Brett, Byrski, Hocking among Australia Day honours

A number of authors and book industry figures have been recognised in the annual Australia Day honours.

Judith Brett, emeritus professor of politics at La Trobe University and the author of several books, including From Secret Ballot to Democracy Sausage: How Australia got compulsory voting (Text) in 2019, was made a Member (AM) in the General Division of the Order of Australia for ‘significant service to education and public debate, particularly in social science and politics’.

Author Liz Byrski was also made AM ‘for significant service to tertiary education, and to literature’. Byrski is the author of numerous novels and works of nonfiction, most recently the anthology Women of a Certain Rage (Fremantle Press), and is head of the School of Media, Culture and Creative Arts at Curtin University.

Jennifer Hocking was made AM for ‘significant service to the preservation of Australian political history’. Hocking, emeritus professor at Monash University, is the author of several books, including most recently The Palace Letters: The Queen, the Governor-General, and the plot to dismiss Gough Whitlam (Scribe) in 2020.

Helen Chamberlin was awarded a medal (OAM) of the Order of Australia in the General Division for ‘service to literature as a publisher’. Chamberlin is a freelance editor and publisher, who previously worked at Hachette as children’s book publisher.

Other recipients of an OAM include James Lindesay, for ‘service to literature as a cartoonist, illustrator and writer’; cookbook author and chef Bill Granger, ‘for service to the tourism and hospitality sector’; Geoff Page, author of 25 poetry publications since 1971, ‘for service to literature as a poet’; and illustrator Tina Wilson, ‘for service to the visual arts’.

See the full Australia Day honours list here.

Pictured: Liz Byrski.

Category: Local news