Bishop, Bui, Rowe named SMH 2020 Best Young Aus Novelists
The Sydney Morning Herald (SMH) has announced its 2020 Best Young Australian Novelists, all of whom have been chosen for short story collections.
The writers are:
- Alice Bishop for A Constant Hum (Text)
- Joey Bui for Lucky Ticket (Text)
- Josephine Rowe for Here Until August (Black Inc.)
The award, established by former SMH literary editor Susan Wyndham, recognises emerging writing talent and is open to writers aged 35 or younger at the time of publication of their nominated book. This year, Copyright Agency support means Bishop will receive $8000, while Bui and Rowe will each receive $1000.
SMH literary editor Jason Steger, who judged the award along with Maxine Beneba Clarke and Fiona McGregor, said ‘some of the stories will put a smile on your face, others will make you cry, but what you won’t be able to ignore is the talent of these three writers’.
According to Steger, ‘What distinguishes the collections are the strength of the voices and distinctiveness of their characters. The stories are firmly rooted with a solid sense of place and at their hearts a strong sense of compassion for the predicaments of the protagonists and what they are experiencing.’
The judges also chose Hitch by Kathryn Hind (Hamish Hamilton) and Listurbia by Carly Cappielli (Brio) for honourable mention.
Category: Awards Local news
