Media Release

Grollo Family Backs New Prize in Premier's Literary Awards

The family of Mr Rino Grollo and Mrs Diana Grollo is sponsoring a new category in this year’s Victorian Premier’s Literary Awards. The Grollo Ruzzene Foundation Prize for Writing about Italians in Australia offers a prize of $15,000 and aims to promote books which explore the experiences of Italians in Australia.

'Diana and I want to encourage people from all backgrounds to write about the experience of Italians in Australia. It is a big story and part of what makes us Australian', said Mr Grollo. Eligible works for entry will include migration studies, histories, travel narratives, published plays and screenplays, biographies, collections of poems and novels for adults or children.

2005 is the 21st year of the Victorian Premier’s Literary Awards. In just over two decades, the Awards have expanded from five to ten and the total prize money has grown to $180,000. The Awards recognise the best Australian books, essays, screenplays and drama published or produced each year. They aim to promote literary endeavour and a reading culture through honouring Australian literature, ideas, innovation and learning.

In 2005 the Awards will continue to recognise and promote both emerging and established writers through a comprehensive range of prizes. These include the Village Roadshow Prize for Screen Writing ($15,000) and the Alfred Deakin Prize for an Essay Advancing Public Debate ($15,000).

The Nettie Palmer Prize for Non-Fiction ($30,000),established in 1985 to honour the eminent Victorian writer and critic, is Australia’s richest annual prize for non-fiction.

With the exceptions noted below, the Awards are open to all Australians with works first published (or performed) between 1 May 2004 and 30 April 2005.

Prizes offered in 2005 are:

• The Vance Palmer Prize for Fiction $30,000
• The Nettie Palmer Prize for Non-Fiction $30,000   
• The Prize for Young Adult Fiction $15,000
• The C J Dennis Prize for Poetry $15,000
• The Louis Esson Prize for Drama  $15,000
• The Alfred Deakin Prize for an Essay Advancing Public Debate $15,000
• The Village Roadshow Prize for Screen Writing $15,000
• The Grollo Ruzzene Foundation Prize for Writing about Italians in Australia  $15,000
  (Eligibility period 1 May 2003 to 30 April 2005)
• The Prize for Science Writing $15,000
  (Eligibility period 1 May 2003 to 30 April 2005)
• The Prize for an Unpublished Manuscript
  by an Emerging Victorian Writer $15,000
  (Restricted to Victorian writers. In addition to the monetary award the Victorian Writers’ Centre will provide twenty hours of professional assistance in a form to be negotiated with the winning author.)

The Victorian Premier’s Literary Awards are administered by the State Library of Victoria. The closing dates for entries is 3 June 2005 and shortlisted entries will be announced on 16 September and the winners announced at an Awards dinner in October.

Entry forms and guidelines are available on the State Library of Victoria website at: www.slv.vic.gov.au/pla. For additional information contact Barry Scott 03 8664 7277 or email pla@slv.vic.gov.au