Writers angry after Newman axes literary awards
Campbell Newman’s promise to tighten the Queensland budget has struck a sour note, with the writing community furious at the axing of a top literary prize.
Mr Newman’s office says the axing of the annual Premier’s Literary Awards will save Queensland taxpayers $245,000.
But the move has enraged the state’s writing community.
Queensland Writers’ Centre chief executive Kate Eltham says the scrapping of the awards is a betrayal, after promises the arts would not suffer under a Liberal National Party (LNP) government.
“During the election campaign the shadow arts minister talked about no net loss to the arts in Queensland,” she said.
“So if we’re seeing a cut to the Premier’s Literary Awards we’d really like to see how the new Government might be using that money to support emerging writers in other areas.”
The awards were set up more than 10 years ago to recognise emerging authors and poets.
Of particular concern to some is the loss of the David Unaipon Award, which recognises unpublished Indigenous writers.
Publisher Sue Abbey helped establish the award and points out the knock-on effect on the wider art community for Indigenous Australians.
“It’s such a unique award and opportunity in Australia. Out of it came writers such as Doris Pilkington, the author of Rabbit Proof Fence, which went on to become a film,” she said.
He Died With A Felafel In His Hand author John Birmingham says killing the awards off is mean-spirited and unnecessary.
