultural and intellectual life.
The awards, held annually, recognise literature's importance to our national identity, community and economy.”

http://www.arts.gov.au/books/pmliteraryawards10

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