The CAL Scribe Fiction Prize

We are delighted to announce the shortlist for the CAL Scribe Fiction Prize 2012:

Amy Espeseth, 'Trouble Telling the Weather'
Andrew Lindsay, 'Manly'
Hugo Wilcken, 'The Reflection'

We received 175 manuscripts in total from writers ranging in age from 35 to 85. This year, the prize money for the winner is $15,000 plus a book contract.

This shortlist now goes to the judges of this year’s CAL Scribe Fiction Prize: Blanche Clark, Books Editor at the Herald Sun; Jon Page, CEO of Pages & Pages Bookstore and President of the ABA; and Aviva Tuffield, Associate Publisher at Scribe.

We would like to thank all entrants for letting us consider their work.

About the prize

In August 2009, Scribe launched the CAL Scribe Fiction Prize for an unpublished manuscript by an Australian writer aged 35 and over, regardless of publication history. The winner receives $15,000 and a book contract from Scribe.

Many writers only find the time and have acquired the life experience to write fiction later in life. This prize recognises that there are many examples of late bloomers when it comes to writers, certainly in terms of getting published. Youth is already celebrated in so many ways, and Scribe wants to support writers who are emerging or still going strong in their prime.

It is Scribe’s intention that this prize will raise the profile of Australian fiction, demonstrate our commitment to local authors, and find a wonderful new voice and/or novel.

Scribe gratefully acknowledges the assistance of the CAL Cultural Fund.

These terrific novels, which we discovered in the 2010 prize, are now available at all good bookshops:

The winner of the CAL Scribe Fiction Prize 2011 was Lesley Jørgensen, and her wonderful book Cat & Fiddle will be published in mid 2012.

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