Celebration: 24th Davitt Awards for the best crime books by Australian women

Proudly supported by Swinburne University of Technology, Department of Media and Communication

6.00 for 6.30 pm Saturday 31 August

Frock up (or suit up) and join us for an à la carte dinner as we present Sisters in Crime’s annual Davitt Awards.

This year, our guest presenter is award-winning author and global publishing phenomenon, Sulari Gentill, who will discuss her life in crime with Sisters in Crime’s president and author, Kelly Gardiner before presenting six awards.

An amazing 153 books written by Australian women and published in 2023 are competing for Davitt’s in six categories: Best Adult Crime Novel, Best Children’s Crime Novel, Best Young Adult Crime Novel, Best True Crime Book, Best Debut Book (any category) and Readers’ Choice, as judged by the 600+ members of Sisters in Crime.

Sulari Gentill is the award-winning, best-selling author of 16 published novels. Her body of work includes The Rowland Sinclair Mysteries, The Hero TrilogyAfter She Wrote Him (which won the 2018 Ned Kelly Award), and the USA Today bestseller, The Woman in the Library, which was the winner of the Crime Lovers Best Novel by an independent publisher award, an Edgar Award nominee, a New York Times recommended read, a Goodreads most anticipated read, an Amazon editor’s pick and a CrimeReads best book of June.

Her latest release is The Mystery Writer, an Amazon editor’s pick, an American Library Pick for March, and a Midwest Independent Booksellers bestseller. Sulari lives in the foothills of the Snowy Mountains with her family and a very indulged and beloved menagerie – and grows French black truffles.

Kelly Gardiner writes historical fiction, fantasy, and crime fiction for all ages. Her latest series is The Firewatcher Chronicles and her other books include 1917, shortlisted for the NSW Premier’s Young People’s History Prize; Act of Faith and The Sultan’s Eyes, both shortlisted for the NSW Premier’s Literary Awards; and the Swashbuckler pirate trilogy. Goddess, a novel based on the life of the queer, sword-fighting, cross-dressing opera star, Mademoiselle de Maupin, is being adapted for the screen. Her Austen-inspired crime novel, Miss Caroline Bingley, Private Investigator, co-authored with Sharmini Kumar, will be out early 2025.

Kelly taught creative writing for many years and is now writing full-time. She is President of Sisters in Crime Australia and Deputy Chair of the Australian Society of Authors.

Tickets: Entry and dinner combined charge: $60 non-members; $55 concession; $52 Sisters in Crime and Writers Victoria members, $50 under 19. (No door tix.)

Book individually or in groups of up to 10. Men or ‘brothers-in-law’ welcome.

Bookings essential by Wednesday 28 August, 12 noon here.

Venue: The Rising Sun Hotel (upstairs – no lift), cnr Raglan Street and Eastern Road, South Melbourne. Free on-street parking. Trams 1, 12 or 55 or St Kilda Road trams.

Sun Bookshop stall: Members receive a 10% discount.

Davitt Awards background here.

Additional information: Carmel Shute, Secretary & National Co-convenor: 0412 569 356; admin@sistersincrime.org.au.