The Dorothy Hewett Award for an Unpublished Manuscript 2022 - Shortlist

The judging panel for the 2022 Award was Tony Hughes-d’Aeth, Leni Shilton, Astrid Edwards and Eleanor Hurt. They noted that the events that have shaped our experiences in the last two years have provided fertile material for Australian writers. More information on the judges can be found on the UWA Publishing website.

In 2021 the Award received over 350 entries and the Judges announced joint winners, with two young fiction writers sharing the award. Joshua Kemp’s Banjawarn (submitted as ‘Strangest Places’) was released in February 2022 and Kgshak Akec’s Hopeless Kingdom will be available mid-year. Previous winners include Karen Wyld’s Where the Fruit Falls and the inaugural winner, Extinctions by Josephine Wilson, which went on to win the Miles Franklin Literary Award.

Dorothy Hewett (1923-2002) is considered one of Australia’s most important writers, her work challenging the norms of 20th century Australian culture. Hewett made her mark as a poet, playwright and novelist. In 1986, Hewett was made a Member of the Order of Australia (AM) for her services to literature. Hewett won the Western Australian Premier’s Poetry Award in 1994 and 1995 for her collections Peninsula and Collected Poems: 1940-1995.

The Award accepts fiction, narrative nonfiction or poetry and the winner will receive a cash prize of $10,000, courtesy of Copyright Agency Cultural Fund, and will be offered a publishing contract with UWA Publishing.

UWA Publishing sends a warm thank you to the Copyright Agency Cultural Fund for its ongoing support for the Dorothy Hewett Award. The winner will be announced in June, and we will soon provide information on the ceremony.

Judges comments:

The Sleeping

What happens when the powers that be - including the adults - are not able to help? The Sleeping is an intriguing young adult mystery-come-adventure story with strong plotting and much promise.

Eta Draconis

Life on earth undergoes a complex change as meteorites begin to rain down from the dying star Eta Draconis. The world does not collapse, but old certainties disappear and a new mood falls over human societies. A road narrative set in Western Australia’s southwest, Eta Draconis follows two sisters as they survive in these complicated times. A poetic and compelling novel for the COVID moment.

How to Order Eggs Sunny Side Up

Searing poetry of feminine experience, How to Order Eggs Sunny Side Up is unashamedly visceral and lights up with flashes of literary incandescence. Formally inventive, bleakly comic, slyly erotic – these are poems which bristle with edges and glint like cut gems. Each poem arrives like a dare, refusing euphemism or domestication.

Like a Small City

In this collection, de Goede explores the mechanics of writing, of poetry, as they lead the reader into dark places, before pulling us out into startling light. Clever, funny, and brutal, this is far reaching work that intertwines the complexities of life with the often-shaky ground that is being a poet.

Nameless

This hard-hitting allegory is both timely and timeless in its exploration of the effects of war. Through skilfully constructed archetypes which draw in the reader, Nameless sheds light on shared human experiences, love in all its forms and the importance of storytelling.

Greater City Shadows

A beautiful collection of stories showcasing the small but magnificent ways people can find connections, set amongst one of the most isolated cities in the world. The prose is dynamic and playful, and these imperfect characters are missed each time you move on to a new tale.

Click here to download the media release.