Minister for Environment Protection, Heritage and the Arts Peter Garrett was today in our Readings Carlton shop announcing the shortlists of the Prime Minister's Literary Awards for 2010.

This year's awards see the addition of two new categories - children's fiction and young adult fiction. Like the fiction and non-fiction prizes, the winners of the new categories will each be awarded a prize of $100,000 that's also tax free.

While he was in the shop the Arts Minister kindly took time to speak to Readings Managing Director Mark Rubbo about the PM's Literary Awards shortlists, the addition of children's and YA categories to the prize, the negative comments Alex Miller made about the prize and what he himself is currently reading.

Prime Minister's Literary Awards 2010 Fiction Shortlist

• Summertime by J.M. Coetzee
• The Book of Emmett by Deborah Forster
• The Lakewoman by Alan Gould
• Dog Boy by Eva Hornung
• Ransom by David Malouf
• Lovesong by Alex Miller
• As the Earth turns Silver by Alison Wong

Prime Minister's Literary Awards 2010 Non-Fiction Shortlist

• The Water Dreamers: The Remarkable History of Our Dry Continent by Michael Cathcart
• Strange Places: A Memoir of Mental Illness by Will Elliott
• The Colony: A History of Early Sydney by Grace Karskens
• The Life and Death of Democracy by John Keane
• The Blue Plateau: A Landscape Memoir by Mark Tredinnick
• The Ghost at the Wedding by Shirley Walker

Prime Minister's Literary Awards 2010 Children's Fiction Shortlist

• Cicada Summer by Kate Constable
• The Terrible Plop by Ursula Dubosarsky and Andrew Joyner
• Just Macbeth by Andy Griffiths and Terry Denton
• Mr Chicken goes to Paris by Leigh Hobbs
• Running with the Horses by Alison Lester
• Star Jumps by Lorraine Marwood
• Mannie and the Long Brave Day by Martine Murray and Sally Rippin
• Tensy Farlow and the Home for Mislaid Children by Jen Storer
• Harry and Hopper by Margaret Wild and Freya Blackwood

Prime Minister's Literary Awards 2010 Young Adult Fiction Shortlist

• Stolen by Lucy Christopher
• The Winds of Heaven by Judith Clarke
• Confessions of a Liar, Thief and Failed Sex God by Bill Condon
• The Museum of Mary Child by Cassandra Golds
• Swerve by Phillip Gwynne
• Jarvis 24 by David Metzenthen
• Beatle meets Destiny by Gabrielle Williams

Here's Peter with a handful of the shortlisted authors who were present for the announcement today.

The MP enjoys a laugh with David Malouf and Director of the Melbourne Writers' Festival, Steve Grimwade.

Peter Garrett talks to the media after the shortlist announcement.

The winners of the 2010 Prime Minister's Literary Awards will be announced later in the year.