A shortlist of three finalists for the 2009 book award has been announced.
Graham Freudenberg’s study of Winston Churchill’s relationship with Australia, Sally Neighbour’s portrait of a matriarch among terrorists and Gerard Ryle’s investigation of the Firepower scandal are the shortlisted finalists for the prestigious Walkley Non-fiction Book Award.
The Walkley Award for Best Non-Fiction Book celebrates excellence in non-fiction literature and long-form journalism. With over 70 books entered this year, the award is a ringing endorsement for the growing contribution Australian authors and journalists are making to the genre.
The shortlist represents the final round of judging after over 70 entries were reduced to a long list of 10 books. Paul Bailey, managing editor of the Australian Financial Review, and Matthew Ricketson, Professor of Journalism at the University of Canberra, announced the nominees at a lunch in Sydney on November 9.
The 2009 Walkley Non-fiction Book Award shortlisted nominees (in alphabetical order) are:
Graham Freudenberg, Churchill and Australia (Pan Macmillan)
Over 65 years, from the eve of the Boer War to the eve of the Vietnam war, this history examines the fraught relationship between Winston Churchill and seven Australian prime ministers.
Sally Neighbour, The Mother of Mohammed (Melbourne University Press)
From Mudgee girl, to hippy backpacker, to Muslim convert and perceived threat to Australia’s national security, the extraordinary story of Rabiah Hutchinson.
Gerard Ryle, Firepower (Allen & Unwin)
A compelling account of perhaps the greatest fraud in Australian history: the magical pill to cut fuel consumption and emissions promised by the Firepower company took in politicians, doctors, business leaders and sporting stars.
The winner will be announced at the Walkley Awards Gala Ceremony on Thursday November 26.
The shortlist was selected from a long-list of ten nominees. The other seven finalists were:
Peter Hartcher, To The Bitter End, Allen & Unwin
Jenny Hocking, Gough Whitlam: A Moment in History, Melbourne University Press
Mary-Rose MacColl, The Birth Wars, University of Queensland Press
David Marr, The Henson Case, Text Publishing
Iain McCalman, Darwin’s Armada, Penguin
Matt Peacock, Killer Company, ABC Books
Robert Wainwright, The Killing of Caroline Byrne, Allen & Unwin
