Tasmanian writer and environmentalist Pete Hay has been named the winner of the inaugural Small Press Network Book of the Year Award for his stunning essay collection, Forgotten Corners. Published by Walleah Press, this work brings together Hay’s essays that have been published since 2003 and is an urgent, timely read for us all.

The judges commented: ‘Tasmanian poet Pete Hay’s Forgotten Corners is that thing all readers search for: an unexpected gem. A writer fully engaged with the complexities of their home state, without feeling parochial. A much-loved Tasmanian author who deserves much wider recognition.’

You can read their full remarks here.

This is the first year the Small Press Network Book of the Year Award has been awarded. It aims to recognise and award some of the most significant and ground-breaking books being published by local independent publishers today. Hay has been shortlisted alongside Cham Zhi Yi, Sarah Hopkins, Joey Bui, Mandy Ord, Charmaine Papertalk Green, Jasmine Seymour and Leanne Mulgo Watson.