‘Reckoning’ wins ABA Booksellers Choice Award; booksellers of the year announced

Magda Szubanski’s Reckoning (Text) has won the Australian Booksellers Association (ABA) Booksellers Choice Award at the 2016 ABA conference awards night, held at the National Gallery of Australia in Canberra on 29 May.

Chosen from a shortlist of six, Szubanski took the opportunity in her acceptance speech to emphasise the value of Australian writers and stories. ‘Without Australian stories we’re nothing but shadow puppets’, said Szubanski. ‘We will dematerialise’.

Also announced on the evening were the recipients of the Bookseller and Young Bookseller of the Year awards. Amelia Lush from Better Read Than Dead in Newtown, Sydney was named the Young Bookseller of the Year; and joint winners Deb Force from The Sun Bookshop in Yarraville, Melbourne and Anna Low from Potts Point Bookshop in Potts Point, Sydney shared the Bookseller of the Year honours. ABA communications manager and Kid’s Reading Guide organiser Robyn Huppert was awarded the Elizabeth Riley Fellowship for Children’s Bookselling.

The night was hosted by comedian Dave O’Neil, and featured speeches from Deng Adut, who recounted his experience of being a child soldier in the Sudanese civil war and his subsequent life in Australia, and Cold Chisel front-man Jimmy Barnes, who read from his forthcoming memoir and performed three songs, drawing a standing ovation from the booksellers in attendance.

For the full list of finalists for both Young Bookseller and Bookseller of the Year, click here.

Category: Local news