Russell Prize

The Russell Prize (Russell Prize for Humour Writing) is an Australian literary prize awarded every second year by the State Library of New South Wales to a humorous book. It was established in 2014 through a donation by Peter Wentworth Russell, "a farmer, businessman and passionate reader".[1][2] A shortlist of six books is selected and publicly announced before the prize, which comes with a cash award of $10,000.[3][4]

In 2021 a second category, Humour Writing for Young People, was introduced for a work aimed at the 5–12 age group.[5] Both winners were announced in June 2021.[6]

Russell Prize for Humour Writing
YearAuthorTitlePublisherShortlist
2015Bernard CohenThe Antibiography of Robert F. MenziesFourth Estate[7]Helen Razer and Bernard Keane, A Short History of Stupid; Jo Case, Boomer & Me, A Memoir of Motherhood, and Asperger's; Sami Shah, I, Migrant; Mark Lamprell, The Full Ridiculous; and Annabel Crabb, The Wife Drought[8]
2017Steve ToltzQuicksandSimon & Schuster[9]Ross Fitzgerald and Ian McFadyen, Going Out Backwards: A Grafton Everest Adventure; David Hunt, True Girt: The Unauthorised History of Australia — Volume 2; Darrell Pitt, A Toaster on Mars; Ben Pobjie, Error Australis; and Rosie Waterland, The Anti-Cool Girl[10]
2019David CohenThe Hunter and Other Stories of Men Transit Lounge[11]Trent Dalton, Boy Swallows Universe (Fourth Estate); Tony Martin, Deadly Kerfuffle (Affirm); Ryan O'Neill, The Drover’s Wives (Brio); Helen Razer, The Helen 100 (Allen & Unwin); and Tracy Sorensen, The Lucky Galah (Picador).[12]
2021 Nakkiah Lui Black is the New White Allen & Unwin[13] Rawah Arja, The F Team (Giramondo); Chris Flynn, Mammoth (UQP); Dennis Glover, Factory 19 (Black Inc.); Nina Kenwood, It Sounded Better in My Head (Text); Jackie Ryan, Burger Force Vol. 4: Punishment (Parentheses Press).[14]
2023 Martin McKenzie-Murray The Speechwriter Scribe[15] Georgie Carroll, Off the Charts (Pan Macmillan); Kaz Cooke, You’re Doing it Wrong (PRH); Patrick Lenton, Sexy Tales of Paleontology Subbed In); Gretel Killeen, My Daughter’s Wedding Hachette); Steve Toltz, Here Goes Nothing (PRH)[16]

Humour Writing for Young People
YearAuthorTitlePublisherShortlist
2021Philip BuntingWombatScholastic[6]Mike Barry, Action Tank – Book 2 (Mike Barry Was Here); Maggie Hutchings, illustrated by Felicita Sala, Your Birthday was the BEST! (Affirm); S. C. Manchild, illustrated by Sam Caldwell, Sneaky Shadows (Berbay); Jaclyn Moriarty, The Stolen Prince of Cloudburst (Allen & Unwin); Bob Graham, The Underhills: A Tooth Fairy Story (Walker Books).[14]
2023 Lian Tanner Rita's Revenge Allen & Unwin[15] Damian Callinan, illustrated by Adele K. Thomas, Weird School (PRH); Tanya Hennessy, illustrated by Leigh Hedstrom, Drum Roll Please, It’s Stevie Louise (Allen & Unwin); Maggie Hutchings, illus by Felicita Sala, Your School is the BEST! (Affirm Press); Sofie Laguna, illustrated by Marc McBride, The House on Pleasant Street (Allen & Unwin); Matt Stanton, Funny Kid Catastrophe (ABC Books)[16]

References
  1. "Russell Prize for Humour Writing". SLNSW. Retrieved 18 October 2021.
  2. "NSW State Library launches humour-writing prize". Books and Publishing. Retrieved 18 October 2021.
  3. Sullivan, Jane (6 June 2015). "Turning Pages: Prize for humour writing takes funny books seriously". Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 25 October 2017.
  4. Romei, Stephen (10 June 2017). "A PAIR OF RAGGED CLAWS". Weekend Australian. ProQuest 1911248683.
  5. "Russell Prize for Humour Writing adds children's category". Books+Publishing. 2021-01-12. Retrieved 2021-01-14.
  6. "Lui wins Russell Prize for Humour Writing, Bunting wins inaugural writing for young people award". Books+Publishing. 2021-06-18. Retrieved 2021-09-17.
  7. Wyndham, Susan (4 July 2015). "Undercover:News From the Book World". Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 25 October 2017.
  8. "2015 - The Russell Prize for Humour Writing". State Library of NSW. 2015-09-14. Retrieved 2019-05-04.
  9. Morris, Linda (8 June 2017). "Steve Toltz's Quicksand wins $10,000 humour writing prize". Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 25 October 2017.
  10. "2017 - Russell Prize for Humour Writing". State Library of NSW. 2017-05-10. Retrieved 2019-05-04.
  11. "2019 - Russell Prize for Humour Writing". State Library of NSW. 2019-04-16. Retrieved 2019-05-04.
  12. "Russell Prize for Humour Writing 2019 shortlist announced". Books + Publishing. 18 April 2019. Retrieved 30 April 2019.
  13. "Lui wins Russell Prize for Humour Writing, Bunting wins inaugural writing for young people award". Books+Publishing. 2021-06-18. Retrieved 2021-09-17.
  14. "Russell Prize for Humour Writing 2021 shortlists announced". Books+Publishing. 2021-05-26. Retrieved 2021-05-26.
  15. "The Russell Prize for Humour Writing". State Library of NSW. 2020-04-29. Retrieved 2023-05-11.
  16. "Russell Prize for Humour Writing 2023 shortlists announced". Books+Publishing. 2023-04-27. Retrieved 2023-05-11.
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