Drewe wins 2019 Colin Roderick Literary Award for ‘The True Colour of the Sea’

Robert Drewe has won the $20,000 Colin Roderick Literary Award 2019 and the H T Priestley Medal for his short story collection The True Colour of the Sea (Hamish Hamilton).

Judging panel chair Leigh Dale said The True Colour of the Sea ‘encompasses Australian experiences past and present, portrayed in moments that are sad, serious, and poignant’, and noted noted a contrast between the collection and Drewe’s earlier writing.

‘There is a bleaker, sparer sensibility here, in contrast to his previous poetic style. The language is clear, unpretentious, used with great precision and nuance,’ said Dale.

Drewe was chosen as the winner from a shortlist of five announced in August.

The Colin Roderick Award and the H T Priestley Medal are presented to the ‘best original book’ published in Australia in the previous calendar year that deals with ‘any aspect of Australian life’. The award, which comes with a cash prize of $20,000, is open to writing in any field or genre.

For more information, visit the website.

Category: Awards Local news