Wednesday, May 27, 2015

Emerging writers prize launched by Hachette and Guardian Australia

$10,000 award in memory of publisher Matthew Richell announced at Emerging Writers’ festival in Melbourne, which will also be a partner on the prize

Former Hachette Australia chief executive Matt Richell, who died last year in a surfing accident.
As Hachette Australia chief executive, Matt Richell was a passionate advocate for new writers. Photograph: Stuart Miller
A new Australian literary award has been established in memory of Matthew Richell, the Sydney publisher who died in a surfing accident in 2014 at the age of 41.

The Richell prize for emerging writers, supported by Guardian Australia, was jointly launched by the Richell family and Hachette Australia, where Matt was chief executive, at the opening night of the 2015 Emerging Writers’ festival, which is also a partner in the award.

The $10,000 prize will support and nurture an unpublished author aspiring to a professional writing career and is open to writers of adult fiction and narrative non-fiction. Richell was a passionate advocate for emerging writers at Hachette and this prize aims to continue his work encouraging new Australian talent.
“Our hope is that through this prize, many talented new voices and writing careers will be launched,” said the author Hannah Richell, his widow, ahead of Tuesday’s announcement. 

Writers need not have completed a full manuscript at the time of submission, although they must intend to finish one. The prize will be judged on their first three chapters and a synopsis outlining the direction of the proposed work, with detail about how the author’s writing career would benefit from winning the award.
Applications will open on 2 July 2015 and close on 14 August 2015. The award shortlist will be announced publicly on 23 September and the winner named at a special event in Sydney on 29 October.
The Richell prize will also be supported by Simpsons Solicitors and Razor/Joy, and all details can be found at hachette.com.au and emergingwritersfestival.org.au.
  • The 2015 Emerging Writers’ festival runs from 26 May to 5 June at venues across Melbourne
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