Arts Minister Peter Garrett has announced 29 great Australian titles that have made it onto the 2010 Prime Minister's Literary Awards shortlists. Minister Garrett said being shortlisted for the Prime Minister's Literary Awards is a great achievement for authors that will bring further public recognition of their writing. For the first time, Young Adult Fiction and Children's Fiction categories have been added to the awards. Here is the Fiction shortlist: Summertime, J.M. Coetzee; The Book of Emmett, Deborah Forster; The Lakewoman, Alan Gould; Dog Boy, Eva Hornung; Ransom, David Malouf Lovesong, Alex Miller; and As the Earth turns Silver, Alison Wong. The Children's Fiction shortlist includes Harry and Hopper, Margaret Wild and illustrated by Freya Blackwood. Find out more about the shortlists at www.arts.gov.au/pmliteraryawards/shortlists

Congratulations to our very own Freya Blackwood who has won The Kate Greenwood Medal, the UK's most prestigious children's illustration award. Her prize-winning illustrations are inspired by the memory of a beloved pet dog in Harry & Hopper. The Kate Greenaway Medal was established in 1955, for distinguished illustration in a book for children. It is named after the popular nineteenth century artist known for her fine children's illustrations and designs. The CILIP Kate Greenaway Medal is awarded annually for an outstanding book in terms of illustration for children and young people. To read more http://www.booksellers.co.nz/book-news/trade-news/freya-blackwood-wins-2010-cilip-kate-greenaway-medal or http://www.carnegiegreenaway.org.uk/2010awards/

Thank you for everyone to entered the 2010 Banjo Paterson Writing Awards. We are pleased to announce the following winners: Prose: Jacqueline Winn, of Possum Brush NSW, for The Dangers of Swimming, Greg McFarland, of Orange NSW, for Roadside Memorial and Kate Rotherham, of Allans Flat VIC, for Shelter.

Open Poetry: Brenda Saunders, of Randwick NSW, for Wonderland. Bush Poetry: Ron Stevens, of Dubbo NSW, for Behind the Flag and Ellis Campbell, of Dubbo NSW, for The Toll and Ellis Campbell, of Dubbo NSW, for A Dynasty's Demise.

Children's Writing Awards supported by ABC Local Radio: Chris Frith, of Baradine NSW for The Downpour, Eleanor Delaney, of Orange NSW for The Last Dee Why Day - A True Story and Chester Fitzhardinge, of Balgowlah NSW, for The Dream Protectors.

The Yvonne Zola Encouragement Award goes to Elise Sinclair, of Orange NSW, for her story, Tommy in Trouble. Congratulations!

Do you dream of being a published writer? Enter Australia's most prestigious award for an unpublished manuscript. The Australian/Vogel Literary Award is one of Australia's richest and the most prestigious award for an unpublished manuscript by a writer under the age of thirty-five. Offering publication by Allen & Unwin and prize money totalling $20,000, the Vogel Award has launched the careers of some of its most successful writers, including Tim Winton, Kate Grenville, Gillian Mears, Brian Castro, Mandy Sayer and Andrew McGahan. Vogel-winning authors have gone on to win or be shortlisted for other major awards, such as the Miles Franklin Award, the Commonwealth Writers Prize and the Booker Prize.

Entry forms for the 2010 Australian/Vogel Literary Award are now available from the Allen and Unwin website: http://www.allenandunwin.com/default.aspx?page=442 This year is the 30th anniversary of The Australian/Vogel Literary Award and some exciting changes are afoot. After the judges make their final decision, the winner will be contacted by Allen & Unwin and work will begin on the winning manuscript. However, it won't be until May 2011, that the winner's name will be made public simultaneous with publication of their winning book

Dogs, cats, forest fauna, rabbits in top hats, graveyard ghosts, imaginary headgear, a bizarre crowning glory and a band of kids determined to get their own back on a horrible teacher parade across the pages of the eight books shortlisted for this year's the Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals Kate Greenaway Medal, the UK's oldest and most prestigious award for children's book illustration. In their widely contrasting styles, the illustrations in these eight shortlisted titles encourage children of all ages to consider the world in new ways from the place between magic and reality (Leon and the Place Between); the sad death of a much-loved pet (Harry and Hopper illustrated by Freya Blackwood with text by Margaret Wild); the importance of looking after our environment (The Great Paper Caper); the power of the imagination (Millie's Marvellous Hat and Crazy Hair); life after death (The Graveyard Book); what teamwork can achieve (The Dunderheads), and the sheer playfulness of felines (There Are Cats in This Book). The Chair of this year's CILIP Kate Greenaway judging panel is Margaret Pemberton:"The 2010 shortlist proves that picture books are not just for pre-schoolers. Illustrations can enrich the reading experience of all age-groups, and the eight titles in contention for the 2010 CILIP Kate Greenaway Medal are outstanding examples of this".

