Bitto wins 2022 Margaret and Colin Roderick Award

Emily Bitto has won the $20,000 Margaret and Colin Roderick Literary Award for her second novel Wild Abandon (A&U).

‘A lot of very good books just didn’t make the shortlist. But in the end Emily Bitto’s extremely well-crafted account of a young Australian man’s “escape” to New York and then into the US heartlands after the breakdown of his first serious relationship—a coming-of-age and into self-knowledge story set against a richly symbolic and allusive account of the decline of civilisations—won the prize,’ said judging panel chair Alan Lawson.

‘As a long-time student and lover of Australian literature, this award is particularly meaningful to me, and I’m truly honoured to have been selected by such a formidable panel of judges,’ said Bitto. ‘This award will also allow me to devote the majority of 2023 to my writing, which is a gift indeed.’

Founded in 1967 and administered by the Foundation for Australian Literary Studies (FALS) at James Cook University, the award recognises the best original book, regardless of genre, published in Australia the previous calendar year that deals with ‘any aspect of Australian life’. The winner of last year’s award was Sofie Laguna for her novel Infinite Splendours (A&U).

Bitto accepted the award at a ceremony at James Cook University’s Bebegu Yumba Campus on Friday, 28 October. For more information, see the FALS website.

Category: Awards Local news