Chris Hammer has won the 2024 ACT Book of the Year Award worth $10,000 for The Seven (A&U).
Unbound (Ayesha Inoon, HQ Fiction) and The Measure of Grief: Stories (J Ashley-Smith, Meerkat Press) received a special award for the award, while insomnia (Paul Hetherington, Pierian Springs Press), Tiwi Story: History turned upside down (Mavis Kerinaiua & Laura Rademaker, NewSouth) and The great Gallipoli escape (Jackie French, HarperCollins) were also shortlisted.
Judges Helen Ennis, TR Napper and Barrina South said: The Seven“Chris Hammer proves that he has mastered the crime genre perfectly. From the first pages, Hammer creates a thrilling narrative full of suspense that draws the reader into a gripping, captivating intrigue.”
“Hammer conveys a beautiful sense of place, developing this quintessentially Australian story full of compelling characters who reflect poignantly on their own lives. The narrative, which reveals the power of the landed gentry in a fictional small town, is deftly controlled so that the reader is never sure where they will be taken next until the final denouement. The town itself acts as a powerful metaphor, with its Art Deco facade providing a striking backdrop for this world-class crime thriller.”
Tara Cheyne, Australian Parliamentary Minister for Arts, Culture and Creative Industries, said the ACT Book of the Year Award showcases “the talent and excellence of our local authors”. “Not only is it a celebration of the great work that comes out of the community each year, but it is also designed to inspire those who have an idea, a seed for a book, to ‘pick up the pen’ and start writing,” Cheyne added.
Category: Awards Local News