The 2010 winners will be announced at a ceremony at BAFTA in central London on Thursday 24th June. WooHoo! Congratultations on being shortlisted Freya. For more details go to: http://www.carnegiegreenaway.org.uk/greenaway/current_shortlist.php http://www.carnegiegreenaway.org.uk/2010awards/greenaway_illustrators.php

The Australian Publisher's Assocation has announced the shortlist for the 58th Annual APA Book Design Awards for this year and it includes Emily O'Neill in The Young Designer of the Year category sponsored by Hachette Australia. Emily has connections to Orange and the titles designed by Emily for publisher Allen & Unwin submitted for the award are: Lovesong, The Hollow Tree, The Letters of George & Elizabeth Bass and The Sea Bed (all pictured). The winners will be announced at the Awards Ceremony at the Powerhouse Museum on Thursday 20 May 2010. To view the entire shortlist go to: www.publishers.asn.au/ Good luck Emily.

Illustrator Freya Blackwood and writer Margaret Wild's book Harry and Hopper is in the running for the Patricia Wrightson Prize (children's literature) in the Premier's Literary Awards. Freya has also been nominated in the Children's Book Council of Australia Awards (early Childhood) for her work with author Libby Gleeson in the book Clancy and Millie and the Very Fine House. Here's some more details about the Harry and Hopper: Ever since he was a jumpy little puppy, Hopper has done everything with Harry. One day when Harry comes home from school Hopper isn't there to greet him and Harry realises his dog will never be there again. The shock and grief Harry feels at the sudden death of his beloved pet is all-consuming and he deals with it in his own way. But he gradually learns that in his memory Hopper can be with him always. Margaret Wild's story is poignant, warm and ultimately satisfying. There is an economy or words in her writing style that convey the story of this special relationship with style and the touch of a true professional. Freya Blackwood's expressive and tender illustrations capture the mood of the story perfectly and enhance the relationship between Harry and his dog. A definite tear jerker for all ages. Check out Freya's website www.freyablackwood.net and Margaret Wild's www.scholastic.com.au/common/books/contributor_profile.asp?ContributorID=66&channel=kids And to read about all the shortlisted writers head to: www.pla.nsw.gov.au/awards-shortlists.

The judges have selected these six titles as the best in new Australian fiction for the NSW Premier's Literary Awards 2010: The World Beneath by Cate Kennedy, Ransom by David Malouf, Wanting by Richard Flanagan, Summertime by J.M Coetzee, Jasper Jones by Craig Silvey, 88 Lines about 44 Women by Steven Lang. And now the people of New South Wales can have their say. By casting a vote and signing up for the newsletter, you will have the chance to win some fantastic prizes. Voting is open until midnight 10th May 2010. Go to the website: http://www.pla.nsw.gov.au/

Scribe will be publishing another anthology of short stories, New Australian Stories 2.0, again edited by fiction acquisitions editor, Aviva Tuffield. New Australian Stories 2.0 will be published in February 2011. The anthology will feature established stars of the short-story firmament alongside new and emerging ones. Scribe are collaborating with two partners: Varuna, the Writers' House, will be running the Varuna/NAS national short story competition, with the winners (judged by Peter Bishop, Cate Kennedy and Aviva Tuffield) to be published in New Australian Stories 2.0, and/or to be awarded a week-long residency at Varuna to work with Cate Kennedy, one of Australia's finest writers of short stories. Submissions to the Varuna/NAS competition open on 1 June and close on 30 June. Visit the Varuna website for more details: www.varuna.com.au. And they are teaming up with the Ned Kelly Awards to publish the winner of the S.D. Harvey Short Story Award in New Australian Stories 2.0. This award was established in 2009 in honour of Sandra Harvey, a respected journalist who worked both for the Sydney Morning Herald and the ABC's Four Corners program, and was fearless in her pursuit of the truth. The prize money for the S.D. Harvey Short Story Award will be in excess of $1000. Applications for the S.D. Harvey Award close on 31 May. For more information about entering the award, go to: www.nedkellyawards.com

In 2010, two new prizes have been added to the Awards to recognise literature for younger reading audiences.

The two new categories--Young Adult and Children's fiction--acknowledge the importance of literature for young audiences and its power to give rise to a lifelong passion for books.

The winners of the four categories, fiction, non-fiction, young adult fiction and children's fiction will each receive a $100,000 tax-free prize, bringing the total Award prize to $400,000.

Call for entries Entries are invited to the Prime Minister's Literary Awards--Australia's richest literary prize for Fiction, Non-Fiction, Young Adult's Fiction and Children's Fiction.

The Prime Minister's Literary Awards recognise the contribution of Australian literature to the nation's cultural and intellectual life.

The Minister for the Arts called for authors, publishers and literary agents to enter their books into the 2010 Awards for the opportunity to win this prestigious literary award.

Works must be written by living Australian citizens or permanent residents, first published in English and first offered for general sale between 1 January 2009 and 31 December 2009.

Entries are due at 5pm on Friday 16 April 2010.

More information including the guidelines and entry form can be found at www.arts.gov.au/pmliteraryawards