Blake-Beckett Trust Scholarship 2022 shortlist announced

The Australian Society of Authors (ASA) has announced the 2022 Blake-Beckett Trust Scholarship shortlist.

The shortlisted applicants, chosen by authors Shankari Chandran and Jennifer Mills, are:

• Ashley Hay for ‘The Running Dream’, ‘an intriguing exploration of the subconscious in the era of climate crisis’ which the judges said ‘demonstrates a sophisticated project that promises to contribute meaningfully to the growing body of Australian climate fiction. Hay deftly navigates the shifting space between anxiety and optimism, resignation and resistance, with a cast of engaging and surprising characters’.
• Gretchen Shirm for ‘Blue Chair’, ‘an exciting work of testimonial fiction about the impacts of war crimes, based on [Shirm’s] experiences working at the International Criminal Tribunal. A well-developed and deeply considered proposal which positions Australian characters in a global context. The Blue Chair explores a terrible period in recent history using these specific injustices to interrogate the universal and ongoing trauma of war.’
• Julienne van Loon for ‘Who is the city for?’ , which ‘engages with ideas that are deeply relevant to contemporary democracy, such as the housing crisis, public space, intersectional privilege and community life. Interesting, engaging writing with a strong political impact, the extract demonstrates the power of literature in activism. The project is ambitious in its intellectual reach without losing any intimacy in its story-telling.’

Chandran and Mills said each of three shortlisted authors would have been a worthy winner.

The Blake-Beckett Trust Scholarship, worth $20,000, is offered annually to an Australian author to provide time to work on a current manuscript. The winner of the 2021 scholarship was Michelle Aung Thin for her manuscript ‘The Japanese Photographer’.

The 2022 winner will be announced on the ASA website on 7 December 2022.

Category: Awards Local news