Australia has launched its first major literary award for women writers inspired by the UK Women’s Prize for fiction.
The Stella Prize, named after author Stella Maria Miles Franklin who wrote the novel My Brilliant Career. It is open to both fiction and non-fiction books that were published in 2012 by women. The prize is $50,000 dollars.
Stella Prize Chair, Aviva Tuffield believes the prize will bring more exposure to Australia’s women writers:
The Stella Prize will raise the profile and the sales of books by women. We want to encourage future generations of women writers, by increasing the recognition for Australian women’s writing and supporting strong female role models. We also want to celebrate women’s contribution to Australian literature.
The first awarded Stella Prize will be in 2013.
Australia launches Stella Prize for women’s writing (The Bookseller)
Women written out of the literary world (Sydney Morning Herald)
