Advances

Ross Clark Wins The 2008 ABR Poetry Prize

The menace of lantana has not prevented Ross Clark from carrying off the fourth ABR Poetry Prize. Mr Clark wins $3000 for his poem entitled 'Danger: Lantana', which was published in the March issue with the four other shortlisted poems.

Ross Clark is no stranger to the ABR Poetry Prize. His poem 'Full-Bucket Moon' was shortlisted in last year's competition, which was eventually won by Alex Skovron.

After a career as a high-school teacher, Ross Clark now teaches in two Queensland universities. He is the author of seven volumes of poetry and two chapbooks. Janet Upcher reviewed his latest collection, Salt Flung into the Sky (2007), in the March 2008 issue. Reacting to his win, Ross Clark commented: 'Both shortlisted poems created memories within rural settings; the former's fictionality is more obvious, but both poems are songs made from the sweepings of my mind, both begin in the rag-and-bone shop of history and locality. I'm thrilled to have won, and hope the readers of ABR will hear the creek flowing again in these words.'

Two Essayists Share $10,000 Prize

This year’s Calibre Prize for an Outstanding Essay has been won by Rachel Robertson and Mark Tredinnick. This is the first time that the Calibre Prize – a joint initiative of ABR and of the Copyright Agency Limited – has been shared (last year’s winner, in the inaugural year, was Elisabeth Holdsworth).

One hundred and twenty-seven essayists entered the competition, an increase on last year. The judges on this occasion were Kerryn Goldsworthy (a former Editor of ABR), Paul Hetherington (Director, Publications and Events, National Library of Australia) and Peter Rose (Editor of ABR). Their choice was not an easy one. Eighteen essays were long-listed, across a range of essayistic genres, from the personal, the speculative and the journalistic to the political and the historical. More so than last year, ecological and environmental themes were prominent, as if a decisive review of priorities and menaces is under way in the popular imagination.

Three Companions

It is now thirteen years since OUP Australia published the second edition of The Oxford Companion to Australian Literature (nine years after ‘Whitlam, Edward Gough’ launched the first edition). Peter Pierce, generally welcomed OCAL2 in his ABR review (‘A bountiful companion’, December 1994– January 1995): ‘The Oxford Companion to Australian Literature may be a touch too reverential towards its subject, but has enriched its study.’

We have speculated in the past about literature’s relative slowness to foster the sort of cultural philanthropy that is a mainstay of art galleries, libraries, museums, symphony orchestras and theatre companies. Why this has been the case may be of interest to literary historians, but meanwhile ABR is keen to get on with the task of generating private support for the cause of good writing, independent critique and a lively intellectual climate.

Sunday newspapers are full of oddities, but the Sunday Age of 20 May 2007 contained a most curious story about Meanjin, whose future has been the subject of much rumour and conjecture in recent months. Nestled against yet another outsize story about Harry Potter was an article by Carmel Egan about the future of Meanjin, ‘the tiny but influential literary magazine’ which has been published since 1940. Ms Egan reported that the Meanjin board has recommended to the University of Melbourne that Melbourne University Publishing (like Meanjin, a wholly owned subsidiary of the university) should ‘take over administration and distribution “in the best interests” of the magazine’, and that a decision on Meanjin’s future will be made by the university’s board of management – ‘within the next two months’.

Filial Calibrations

In December we reported on the Inaugural Calibre Prize for an Outstanding Essay, which was won by Elisabeth Holdsworth. We feel sure that ABR readers will enjoy Ms Holdsworth’s essay, ‘An die Nachgeborenen: For Those Who Come After’, which we publish in full this issue. That is her mother on our front cover. The unfolding story of ‘Mother’s’ removal as a girl from her home in the countryside, of her marriage into a privileged family with close ties to Dutch royalty, and of her betrayal and subsequent incarceration in Dachau during World War II, is not easily forgotten.
Once again, we acknowledge the Copyright Agency Limited (CAL), which funds this award. ABR and CAL look forward to presenting the Calibre Prize for the second time in coming months. Look out for full details in our April issue, and please note that the closing date will be later this year – August 31.

Those who come after

Nine months ago, in association with the Copyright Agency Limited (CAL), ABR announced the creation of a major new annual essay prize. In doing so we were conscious of the importance of the genre and of ABR’s long commitment to its preservation and promulgation. We set out to attract entries from the widest range of Australian writers (not just celebrated essayists). In order to entice a distinguished field, the Calibre Prize was valued at $10,000.