Tony Birch has won this year’s Melbourne Prize for Literature Civic Choice Award for his novel Blood.

All finalists for the Melbourne Prize for Literature and the Best Writing Award were eligible for the Civic Choice Award, which increased in prize money from $2000 to $5000 this year. We were delighted to be one of the sponsors for this particular prize, along with Hardie Grant. The winner was voted for by the public.

Blood was shortlisted for the Miles Franklin award earlier this year, and has earned (deservingly) enormous readership. In her review, former Readings Monthly editor Jo Case wrote:

“This is a fractured fairytale, a dark Australian road story, but also an affecting tale about the bond between a brother and sister, and how the most unexpected people can transform lives.”

Birch was named one of 10 finalists for the $30,000 Best Writing Award, which was awarded to Craig Sherborne for The Amateur Science of Love. Alex Miller won the $60,000 Melbourne Prize for Literature.

For more information on the awards please see here.