No Vogel to be awarded this year

Tuesday, 14 May 2019 Books+Publishing

The judges for this year’s Australian/Vogel’s Literary Award have announced they will not award the prize this year, reports the Sydney Morning Herald.

For the third time in the award’s 40-year history, judges have declined to award the $20,000 prize, which also includes a publishing contract with Allen & Unwin (A&U).

A&U publisher Annette Barlow said this year’s judges were unable to find a manuscript that lived up to the award’s ‘excellent standards’.

Barlow said in a statement: ‘This is an award that has literally launched the careers of over 100 authors. But this year, in 2019, there is no winner and—although we’re disappointed, of course—I feel the judges’ decision speaks to their respect for the award and their desire to maintain the excellent standards of previous winning manuscripts.’

Literary editor of the Australian and one of the Vogel judges Stephen Romei said he was hopeful that a winner will be chosen next year. ‘I will be on the judging panel again this year, for the 2020 Vogel, and am optimistic we will find manuscripts that stand up and be counted,’ he said in a statement.

The Vogel is one of Australia’s richest prizes for an unpublished manuscript, and is awarded to a writer under the age of 35. Last year the prize was awarded to Brisbane writer Emily O’Grady for her book The Yellow House, which has since been optioned for film.

Entries to the 2020 Vogel Literary Award close on 31 May.

Category: Awards Local news