The three winners of the 2023 Readings Prize, sponsored by Readings, Melbourne, Australia, are:
Fiction: All That's Left Unsaid by Tracey Lien. Nicki Levy, chair of judges, said in part: "Lien's intention in this novel was to give readers insight into the experience of growing up Asian Australian in Cabramatta in the 1990s. All That's Left Unsaid achieves this exceptionally well by exploring life in a community little known to most. In a story of grief, love, and friendship, Lien offers the reader a glimpse into a sister's world as she searches for answers after her brother's murder. The quality of writing in this novel and use of language gives voice to the often unseen."
Young Adult: If You Could See the Sun by Ann Liang. Aurelia Orr, chair of judges, said in part: "We were enamoured by the accessibility of all the genres that Liang has masterfully woven into her tale. Fans of contemporary romance, mystery, and fantasy will all find something to enjoy as they are swept away by our wonderful and ingenious protagonist, Alice. Original, exhilarating, and genre-defying, If You Could See the Sun breathes new life into the YA shelves. While playing with the fantastical, Alice does accentuate the invisibility many teenagers feel during the bewildering, explorative period of adolescence, and she does so with strong conviction and an even stronger heart."
Children's: No Words by Maryam Master. Katey Bellew, chair of judges, said in part: "This remarkable book stands as a rare gem that not only offers readers a mirror to see themselves reflected, but also a window through which to learn more about the world. Brimming with big feelings, big laughs and a friendship trio that rivals any we've encountered this year, at its core No Words is a book about finding your voice. Seamlessly balancing thought-provoking themes with a playful, uplifting tone, No Words will remind you that everyone has a story to tell. And Aria, the boy who doesn't speak, has one of the greatest stories of all."
---
Poet and fiction writer Alex Skovron won the 2023 Patrick White Literary Award, honoring an author who has "made an ongoing contribution to Australian literature but may not have received adequate recognition," Books+Publishing reported. Established by Patrick White with the proceeds from his 1973 Nobel Prize in Literature, the award is worth A$20,000 (about US$12,715).
Skovron has won several major prizes, including the Wesley Michel Wright Prize, the John Shaw Neilson Award, the ABR (now Peter Porter) Prize, and for his first book The Rearrangement (1988), the Anne Elder and Mary Gilmore awards. His collection Towards the Equator (2014) was shortlisted in the Prime Minister's Literary Awards, while his novella The Poet (2005) was a joint winner of the Fellowship of Australian Writers Christina Stead Award for fiction. His work has been translated into many other languages, including Czech, French and Dutch.
"This wonderful surprise has come at something of a milestone moment in my life, on the heels of my 75th birthday, and to receive the award means a great deal to me--both as a recognition of my work to date, and as further encouragement towards what I still hope to achieve," Skovron said. "Above all, I feel honored to be joining such an impressive cohort of past winners, many of whose stories and poems I've read and admired over many years."