Celebrating Calibre

Dear Editor,

This is a note to congratulate you on the quality of the latest Calibre Prize essays, by Jane Goodall and Kevin Brophy, in the April edition of ABR. The two pieces maintain the incredibly high standards of the Prize, of which I was honoured to be an inaugural judge.

As you know, I’m a staunch supporter of the essay. Walter Murdoch, one of only a handful of Australian writers to have specialised in the genre, once said that the ability to read and respond to essays demonstrated that a reader, and a culture, had ‘grown up’.

As the success of the Calibre Prize has demonstrated, the genre has really come into its own in recent times. I think this has something to do with the extraordinary events of recent years: readers are looking for understanding and analysis, as well as the joys of imagination.

At the Literature Board, we are always looking to support quality literary non-fiction. As a personal observation, let me add that this is one area where supply falls short of demand.

Keep up the good work, and let’s see the Calibre Prize go from strength to strength!

Imre Salusinszky, Chair, Literature Board