TERRITORY READ : The NT Book of the Year Award

20th January 2010: SHORTLIST FOR THE 2010 NT BOOK OF THE YEAR ANNOUNCED!

The short list for the 2010 Territory Read NT Book of the Year has been announced. Territory Read celebrates the finest accomplishments in contemporary Northern Territory literature.

In this, the second year of the award, 17 entries of recently published books were submitted from across the NT. The entries reflect diversity and calibre of writers in the Territory.

We were fortunate to have judges of such high standing this year, including Gail Jones (shortlisted for the Man Booker Prize), Steve Grimwade (Director of the Melbourne Writers Festival), Yvette Holt (University of Queensland lecturer and poet), Mark Mcleod (acclaimed publisher of children’s literature) and Sandra Thibodeaux (poet, playwright and the Executive Officer of the NT Writers Centre).

After much deliberation, the following six books were short listed for Territory Read Book of the Year. In alphabetical order, they are:

Cassie by Barry Jonsberg (Allen and Unwin)
Every Secret Thing by Marie Munkara (UQP)
Listen Deeply, let these stories in by Kathleen Kemarre Wallace and Judy Lovell (IAD Press)
My Private Pectus by Shane Thamm (Ford St Publishing)
The Devil you Know by Leonie Norrington (Allen and Unwin)
The Red Highway by Nicolas Rothwell  (Black Inc Books)

Territory Read is an award for published books of all genres written by people residing in the Northern Territory. The winner of Territory Read will be announced 12 February 2009, with a year of promotional activities to follow.

Last year’s winner, Andrew McMillan, enjoyed an unprecedented year of national and international promotion that came about as a result of the award. Highlights included: sold-out appearances at the Sydney Writers' Festival, appearances at the other major literary festivals (Brisbane, Melbourne and Ubud), interviews on Radio National and 3RRR, a feature on Stateline (NT) and a column mention in The Weekend Australian, with an overall benefit of increased book sales for his winning title An Intruder’s Guide to East Arnhem Land. Meanwhile, the other short-listed writers, Nick Bland, Jo Dutton, Barry Jonsberg, Alec Kruger/Gerard Waterford and Leonie Norrington also enjoyed extensive promotion through bookshop displays, events and media campaigns.

In 2010, Territory Read enjoys the support of Copyright Agency Limited. Angus & Robertson have also come on board to sponsor the Children and Young Adult Fiction Award. Meanwhile, the Chief Minister will once again sponsor a cash prize for the overall winner. We’d like to thank these sponsors for their generosity. In particular, the CAL grant allows for the payment of judges which will enable us to approach high calibre writers and industry experts from across Australia, with the result that NT books will gain further promotion from the award.

Territory Read is an initiative of the Northern Territory Writers’ Centre supported by Arts NT.

Cassie

Barry Jonsberg

(Allen & Unwin, 2008)

I’m Holly Holley and I’m short, I’m ugly and I’m overweight.

Holly Holley has an embarrassing name and terrible life. And, as if all that isn’t enough, now her household is being turned upside down by the arrival of her aunt and a cousin who has severe cerebral palsy, and is confined to a wheelchair. Cassie is a story about friendship, loyalty and self-image, and also explores issues including disability and honesty.

Barry Jonsberg has been shortlisted for the 2005 Children’s Book Council Awards. His book It’s not all about YOU, Calma won the 2006 South Australian Festival Award for Children’s Literature. Dreamrider was shortlisted for the 2007 NSW Premier’s Award. The Dog that Dumped on my Doona was shortlisted for the 2008 Territory Read Book of the Year Award.

