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Musa allowed to re-enter 2015 ACT Book of the Year Award

Queanbeyan author Omar Musa will be allowed to re-enter his novel Here Come the Dogs (Hamish Hamilton) in the 2015 ACT Book of the Year Award after the government reversed an earlier decision that made him ineligible.

Canberra-region writers living outside the ACT boundaries can enter this year’s ACT Book of the Year Award after ACT arts minister Joy Burch revoked guidelines introduced last year that stipulated authors must reside inside the ACT boundaries—despite the awards traditionally being open to authors living in nearby towns in New South Wales.

However, ACT Government official Gary Rake told the ABC the decision to exclude Musa had been a result of his failure to meet the application criteria. ‘The criteria was expanded to allow residents who could demonstrate an ACT-based arts practice to be eligible, and the criteria is quite broad,’ said Rake. ‘In the application process it’s made very clear that artists and residents outside the ACT need to specifically and strongly demonstrate their claim to having an ACT-based arts practice. As I understand it, Omar’s application was submitted by his publisher and they really didn’t make strong and specific claims against that.’

Following a post on Musa’s blog, in which he outlined his links to the ACT arts scene, Burch announced that an independent panel had ruled to allow him to resubmit his application.

 

Category: Local news