Penguin Random House Australia announce shortlist for 2022 Penguin Literary Prize

Penguin Random House Australia has just revealed the shortlist for the 2022 Penguin Literary Prize.

We were excited to spot some members of our AWC community on the list – with Annette Higgs, Katelin Farnsworth and Darcy-Lee Tindale among the shortlisted authors. Big congrats!

Previous winners of this prestigious prize include Hitch by Kathryn Hind, The Spill by Imbi Neeme (check out our chat with Imbi on episode 335 of So you want to be a writer), The Rabbits by Sophie Overett and Denizen by James McKenzie Watson.

From the media release

The shortlisted titles are:

On a Bright Hillside in Paradise by Annette Higgs, is about a family of convict descendants in Tasmania and the changes wrought when Christian Brethren evangelists arrive to hold revival meetings in local barns.

Full of anger, Helen Hope by Katelin Farnsworth, is a story about learning to trust and finding your place in the world again after a traumatic event.

White Over Blue by Christina Gee, is ostensibly a book about trying to write a novel, but unpacks so many other things along the way.

Ultramotherland by Andrei Seleznev, is a speculative, funny thriller that takes you on a ride as it explores post-Soviet identity, alienation, and the search for meaning and belonging.

The Fall Between by Darcy-Lee Tindale, is a crime thriller exploring the tensions between urban and rural life.

Totem by Annelise Roberts, charts a strange kind of correspondence between a nuclear veteran and his unnamed descendant as they struggle to find answers – when did this bleakness start, and where does it end?

Justin Ractliffe, Publishing Director of Penguin Random House Australia says, “Massive congratulations to our shortlisted authors. It’s a huge achievement to get down to just six after the hundreds of submissions we received for this year’s prize. We have a brilliant panel of judges who, like me, are very much looking forward to hunkering down to read and discuss the shortlist. It’s always a thrill to discover new writers and I’m very much looking forward to seeing what 2022’s Penguin Literary Prize has in store for us.”

The winner will be announced by Penguin Random House Australia on Wednesday 15 June 2022. Best of luck to all the talented writers!