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Every Secret Thing

Marie Munkara

(UQP, 2009)


In the clash of culture and faith, sometimes humour is the only refuge. When culture and faith collide . . . nothing is sacred. In the Aboriginal missions of far northern Australia, it was a battle between saving souls and saving traditional culture. Every Secret Thing is a rough, tough, hilarious portrayal of the Bush Mob and the Mission Mob, and the hapless clergy trying to convert them. In these tales, everyone is fair game. At once playful and sharp, Marie Munkara’s wonderfully original stories cast a taunting new light on the mission

Of Rembarranga descent, Marie Munkara was born on the banks of the Mainoru River in Arnhem Land. She now lives in Darwin. Every Secret thing is her first book and was the winner of The 2009 David Unaipon Award.

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Listen deeply, let these stories in

Kathleen Kemarre Wallace / Judy Lovell

(IAD Press, 2009)

To all the people I would say: “Come, listen to us, we will tell you our culture. Learn from us. That way we will all survive.”

Renowned Eastern Arrernte painter, Kathleen Kemarre Wallace, tells stories of her elders and their way of life that she learnt as a child and young woman. Her storytelling illuminates the origins and beliefs of Eastern Arrernte people, and calls for respect for the ancient traditions of the altyerre spirits who brought her country into being. Kathleen’s knowledge of country, law and culture shine through in her words and mesmerising painting.

I hope you listen deeply and let these stories in. They are for all time, for the old days, to help remember the old people, but also for the future and for young people now.

Kathleen Wallace was raised by family in the bush at Uyetye, and trained from an early age in the stories of her culture and country. Kathleen is one of only a few surviving community members who have these stories and skills. Her connection to her country and to her law and culture has remained strong.

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My Private Pectus

Shane Thamm

(Ford Street Publishing)

There’s something different about my body. It’s not something I’m proud of either, not something I show anyone. It’s like the missing piece of a jigsaw you can’t take your eyes off. If I were to take off my shirt you’d just suck your cheeks in and stare. All you’d see is the depression in the middle of my chest.

My Private Pectus is a serious yet comical portrayal of teenager Jack McDermott’s struggle to discover who is, what he’s meant to look like, and how much he should care about what other people think. Jack’s chest deformity, pectus excavatum, is symbolic of the body image issues teenage boys face in schools today.

After six years working in high school outdoor education, and the masculinised outdoor adventure industry, Shane Thamm became intimately interested in what makes young men tick, and the emotional challenges they negotiate each day, often in silence. His first novel, My Private Pectus, gives these boys a voice.

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The Devil You Know

Leonie Norrington

(Allen & Unwin, 2008)

88 is angry. Damien can feel it prickling the air between them. Every muscle in his body is taut, ready to run, planning his escape over the fire between those chairs and straight down to the creek. But he can’t run. Not yet.

Damien is horrified when his father, a violent man known to his motorcycling peers as 88, moves back to live with him and his mum. Memories of past violence are too strong. But there’s also glamour in having a father who rides a Harley Davidson. 
Set in a small-town community in northern Australia, The Devil You Know takes you inside the mind and under the skin of a troubled boy with a vivid imagination and one who must wrestle with his own violent impulses and minor betrayals.

Leonie Norrington was born in Darwin and spent most of her childhood on a remote Aboriginal community. Her books include the Barrumbi series and have been shortlisted for the CBCA Book Awards 2003 and the 2008 Territory Read NT book of the year award.

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 The Red Highway

Nicolas Rothwell

(Black Inc. 2009)

This is the story of a quest - a journey down the red highway. After a spell reporting the Iraq War, Nicolas Rothwell returns to Australia, to explore the deserts and towns, sleepy coastline and hidden worlds of the north. As he travels, his journey gathers momentum and finds a shape. He has unforgettable, even mystical encounters: with a nun, an explorer, a collector and a hunter. It becomes a quest - for knowledge and a sense of home - that builds to a stunning culmination. The Red Highway offers a fresh vision of Australia, its deserts and ancient past, art and people. It explores death, friendship, travel and art, and evokes a unique and mesmerising part of the country.

Nicolas Rothwell is the award-winning author of Wings of the Kite-Hawk, Journeys to the Interior, The Red Highway and Another Country. He is the northern correspondent for The Australian.

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