Image: shutterstock.com
The recently announced 2017 Stella Prize longlist reflects the strength of contemporary nonfiction by Australian women writers. Eight of the 12 shortlisted works are nonfiction, including memoir and biography.
The Stella selections are part of a growing recognition of the power of literary forms other than the ubiquitous novel. For the second year in a row the Victorian Premier’s Award Prize for Literature was awarded to a play, with Leah Purcell taking out the richest literary prize in Australia. This year’s NSW Premier’s Literary Awards have yet to be announced but last year’s Book of the Year was awarded to a history book, Bruce Bascoe’s Dark Emu.
