Wild & Woolley Prize for Best Independently Published Australian Books
Subcategory of Awards Australian Awards
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History

Offered by Wild & Woolley, an Australian book publisher founded by Pat Woolley  and Michael Wilding

Notes

  • Prize for the best self-published Australian books in print. Categories include fiction; family/local history; poetry; autobiography/memoir; children's/young adult; non-fiction. Sponsored by Fast Books. Administered by the NSW Writers' Centre.

Latest Winners / Recipients

Year: 2005

winner (Children's and Young Adult) y separately published work icon Where's Stripey? Wendy Binks , Wendy Binks (illustrator), South Fremantle : Stunned Emu Press , 2006 Z1275902 2006 single work picture book children's

'Can you imagine having to keep track of thirty small emu chicks, who are running here, there and everywhere? ' (Publication summary)

winner (History) y separately published work icon Sentenced to Cross the Raging Sea : The Story of Sam Johnson, Victim of Oldham's Bankside Riot of 1834 Johnson Ross , North Adelaide : Johnson Ross , 2004 Z1232232 2004 single work biography
winner (Fiction) y separately published work icon Blackberry Chambers Diana Figgis , Sydney : Diana Figgis , 2004 Z1177302 2004 single work novel
winner (Poetry) y separately published work icon Mood Lightning : An Anthology Ten Ch'in U (editor), Pennant Hills : Imaginal Press , 2004 Z1189653 2004 anthology poetry prose The book encapsulates the moods and quests of eighty seven contributors most of whom are from Australia; the rest are from the United Kingdom, Germany, Malaysia, Netherlands and the United States. The anthology has been organised along roughly thematic lines with nine sections each titled to highlight the role of nature and the spiritual in nature. There are new poems by Robert Adamson as well as previously unpublished poets, fragments of plays by Polish actor/director Bogdan Koca, commentary on the body and consciousness by two psychologists (noted writer on the soul Robert Sardello and Canberra based Steven Guth), translations from the Arabic of celebrated Lebanese poet Wadih Sa'adeh, translations from the Persian, Chinese, German and French and funny one-liners not found in fortune cookies. Source (The author).

Year: 2004

winner (Fiction) y separately published work icon A Private Performance : Continuing Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice Helen Halstead , Belair : Thalwood Books , 2004 Z1142001 2004 single work novel historical fiction satire

'When Elizabeth Bennett marries the brooding, passionate Mr.Darcy, she is thrown into the exciting world of London society. She makes a powerful friend in the Marchioness of Englebury but the jealousy among her ladyship's circle threatens to destroy her happiness. Elizabeth is drawn into a powerful clique for whom intrigue is the stuff of life and rivalry the motive. Her success, it seems, can only be at the expense of good relations with her husband...

'Other favourite 'Pride and Prejudice' characters are not forgotten. Georgiana Darcy and Kitty Bennett pursue happiness, each in their own way, while others have adventures too, often with hilarious results. This witty and entertaining novel is full of sardonic humour and beautifully told in the language of the era. Bringing Regency society vividly to life, Helen Halstead carries forward Austen's theme of the necessity for her heroes to grow within, in order to achieve lasting happiness!'

Source: Publisher's blurb.

Year: 2003

winner (Fiction) y separately published work icon Automaton Alana Woods , Hawker : Woodsforthe Trees , 2001 Z948915 2001 single work novel crime
winner (Poetry) y separately published work icon Foreign Matter Yu Ouyang , Kingsbury : Otherland , 2003 Z1074403 2003 selected work poetry The book contains twelve long sequences, totalling about sixty poems that were written over a period of eight years from 1995 to 2002 in Australia.
winner (Children's) y separately published work icon Crazy Rhymes for Modern Times Angie Barlow , Allambie Heights : Angie Barlow , 2002 Z1077338 2002 selected work poetry children's
winner (Memoir) y separately published work icon Too Long in the Tropicals : A Tale of the Papua New Guinea in the Fifteen Years After World War Two Barbara Smythe Sherwood , Douglas Park : Parker Pattinson Publishing , 2003 Z1077346 2003 single work autobiography

Works About this Award

Stiff Competition Among Entries Peter Ross , Jennifer Nisbet , 2003 single work column
— Appears in: Newswrite : The NSW Writers' Centre Magazine , November no. 132 2003; (p. 9, 14)
Comments from the judges of the 2003 Fast Books Competition on each of the winning entries.
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