Inside the Australian and New Zealand book industry

Image. Advertisement:

Davitt Awards 2015 shortlists announced

Sisters in Crime has announced the shortlists for the 2015 Davitt Awards for the best crime books by Australian women.

The shortlisted titles in each category are:

Adult novel

  • Through the Cracks (Honey Brown, Michael Joseph)
  • Forbidden Fruit: A Nell Forrest Mystery (Ilsa Evans, Momentum)
  • A Murder Unmentioned (Sulari Gentill, Pantera Press)
  • A Morbid Habit (Annie Hauxwell, Michael Joseph)
  • Big Little Lies (Liane Moriarty, Pan)
  • Present Darkness (Malla Nunn, Xoum)

 

Young adult novel

  • Intruder (Christine Bongers, Woolshed Press)
  • The Astrologer’s Daughter (Rebecca Lim, Text)
  • Every Word (Ellie Marney, A&U)
  • The Ratcatcher’s Daughter (Pamela Rushby, HarperCollins)

 

Children’s novel

  • The Adventures of Stunt Boy and His Amazing Wonder Dog Blindfold (Lollie Barr, Pan)
  • The Catier Emerald: Kitten Kaboodle Mission One (Eileen O’Hely, Walker Books)
  • Withering-by-Sea (Judith Rossell, ABC Books)
  • Big Trouble: Friday Barnes Book Three (R A Spratt, Random House)
  • Freaked! Truly Tan Book Four Jen Storer (ABC Books)

 

Nonfiction

  • Love You to Death: A Story of Sex, Betrayal and Murder Gone Wrong (Megan Norris, The Five Mile Press)
  • Last Woman Hanged (Caroline Overington, HarperCollins)
  • Have You Seen Simone? The Story of an Unsolved Murder (Virginia Peters, Nero)
  • The Tainted Trial of Farah Jama (Julie Szego, Wild Dingo Press)

 

Debut

  • The Adventures of Stunt Boy and His Amazing Wonder Dog Blindfold (Lollie Barr, Pan)
  • Intruder (Christine Bongers, Woolshed Press)
  • Hades (Candice Fox, Random House)
  • What Came Before (Anna George, Viking)
  • Gap (Rebecca Jessen, UQP)
  • Have You Seen Simone? The Story of an Unsolved Murder (Virginia Peters, Nero)
  • The Ratcatcher’s Daughter (Pamela Rushby, HarperCollins)
  • Tell Me Why (Sandi Wallace, Clan Destine Press)
  • The Tainted Trial of Farah Jama (Julie Szego, Wild Dingo Press).

 

UK crime writer Sophie Hannah will present the awards on 29 August at the Thornbury Theatre in Melbourne.

Chair of judges Jacqui Horwood commented on the diversity of this year’s shortlist in terms of ‘theme, location, period and mode of investigation’. ‘The mysteries are variously located in London, Paris, Johannesburg, Chicago, Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Hobart, the Blue Mountains and the Australian countryside. Sometimes it’s 1900, the 1930s, or the 1950s but mostly it’s the present. Not all books feature sleuths—and if they do, they’re not always female and hardly any are PIs, these days. They’re more likely to be cops, cafe owners or financial investigators,’ said Horwood.

The judging panel comprises Horwood, Maggie Baron, Deborah Crabtree, Sylvia Loader, Michaela Lobb and Shelley Robertson.

 

Tags:

Category: Local news