David Unaipon Award now open for entries

Entries are now open for the David Unaipon Award – an award that has launched the careers of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander writers such as Doris Pilkington Garimara, Tara June Winch, Ellen van Neerven, Larissa Behrendt and Samuel Wagan Watson.

The annual award, the first of its kind, was established in 1988 by University of Queensland Press (UQP) and honours Ngarrindjeri author David Unaipon, one of the earliest published Indigenous writers.

Presented as part of the Queensland Literary Awards, State Library of Queensland proudly manages the awards in collaboration with sponsors, industry partners and the writing community, and the prize includes $15,000 prize money plus manuscript development and publication with UQP. It is open to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander unpublished writers.

‘Winning the David Unaipon Award means you are entering into a group of writers like no other that carry the great responsibility of our storytelling, our survival and represent our Indigenous excellence.’

Miles Franklin Award winning author Tara June Winch (Swallow the Air, The Yield)

Poet, film maker and digital producer Jazz Money won the award in 2020 and her poetry collection how to make a basket will be released in September 2021.

‘I have always viewed the David Unaipon Award as one of the landmark literary awards in Australia, a place to read exciting, urgent and beautiful new writers. The power of this award to launch significant literary careers is evidenced by the past winners, easily some of Australia’s most important. The honour of joining this company of writers still astounds and humbles me.’

2020 David Unaipon winner, Jazz Money

More information about the awards can be found here, and the entry form is here. Nominations close 30 April. The support of the Copyright Agency Cultural Fund has enabled the continuation of the David Unaipon Award.

For publicity enquiries please contact Jean Smith at UQP on jean.smith@uqp.com.au.