Russell Prize for Humour Writing 2021 shortlists announced

The State Library of NSW has announced the shortlists for the 2021 Russell Prize for Humour Writing and the inaugural Humour Writing for Young People Award.

The books shortlisted for the Russell Prize for Humour Writing are:

• The F Team (Rawah Arja, Giramondo)
• Mammoth (Chris Flynn, UQP)
• Factory 19 (Dennis Glover, Black Inc.)
• It Sounded Better in My Head (Nina Kenwood, Text)
• Black is the New White (Nakkiah Lui, A&U)
• Burger Force Vol. 4: Punishment (Jackie Ryan, Parentheses Press).

The $10,000 biennial prize, which aims to ‘celebrate, recognise and encourage the humour-writing genre’, is awarded to the best book of humour writing by an Australian author published in the previous two years.

The books shortlisted for the Humour Writing for Young People Award are:

• Action Tank – Book 2 (Mike Barry, Mike Barry Was Here)
• Wombat (Philip Bunting, Scholastic)
• Your Birthday was the BEST! (Maggie Hutchings, illus by Felicita Sala, Affirm)
• Sneaky Shadows (S C Manchild, illus by Sam Caldwell, Berbay)
• The Stolen Prince of Cloudburst (Jaclyn Moriarty, A&U)
• The Underhills: A Tooth Fairy Story (Bob Graham, Walker Books).

The inaugural $5000 Humour Writing for Young People award is offered for a published work intended for readers aged 5–12 years.

The winners will be revealed on 17 June, with the Humour Writing for Young People Award to be announced to an online school audience at 10am and the main category winner announced at 6.30pm at an event at the State Library.

David Cohen won the 2019 Russell Prize for his short story collection The Hunter and Other Stories of Men (Transit Lounge). For more information about the prize, visit the State Library of NSW website.

Category: Awards Local news