Brisbane Writers Festival handed literary awards after intervention saga

Queensland’s signature literary awards will from this year be managed by the Brisbane Writers Festival, after a standoff that led to a high-profile ministerial intervention and the state library being stripped of its role.

Arts Minister John-Paul Langbroek intervened in the $15,000 black&write! fellowship to force the library’s hand in May last year, leading to the last-minute cancellation of the award ceremony for a First Nations author he accused of glorifying terrorism.

The decision sparked an independent review into the roles of the library and minister, and the resignations of 12 judges, which delayed the state literary awards.

Released earlier this month, the review and the government’s response to it – to seek “alternative providers” for the awards – had left questions about this year’s event.

But in an announcement on Tuesday, Langbroek revealed the awards would headline and open the Brisbane Writers Festival, running at the Brisbane Powerhouse from October 8 to 11.

In a statement, Langbroek said the government had also increased the prize pool from $187,000 to $202,000.

Two alternate-year awards – the returning Steele Rudd Award for a Short Story, and the Essay Collection Award – will also feature.

The Queensland Premier’s Young Publishers and Writers Awards will be split into two, with a regional specific version.

Arts Queensland will take over administration of the Queensland Writers Fellowships, to remain part of the awards, each valued at $20,000 with career development support of $4500.

Entries for the fellowships will open in mid-April, with Queensland Literary Awards entries opening on Tuesday.

“By increasing the prize pool and partnering with Brisbane Writers Festival, we look forward to helping writers strengthen their careers by reaching new audiences and industry leaders, in addition to showcasing the outstanding work of our literary sector,” Langbroek said.

Brisbane Writers Festival artistic director Jackie Ryan, in comments provided with Langbroek’s statement, said the organisation would elevate the profile of the awards – and its shortlisted and winning authors – through representation in the festival.

“In turn, the awards will provide the festival with the drawcard of a major industry event, incentivising more people to make the trip or to extend their stay and supercharging the festival’s networking opportunities,” Ryan said.

Last year’s top award winner, Darumbal and South Sea Islander journalist Amy McQuire, used her speech to criticise child imprisonment and “the silencing of black witnesses, especially in times of genocide”.

She also used a variation on a pro-Palestinian protest phrase criminalised by the Crisafulli government earlier this month.

Financial reports from the festival, technically called Uplit Association Incorporated, show it relies heavily on state government funding.

In last year’s state budget, the festival was awarded annual funding of $341,000 by Arts Queensland across this year and the following three.

Langbroek said earlier this month the recent review highlighted the need for state-funded arts and cultural organisations to consider their policies and risk management to ensure they were “consistent with and meet the expectations of the Crisafulli government”.

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