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Two local authors in Premier’s final six
by JANENE CAREY
[This article was published in The Armidale Express Extra, April 13, 2011.]
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| FINALIST: Sophie Masson | FINALIST: John Heffernan | ||
| LOCAL authors Sophie Masson and John Heffernan are on a shortlist of six vying for a lucrative prize in the NSW Premier's Awards for Literature. Worth $30,000, the Patricia Wrightson Prize is for a work of fiction, non-fiction or poetry written for children up to secondary school level. John Heffernan from Walcha has been shortlisted for his novel, 'Where There's Smoke'. Set in Edenville, a fictitious Australian town where young Luke and his mother have found sanctuary from domestic violence, the novel explores bullying, leadership, courage and the staggering power of nature. It was inspired by the Victorian bushfires of February 2009 and is dedicated to 'those who lived through the hell of Black Saturday'. This is not the first time John Heffernan has been a contender for the Patricia Wrightson Prize for Children's Literature. 'My Dog', set in war-torn Yugoslavia, was on the shortlist in 2002, and won the Children's Book Council of Australia Book of the Year award for younger readers. Mr Heffernan said the Patricia Wrightson Prize was held in high esteem, and winning it would be a significant mark of recognition from his peers. | "It's really nice to get something like that; you feel as though someone does appreciate what you're doing," he said. "I try to write books that emotionally engage the readers. With this one, I very much wanted people to feel that they were right in the thick of the fire with the main characters, and to feel frightened for them, and almost frightened for themselves as well." Sophie Masson, who lives in Invergowrie, was shortlisted for 'The Hunt for Ned Kelly', a story about Australia's most famous outlaw, as told by a contemporary diary-keeping orphan. Twelve-year-old Jamie and his older sister become caught up in the unfolding saga of the Kelly gang, and are left trying to decide whether the book-loving fugitive whose path crossed theirs on several occasions was a hero or a villain. The author of more than 50 novels for children and young adults, Ms Masson said she was thrilled to be in the running for this particular prize, because Patricia Wrightson has been one of her literary heroes since childhood. The announcement of the winners will take place at a gala dinner at the Opera House on May 16, the first celebratory event of the Sydney Writers Festival. | ||
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what the judges said
The Hunt for Ned Kelly:
"Through the eyes of young orphan Jamie Ross and his sister Ellen, an early professional photographer with designs on getting that 'one big shot' using her father's camera—a surprising narrative device which leads to a neat confluence of history and fiction—this story manages to strongly and clearly depict northern Victoria in the late 1800s, in particular the gossip and speculation that followed celebrities then much as it does now." |
what the judges said
Where There's Smoke:
"Heffernan relates the story in a strong and assured voice while painting a vivid picture of the crackly dry landscape and the growing intensity of the disaster as it envelopes everything with incredible rapidity. Despite the unstoppable power of nature at such a time, the enduring quality of humanity is also well represented through the richly drawn characters of Luke, his mum, Tiny and Mrs Crawley. Each in their own way embody courage and a spirit of survival." |
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The New England Writers' Centre is assisted by the NSW Government through Arts NSW.