National Biography Award
The National Biography Award, established in Australia in 1996, is awarded for the best published work of biographical or autobiographical writing by an Australian. It aims "to encourage the highest standards of writing biography and autobiography and to promote public interest in those genres".[1] It was initially awarded every two years, but from 2002 it has been awarded annually. Its administration was taken over by the State Library of New South Wales in 1998.
It was originally endowed by private benefactor, Dr. Geoffrey Cains, and the original prize money was $12,500. In 2002, Cains said of endowing the award that "I wanted to give back to literature something, it had given me so much; besides, philanthropy in this country is so overlooked and diminished".[2] In 2005, the prize money was increased to $20,000 with the support of Michael Crouch.[3] Belinda Hutchinson, President of the Library Council of NSW, expressed gratitude for this increase to "an award that celebrates the Australian psyche through distinguished biography writing."[3] In 2012 the prize money for the Award has been increased to $25,000.
The judging panel varies from year to year. In 1998, the first year it was administered by the State Library of New South Wales, the panel comprised Elizabeth Jolley, Helen Garner and Tony Maniaty. In 2012 the Judging Panel comprises Peter Rose, Dr Bernadette Brennan and Hilary McPhee AO.
Winners
- 2016: Brenda Niall for Mannix[4][5]
- 2015: Philip Butterss for An Unsentimental Bloke: The Life and Work of C J Dennis [6]
- 2014: Alison Alexander for The Ambitions of Jane Franklin: Victorian Lady Adventurer[7]
- 2013: Peter Fitzpatrick for The Two Frank Thrings[8]
- 2012: Martin Thomas for The Many Worlds of R. H. Mathews: In Search of an Australian Anthropologist[9]
- 2011: Alasdair McGregor for Grand Obsessions: The Life and Work of Walter Burley Griffin and Marion Mahony Griffin
- 2010: Brian Matthews for Manning Clark: A Life
- 2009: Ann Blainey for I am Melba
- 2008: Joint winners
- Philip Dwyer for Napoleon, 1769-1799: The Path to Power
- Graham Seal for These Few Lines: A Convict Story - The Lost Lives of Myra and William Sykes
- 2007: Jacob Rosenberg for East of Time
- 2006: John Hughes for The Idea of Home
- 2005: Robert Hillman for The Boy in the Green Suit
- 2004: Barry Hill for Broken Song: T.G.H. Strehlow and Aboriginal Possession
- 2003: Joint winners
- Peter Rose for Rose Boys
- Don Watson for Recollections of a Bleeding Heart : a Portrait of Paul Keating PM
- 2002: Jacqueline Kent for A Certain Style: Beatrice Davis, a Literary Life
- 2000: Joint winners
- Peter Robb for M, a biography of European painter Caravaggio
- Mandy Sayer for Dreamtime Alice: a Memoir
- 1998: Roberta Sykes for Snake Cradle
- 1996: Abraham Biderman for The World of My Past
National Biography Award Lecture
In 2003, the National Biography Award lecture was instituted. It is associated with the award, and is also sponsored by Cains and Crouch. It is given annually, but is not given at the same time as the announcement of the winner.[1]
- 2013: A different perspective, a shared story, by John Elder Robison[10]
- 2012: Looking for Eliza by Evelyn Juers[11]
- 2011: Recollections of a Bleeding Heart: A Portrait of Paul Keating PM, by Don Watson
- 2010: Biography: The Art of the Impossible, by Hilary McPhee AO
- 2009: ‘Truth’ as applied to biography and autobiography, by Raimon Gaita
- 2008: Biography, Autobiography and Memoir: Presidential Bests and Worsts, by Bob Carr[12]
- 2007: Biography: The Impossible Art, by Inga Clendinnen [13]
- 2006: Materials for Life: The Enduring Value of Biography, by Robyn Archer
- 2005: Personal Drama: David Williamson on Self-depiction, by David Williamson
- 2004: The Observed of all Observers: Biography in Poetry, by Peter Porter (poet)
- 2003: Goethe's Two Left Feet: Reflections on the Hazards and Liberties of Biography, by Peter Rose (writer)
References
- 1 2 State Library of New South Wales
- ↑ Bennie (2002)
- 1 2 State Library of New South Wales (2005)
- ↑ "'Mannix' wins 2016 National Biography Award | Books+Publishing". Books and Publishing. Retrieved 9 August 2016.
- ↑ "2016 - National Biography Award". State Library of NSW. Retrieved 9 August 2016.
- ↑ "National Biography Award 2015 Winner". State Library of New South Wales. Retrieved 6 July 2016.
- ↑ Begley, Patrick (4 August 2014). "Alison Alexander wins National Biography Award for The Ambitions of Jane Franklin". Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 27 June 2015.
- ↑ Steger, Jason (5 August 2013). "Frank Thring double bill wins biography award". Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 7 August 2013.
- ↑ "Dr Martin Thomas wins 2012 National Biography Award". Australian National University. Retrieved 22 July 2013.
- ↑ "2013 National Biography Award Lecture John Elder Robison - A different perspective, a shared story". Retrieved 22 July 2013.
- ↑ "National Biography Award Lecture: Looking For Eliza". History Council NSW. Retrieved 22 July 2013.
- ↑ National Biography Award Lecture 2008
- ↑ Inga Clendinnen on the impossibility of biography
External links
- Bennie, Angela (2005) "Award draws people with a tale to tell" in The Sydney Morning Herald, 23 February 2005
- Bennie, Angela (2002) "They're six of the best" in The Sydney Morning Herald, 1 March 2002
- "Inga Clendinnen on the impossibility of biography" (lecture), on ABC Radio National The Book Show, 2007-11-09 Accessed: 2007-11-09
- Knox, Malcolm (2003) 'Dual winners in Biography Prize's latest chapter' in The Sydney Morning Herald, 14 March 2003
- State Library of New South Wales, National Biography Award Home Page
- State Library of New South Wales (2005) Media release