When Helen Garner received an email telling her she had won the $US150,000 Windham-Campbell Prize earlier this year she thought it was spam. The award took her completely by surprise.
Few writers or artists are so lucky. Winning an award is usually the culmination of a long and often strategic process and it doesn’t stop on the dais. While an award can be a great way to promote your work and boost your profile, you need to as you milk the process for all it’s worth or you will have nothing more than an excuse for drink and a piece of paper that impresses your mother.
