The Walkley Foundation and the Media, Entertainment & Arts Alliance today announced the shortlist of four finalists for the Walkley Non-Fiction Book Award. The Walkleys are Australia’s most prestigious media accolades across print, radio, television and photography, as well as publishing.

The Walkley Award for Best Non-Fiction Book celebrates excellence in non-fiction literature and long-form journalism. This year, entries from across the nation increased 36% to 75 books, a testament to the growing contribution Australian authors and journalists are making to the genre. Subject matter ranged from true crime and war reporting to biographies and investigative journalism. 

The literary community gathered at the lunch where four finalists, chosen from a long-list of ten, were announced by author and freelance writer, John Birmingham and Sydney Morning Herald’s Saturday editor, Paola Totaro -  both members of the first round judging panel.

The 2007 Walkley Non-Fiction Book Award short-list nominees (in alpha order) are:

Les Carlyon The Great War (Pan Macmillan Australia) A sequel to Gallipoli, this epic accounts the Anzacs’ achievements on the western front in the First World War, and charts the folly of the generals and the bravery of the men under their command.

Tanya Levin People in Glass Houses (Black Inc) Opens up the world of Christian Fundamentalism as it tells how a small Assemblies of God church in a suburban school became a multi-million dollar cult and a powerful force in Australian society.

Chris Masters Jonestown (Allen & Unwin) The controversial unauthorised biography of Alan Jones, tracking the rise and rise of the populist champion of “Struggle Street”, exploring his remarkable political influence and his brushes with journalistic ethics.

Leigh Sales Detainee 002 (Melbourne University Press) Based on more than five years of reporting and dozens of interviews with insiders, Detainee 002 explores the case of David Hicks and how it came to be that an Australian citizen wound up in the War on Terror.

For the first time in the Award’s three-year history, the winner of the Walkley Award for Best Non-Fiction Book will receive the opportunity to attend the prestigious three day Nieman Narrative Conference at Harvard University, Boston next March.  This has been possible through the support of the award sponsor, Copyright Agency Limited (CAL).

CAL chair Brian Johns says attendance at the Conference will provide the winner with a unique professional development opportunity to hone their already exceptional skills.  “This conference recognises that the ability to deliver well-written narrative remains vital to traditional journalism in the digital era,” he said.

The 2007 Walkley Non-Fiction Book shortlist judges were: Malcolm Farr, national political editor, Daily Telegraph; Malcolm Knox, senior writer, Sydney Morning Herald and Christine Wallace, The Weekend Australian.

The winner will be announced at the Walkley Awards Gala Ceremony on Thursday November 29 at the Royal Hall of Industries in Sydney which will be televised on SBS.