Winton, Berryman to be inducted into ABIA Hall of Fame; business, publisher shortlists announced

Author Tim Winton and HarperCollins children’s publisher Lisa Berryman will be inducted into the Australian Book Industry Awards (ABIA) Hall of Fame at the 2023 ABIA awards ceremony on 25 May, the Australian Publishers Association (APA) has announced.

Lloyd O’Neil Award

Winton will receive the Lloyd O’Neil Award, which honours outstanding service to the Australian book industry by a member from within its ranks. Winton has published 29 books for adults and younger readers over his 40-year literary career, with his work translated into 28 different languages. He has been shortlisted for the Booker Prize twice (for The Riders and Dirt Music) and has won numerous awards, including four Miles Franklin Literary Awards, for Shallows, Cloudstreet, Dirt Music, and Breath.

Most recently, Winton has written, narrated and executive produced the nature documentary series Ningaloo Nyinggulu—screening around the world, and on ABC TV and iView from 16 May. Winton was designated a living national treasure by the Australian National Trust in 1998, and the ABIAs are now formally honouring his significant contribution to Australia’s cultural and literary landscape.

Upon receiving the award, Winton said, ‘It’s a lovely thing to be honoured by the writers, publishers and booksellers who keep our precious book culture alive, and I’m really touched to be given this award in my fortieth year in the caper.’

Publisher Hilary McPhee said Winton’s ‘extraordinary opus of novels, stories, essays, plays and kids’ books, never lets you go’. ‘I re-read him more than any other,’ McPhee said. ‘As his editor and publisher for many years, I saw the beginnings, middles and ends of many of his books. Then later had those phone calls you didn’t want to finish about the shapes and meanings Tim was wrestling with on the other side of the continent. His voice, his soundscapes, pose the pivotal question for our age—What then must we do?’

‘Working with Tim changed my life—as a publisher, a reader, a person,’ added publisher Ben Ball. ‘It’s one of the few things I’ve ever understood the value of as it was happening. I think of something he wrote or something he said every day. That’s the heart of it.’

Pixie O’Harris Award

Berryman will receive the Pixie O’Harris Award, for contributions to children’s literature. Berryman is one of Australia’s most renowned publishers of children books from picture books to young adult titles.

With a career spanning over 40 years, she is an enthusiastic and motivating champion for children’s literature and has been instrumental in bringing the voices of numerous successful Australian children’s book authors into the public eye as well as caretaking beloved Australian classics such as The Magic Pudding by Norman Lindsay, The Muddleheaded Wombat by Ruth Park and The Complete Adventures of Blinky Bill by Dorothy Wall. Her faith in the transformative power of words, stories, and books is at the core of her achievement.

‘What an extraordinary honour it is to receive this prestigious award in recognition of the many years I have spent pursuing my passion for children’s books,’ said Berryman.

ABIA 2023 Business Awards shortlist

The shortlists for the ABIA business awards, including two new business awards—the Commissioning Editor award and Marketing Strategy award—have also been announced.

The shortlisted businesses are:

Book Retailer of the Year

• QBD
• Target Australia
• Dymocks
• Big W
• Harry Hartog Bookseller

Bookshop of the Year

• Where The Wild Things Are Bookshop
• Matilda Bookshop
• Readings Emporium
• Boffins Books
• Bookgrove

Commissioning Editor Award

The inaugural Commissioning Editor Award recognises ‘the importance of an editor or publisher who provides excellence in the support of their authors, and the acquisition and commission of new titles that not only meets the needs of the publishing house but enriches the Australian publishing landscape’.

The shortlisted commissioning editors are:

• Rebecca Saunders (Hachette)
• Jane Palfreyman (A&U)
• Rebecca Young (Scholastic)
• Vanessa Radnidge (Hachette)
• Mandy Brett (Text)

Marketing Strategy Award

The inaugural Marketing Strategy Award recognises the ‘important work of marketing professionals in showcasing their talent and individual product lines and lists with imaginative, innovative and effective campaigns that have captured the imagination of Australian readers’.

The shortlisted titles are:

• Stolen Focus (Johann Hari, Bloomsbury)
• Runt (Craig Silvey, A&U)
• Barefoot Kids (Scott Pape, HarperCollins)
• The Seven Skins of Esther Wilding (Holly Ringland, HarperCollins)
• Lisa (Lisa Curry & Ellen Whinnett, HarperCollins)

Publishers

This year the shortlists for the Publisher of the Year and the Small Publisher of the Year are:

Publisher of the Year

• Simon & Schuster
• Allen & Unwin
• Penguin Random House
• HarperCollins
• Pan Macmillan

Small Publisher of the Year

• Magabala
• University of Queensland Press
• Scribe
• Black Inc.
• Pantera.

The winners of the ABIA awards, including the winners of the book awards, will be announced at an in-person event at Darling Island (Doltone House) in Sydney on Thursday, 25 May. For more information or to buy tickets, see the ABIA website.

Category: Awards Local news