25th Scarlet Stiletto Awards

Presented by Kate Atkinson, star of Wentworth and Cate Kennedy, short story guru, in collaboration with crime author and performer Jane Clifton

This year, 201 short stories written by Australian women compete for $9760 in prize money. The first-prize winner will also take home a spectacular scarlet stiletto trophy.

Kate Atkinson has a long criminal record – as an actor, that is. This year she received a Logie Award nomination for Most Outstanding Actress in a Leading Role for her portrayal of Governor Vera Bennett in the Fremantle production of Wentworth.

Kate has acted in many of Australia’s favourite series. Her most recent ongoing role was in Jack Irish; other series include Rush, The Dr Blake Mysteries, Miss Fisher’s Murder Mysteries, Blue Heelers, State Coroner and the much-loved SeaChange, giving a memorable portrayal of Constable Karen Miller. Before presenting the major Scarlet Stiletto awards, she will talk to Jane Clifton about her life in crime.

In honour of the 25th Scarlet Stilettos, Sisters in Crime has befittingly asked Cate Kennedy, winner of the first two Scarlet Stiletto Awards, to give a short talk – ‘These heels are made for walkin’’ – about how this recognition transformed her life. She will also present framed certificates to this year’s shortlisted authors and launch Scarlet Stiletto: The Tenth Cut (Clan Destine Press), an e-book of this year’s winning stories.

Since discovering her mojo in a matching pair of scarlet stilettos, Cate has written The World Beneath (Scribe, 2009), which won the NSW Premier’s Prize for Literature People’s Choice Award, and has been published in the UK, North America, France and China. She has also written three collections of poetry; a memoir about volunteering; and two short story collections: Dark Roots (Scribe, 2006) and Like a House on Fire (Scribe, 2012). She still loves crime fiction, and is still trying to write it.

Jane Clifton, author, actress, singer and registered marriage celebrant, is still most famous for her 1980s role as bank robber Margo Gaffney in Prisoner, the show upon which Wentworth is based. Ironically, Prisoner was one of the last shows not to pay its cast for repeat screenings. In the late 1970s,

Jane was a member of New Wave band Stiletto, and she has sung and acted in stage shows including Menopause: the Musical and, currently, Rock Venus: The Songs of Linda Ronstadt. Jane has also turned her hand to writing, working as a marriage celebrant and driving for Sheba, an all-female ride-share company. Her three crime novels are Half Past Dead; A Hand in the Bush; and Flush (Clan Destine Press, 2002, 2005 and 2013 respectively). www.janeclifton.com.au

6 for 6.30pm Saturday 24 November

Tickets: $58 (no concession) event and dinner. Drinks available at bar prices. Men or ‘Brothers in Law’ welcome.

Bookings close  2pm Wednesday 21 November. All seats are limited so book early — individually or in tables of up to 10: http://scarlet2018dinner.eventbrite.com

Venue: Thornbury Theatre, Velvet Room, 859 High Street, Thornbury http://thethornburytheatre.com/

Additional information:  Carmel Shute: 0412 569 356; admin@sistersincrime.org.au

Sun Bookshop stall: members receive a 10% discount

Prizes kindly sponsored by Swinburne University of Technology; Simon & Schuster; Athenaeum Library; International Association of Forensic Linguists; Every Cloud Productions; Writers Victoria; Sun Bookshop; Fleurieu Consult; HarperCollins Publishing; Clan Destine Press; Scriptworks; Kerry Greenwood; and Brisbane Chapter of Sisters in Crime.