The winners of the the inaugural Queensland Literary Awards have been announced.

The Queensland Literary Awards were established as a response to Queensland Premier Campbell Newman’s decision to cancel the Queensland Premier’s Literary Awards. Harnessing technology and the power of social media, the group created a website almost overnight while the Facebook page attracted 1000 fans in less than a week. Calls for volunteers went out, and the project attracted people who knew what they were doing and got on with doing it.

Last night, all that hard work was celebrated at the award ceremony where they announced the winners for 2012. A big congratulations to everyone who was involved with this incredible project.

The full list of winners are:

Fiction
Cold Light by Frank Moorhouse

Science Book Award
Sex, Genes & Rock ‘n’ Roll by Rob Brooks

Non-Fiction
The People Smuggler by Robin De Crespigny

Emerging Queensland Author – Manuscript Award
Island of the Unexpected by Catherine Titasey

David Unaipon Award for an unpublished Indigenous writer
Story by Siv Parker

The Harry Williams Award for a literary or media work advancing public debate
The Australian Moment: How We Were Made for These Times by George Megalogenis

Judith Wright Calanthe Poetry Award
Crimson Crop by Peter Rose

History Book Award
The Biggest Estate on Earth by Bill Gammage

Children’s Book Award
Kumiko and the Shadow Catchers by Briony Stewart

Young Adult Book Award
The Ink Bridge by Neil Grant

The Steele Rudd Award for an Australian short story collection
Forecast: Turbulence by Janette Turner Hospital

Television Script Award
Mabo by Sue Smith

Drama Script (Stage) Award
War Crimes by Angela Betzien

Film Script Award
Dead Europe by Louise Fox

The Courier-Mail People’s Choice Queensland Book of the Year
Closer to Stone by Simon Cleary