‘The Enigmatic Mr Deakin’ wins National Biography Award

The State Library of New South Wales (SLNSW) has announced The Enigmatic Mr Deakin by Judith Brett (Text) as the winner of this year’s $25,000 National Biography Award.

The judges said Brett’s biography of Australian prime minister Alfred Deakin is ‘a beautifully researched and satisfyingly rounded picture of an intriguing prime minister’s public and private lives, revealing just how intricately connected the two can be.’

‘Brett makes us stop and think, particularly about Deakin’s essential dilemma—whether to pursue an idealised and idealistic life of the mind or to follow his pragmatic sense of the possibilities of politics: “the chance to do limited good”,’ said the judges. ‘He may have been a puzzle to many of his contemporaries, but thanks to Brett, Mr Deakin is no longer quite so enigmatic.’

Brett’s biography was chosen from a shortlist of six. The judging panel comprised Georgina Arnott, Chris Cunneen and Richard White.

For more information about the award, visit the SLNSW website.

Category: Awards Local news