‘The Light between Oceans’ wins Indie Book of the Year

Monday, 25 March 2013 Books+Publishing

The Light between Oceans by M L Stedman (Vintage) has been named Indie Book of the Year at the 2013 Independent Booksellers of Australia Awards, presented at Berkelouw Bookstore in Sydney on 25 March.

Stedman also picked up the award for Best Debut Fiction. The Best Fiction award went to Toni Jordan for Nine Days (Text), Best Nonfiction to Richard de Crespigny for QF32 (Macmillan) and Best Children’s & YA Book to Margo Lanagan for Sea Hearts (A&U).

‘The Light between Oceans ticks all the winner boxes—a beautifully written story, memorable characters, moral complexity and unforgettable setting,’ said Galina Marinov from Leading Edge Books. ‘Ever since its release in 2012, the book has been on the Australian independent booksellers bestseller lists, debated at book clubs and discussed at private gatherings.’

Stedman said it has been a privilege to experience, as an author, ‘the authority, experience and passion of the independent bookseller’. ‘Whilst every indie bookshop is different, they share a distinctive DNA around the world: an understanding of individual tastes, an obsession with the life-enhancing power of the written word, and a delight in matchmaking readers and books they’ll fall in love with,’ she said.

The Indie Awards are voted on by independent booksellers of Australia. You can view the shortlisted titles here.

In 2012, Anna Funder’s All That I Am (Penguin) was named Indie Book of the Year.

Category: Local news