We are proud to announce the six shortlisted titles for The Readings New Australian Fiction Prize 2018! Congratulations to the six shortlisted authors. Now in its fifth year The Readings New Australian Fiction Prize is presented for the best new contribution to Australian fiction.
Over the past twelve months, the judging panel considered more than ninety books which made for some difficult decisions. The six books listed here represent the most daring new voices in Australian literature. All six books challenge conventional ideas of what the contemporary Australian novel can achieve, whether via experimental prose, surprising plots or exploration of form.
The 2018 judging panel includes Deborah Crabtree (Readings Carlton); Mark Luffman (Readings Hawthorn); Jan Lockwood, human resources manager; and Ellen Cregan, marketing and events coordinator. Readings’ managing director Mark Rubbo and celebrated author Tony Birch will join the panel to select the winner.
The Town
Shaun Prescott
In this incredibly accomplished debut, a young man investigates the unexplained disappearance of rural towns in regional Australia. Shaun Prescott’s prose is intelligent, surreal and brilliantly perceptive. The Town is both an interrogation of, and response to, the existing literary canon.
Pulse Points: Stories
Jennifer Down
Jennifer Down’s first story collection is a stunning achievement. Connected by a single thematic thread, her short fictions complement each other in subtle, elegant ways. By meticulously depicting the minutiae of everyday life, Pulse Points examines big ideas about death, ageing and love.
You can read our review of the book here.
Pink Mountain on Locust Island
Jamie Marina Lau
This is a thrilling debut from a remarkable young voice. Jamie Marina Lau experiments with language and form to capture the heady confusion of a teenage girl in a highly digitised world. Pink Mountain on Locust Island has a beautiful strangeness to it that electrifies the reader.
The Fireflies of Autumn
Moreno Giovannoni
Moreno Giovannoni depicts life in the small, little-know Tuscan village of San Ginese through a series of stories that have been shared across generations. With themes of migration, war and love at its heart, this novel has a fable-like quality that is at once charming and gently ironic.
You can read our review of the book here.
Flames
Robbie Arnott
This weird and gripping work is set in the wilds of Tasmania, and centres on the lives of a single family. Robbie Arnott combines a number of genres and styles to create something entirely distinct. His Tasmania is an island state with magical qualities that will draw you in completely.
You can read our review of the book here.
The Lucky Galah
Tracy Sorensen
This warm and heartfelt novel gives a fresh perspective of a key moment in Australia’s past – when the Parkes radio telescope brought pictures of the US moon landing to the world. Lucky the galah is a born storyteller and her wry observations will inspire a new appreciation of birds.
You can read our review of the book here.
