NSW State Library launches humour-writing prize

The State Library of NSW (SLNSW) has announced the launch of the inaugural Russell Prize for Humour Writing to ‘celebrate, recognise and encourage humour writing, and to promote interest in this genre’.

The biennial prize, worth $10,000, is open to published works of fiction, memoir, poetry and verse by Australian writers. It is being funded ‘by the generous bequest of the late Peter Wentworth Russell, a farmer, businessman and passionate reader,’ SLNSW said in a statement. The award’s patron will be author and journalist Peter FitzSimons.

Classic Beach Books List

allFrom its 52 titles, ABC’s ‘The Book Club’ has collected the top votes and has announced its ten classic beach books. Parramatta City Library has all titles available for loan, including talking book and ebook formats.

According to the program the classic beach book are those book that ‘You see them everywhere, in caravan parks, holiday houses, milk bars, by the pool and on the beach. Those dog-eared favourites, encrusted with sand, salt and sunscreen, begging to be read time and time again. Those books that you associate with good times—even if they weren’t, technically, good books.’