Australian sex lives on shortlist

Associate Professor Frank Bongiorno’s book The Sex Lives of Australians: A History has been shortlisted for a 2013 Prime Minister’s Literary Award.

“It’s a great honour just to be shortlisted. I’m still getting over the fact that someone was willing to publish it,” says Frank.

The book, which was eight years in the making and written between other academic commitments, is the first book to explore the history of sexuality in Australia from the arrival of British settlers in 1788 to the present.

Critics have described Frank’s book as a 'work of real significance that makes a fresh contribution to understanding our culture' and ‘one of the most important works of Australian history to be published in the last decade’.

The Sex Lives of Australians: A History is one of five books to make the shortlist for the award’s Australian history category. In its sixth year, the Prime Minister’s Literary Awards recognise the best in Australian fiction, poetry, non-fiction, history, young adult and children's fiction published in 2012. 

Frank, who has started writing a book about the history of Australia in the 1990s, says he is not thinking about taking out the top prize but simply enjoying the moment of being nominated amongst an exceptional list of writers.

“A book usually takes years to write so when they come out you need to squeeze every last bit of enjoyment out of it,” he says.

The Prime Minister Julia Gillard and Arts Minister Tony Burke, in announcing the shortlists, commended the quality and diversity of entries, noting the evolving richness of Australia's literary sector.

A total of $595,000 will be awarded in six award categories, making the Prime Minister’s Literary Awards the richest literary awards in Australia.

A prize of $80,000 will be awarded to the winner of each of the award categories.

The shortlist

Fiction shortlist

  • Floundering by Romy Ash
  • The Chemistry of Tears by Peter Carey
  • Questions of Travel by Michelle de Kretser
  • Lost Voices by Christopher Koch
  • Mateship with Birds by Carrie Tiffany

Poetry shortlist

  • Burning Rice by Eileen Chong
  • The Sunlit Zone by Lisa Jacobson
  • Jam Tree Gully: Poems by John Kinsella
  • Liquid Nitrogen by Jennifer Maiden
  • Crimson Crop by Peter Rose 

Non-fiction shortlist

  • Bradman’s Warby Malcolm Knox
  • Uncommon Soldier by Chris Masters
  •  Plein Airs and Graces by Adrian Mitchell
  • The Australian Moment by George Megalogenis
  • Bold Palates by Barbara Santich

Prize for Australian History shortlist

  • The Sex Lives of Australians: A History by Frank Bongiorno
  • Sandakan by Paul Ham
  • Gough Whitlam by Jenny Hocking
  • Farewell, dear people by Ross McMullin
  • The Censor’s Library by Nicole Moore

Young adult fiction shortlist

  • Everything Left Unsaid by Jessica Davidson
  • The Children of the King by Sonya Hartnett
  • Grace Beside Me by Sue McPherson
  • Fog a Dox by Bruce Pascoe
  • Friday Brown by Vikki Wakefield

Children’s fiction shortlist

  • Red by Libby Gleeson
  • Today We Have No Plans by Jane Godwin and illustrated by Anna Walker
  • What’s the Matter, Aunty May? by Peter Friend and illustrated by Andrew Joyner
  • The Beginner’s Guide to Revenge by Marianne Musgrove

Visit the Prime Minister's Literary Awards website for more information.