The Colin Roderick Literary Award
is one of Australia's oldest literary awards, founded in 1967 by
Professor Colin Roderick. After Professor Roderick's death in 2000, the
award was renamed in his memory. The Foundation for Australian Literary
Studies presents the annual award to the value of $20,000, coupled with
the silver H.T. Priestley Memorial Medal.
The award and medal are presented to the best original book, in the
judges' opinion, that is published in Australia in the previous calendar
year. Submissions must deal with any aspect of Australian life and can
be in any field or genre of writing, verse or prose.
Congratulations to Jock Serong, who won the 2018 Colin Roderick Literary Award with his novel On the Java Ridge.
Book description:
On the Java Ridge, skipper Isi Natoli and a group of Australian surf tourists are anchored off the Indonesian island of Dana. In the Canberra office of Cassius Calvert, Minister for Border Integrity, a federal election looms and a hardline new policy on asylum-seekers is being rolled out.
Not far from Dana, the Takalar is having engine trouble. Among the passengers on board fleeing from persecution are Roya and her mother, and Roya’s unborn sister.
The storm now closing in on the Takalar and the Java Ridge will mean catastrophe for them all.
Judge's report:
The writing leaves you breathless and there are passages that are brilliant, for example - ‘Now he understood the gravity. Now he could trace the river backwards to him at the source:’ in speaking of responsibility; ‘The pile of bodies on the island, that didn’t even enter the political calculus. … they’d died as they lived: on the wrong side of an invisible line.’ Serong brings together thriller, political critique, and adventure story in a way that might be reminiscent of James Bond, were it not that governments turn out to be the most evil of all.
The Award night at A touch of salt was well attended, the speeches were surprisingly entertaining, the food was unsurprisingly delicious, and a rowdy group of JCU librarians managed to make off with two out of three raffle prizes. Wine, books, food, and good company; the perfect night out.
Congratulations to Jock Serong, who won the 2018 Colin Roderick Literary Award with his novel On the Java Ridge.Book description:
On the Java Ridge, skipper Isi Natoli and a group of Australian surf tourists are anchored off the Indonesian island of Dana. In the Canberra office of Cassius Calvert, Minister for Border Integrity, a federal election looms and a hardline new policy on asylum-seekers is being rolled out.
Not far from Dana, the Takalar is having engine trouble. Among the passengers on board fleeing from persecution are Roya and her mother, and Roya’s unborn sister.
The storm now closing in on the Takalar and the Java Ridge will mean catastrophe for them all.
Judge's report:
The writing leaves you breathless and there are passages that are brilliant, for example - ‘Now he understood the gravity. Now he could trace the river backwards to him at the source:’ in speaking of responsibility; ‘The pile of bodies on the island, that didn’t even enter the political calculus. … they’d died as they lived: on the wrong side of an invisible line.’ Serong brings together thriller, political critique, and adventure story in a way that might be reminiscent of James Bond, were it not that governments turn out to be the most evil of all.
The Award night at A touch of salt was well attended, the speeches were surprisingly entertaining, the food was unsurprisingly delicious, and a rowdy group of JCU librarians managed to make off with two out of three raffle prizes. Wine, books, food, and good company; the perfect night out.
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| Bronwyn McBurnie, Helen Hooper, Louise Cottrell and Bronwyn Mathiesen. Photo Helen Hooper. |
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