Churchill and Australia the 2009 Walkley Non-Fiction Book Award winner.
Churchill and Australia by Graham Freudenberg, published by Pan MacMillan, was named the 2009 Walkley Non-Fiction Book of the year at the 54th Walkley Awards in Sydney on November 26.
Freudenberg paid tribute to the growing role of journalists in the literary world as he accepted the award in front of over 900 of the Australian media’s finest.
Starting his career as a cadet journalist, Freudenberg became involved in politics in the 1960s as a press secretary and then speech writer for Gough Whitlam, Neville Wran, Barrie Unsworth and Bob Carr. From there he progressed to books, including his Gough Whitlam biography A Certain Grandeur, and A Figure of Speech – A Political Memoir.
The judges said Churchill and Australia sings with Freudenberg’s skill as a writer but also his experience.
“Freudenberg’s writing brings a lifetime of thought, experience and judgment to the subject.”
It was a delicious moment for lovers of both books and politics when Don Watson, former speech-writer for Paul Keating and winner of last year’s Walkley Book Award handed the trophy to Freudenberg.
Freudenberg was named the winner ahead of shortlisted books by Sally Neighbour (The Mother of Mohammed) and Gerard Ryle (Firepower).
