Sisters in Crime Australia has announced its shortlist for its 24th Davitt Awards for the best crime and mystery books –seven adult novels, four non-fiction books, two YA adult novels, four children’s novels. Four of the adult novels are debut works. All 37 debut books are also under consideration for the Debut Award.
Judges’ coordinator, Ruth Wykes, said that having 19 books on the shortlist wasn’t all that disproportionate given that there are 153 books in contention overall.
“It’s been a Herculean task for the six judges – so many fabulous books have missed the cut. Australian women’s crime writing is riding a huge wave that has left our shores and is now sweeping around the world,” Wykes said.
“There are hugely different approaches to writing crime. Amanda Hampson’s The Tea Ladies is a cozy set in Sydney factories in the sixties while Bronwyn Hall’s The Chasm breathes new life into the somewhat tired ‘rural noir’ trope – it starts with the vet heroine with her hands up the hindquarters of a cow and culminates in a pursuit on horseback across the mountains to rival The Man from Snowy River,” she said.
“Quite a few books also push crime writing to the edge. Several, such as Marija Pericic’s Exquisite Corpse and Monica Vuu’s When One of Us Hurts, are quite dark, perhaps bordering on even Gothic.”
Violence against women is, of course, is always bubbling away in the background, Wykes said.
“Suzie Miller’s novel, Prima Facie, based on her Olivier and Tony Award-winning play of the same name, is a confronting exploration of what happens when a criminal barrister renown for getting rapists off is herself raped. Nicole Madigan’s Obsession is a first-hand account of being stalked – by a woman! Ahona Guha’s debut book, Reclaim: Understanding complex trauma and those who abuse, provides insights into the impact of childhood trauma on shaping criminal behaviour.”
Wykes praised the Young Adult and children’s novels.
“The judges relish the Young Adult and children’s novels for their originality, exuberant humour, and fresh approaches.
“Our only complaint is that this year there weren’t a lot of offerings in the Young Adult category – such a shame as there are so many outstanding crime writers in this field,” she said.
This year the Davitts are again supported by the Swinburne University of Technology.
Six Davitt Awards will be presented at a gala dinner at South Melbourne’s Rising Sun Hotel on Saturday 31 August by award-winning author and global publishing phenomenon, Sulari Gentill: Best Adult Novel; Best Young Adult Novel; Best Children’s Novel; Best Non-fiction Book; Best Debut Book (any category); and Readers’ Choice (as voted by the 600+ members of Sisters in Crime Australia). Before the awards presentation, Sulari will be talk about her life in crime with Sisters in Crime’s president and author, Kelly Gardiner. Bookings here.
The awards are handsome wooded trophies featuring the front cover of the winning novel under perspex. No prize money is attached.
Voting for the Readers’ Award Choice closes Wednesday 31 July, 11.30 pm. Information here.
The judging panel for 2024 comprises Ruth Wykes 2016 Scarlet Stiletto Award winner, true crime author and editor; Deb Bodinnar, retired bookseller; Emily Gale, editor and author of Junior and Young Adult fiction; Romany Rzechowicz, 2023 Scarlet Stiletto Award winner and communications manager; Emily Webb, journalist, author and podcaster; and Lyn Yates, professor of education.
The shortlist is pasted in below and it’s also available as a pdf.
DAVITTS 2024 SHORTLIST
Adult novels (7)
Bronwyn Hall, The Chasm (HQ Fiction)
Amanda Hampson, The Tea Ladies (Penguin Random House)
Christine Keighery, The Half Brother (Ultimo Press) Debut
Suzie Miller, Prima Facie (Pan Macmillan Australia) Debut
Marija Pericic, Exquisite Corpse (Ultimo Press)
Darcy Tindale, The Fall Between (Penguin Random House) Debut
Monica Vuu, When One of Us Hurts (Pan Macmillan Australia) Debut
Non-fiction (4)
Ahona Guha, Reclaim: Understanding complex trauma and those who abuse (Scribe Publications) Debut
Rebecca Hazel, The Schoolgirl, her Teacher and his Wife (Penguin Random House)
Christine Kenneally, Ghosts of the Orphanage (Hachette Australia)
Nicole Madigan, Obsession (Pantera Press) Debut
Young Adult novels (2)
Amy Doak, Eleanor Jones Is Not a Murderer (Penguin Random House) Debut
Ellie Marney, Some Shall Break (Allen & Unwin)
Children’s novels (4)
Lucinda Gifford, The Wolves of Greycoat Hall (Walker Books)
Kelli Anne Hawkins, Copycat (HarperCollins Australia)
Alison Tait, The First Summer of Callie McGee (Scholastic Australia)
Anna Zobel, This Camp Is Doomed: A Dennith Grange misadventure (Penguin Random House)
Media comment: Ruth Wykes on rwykes7@bigpond.com; 0407 898 754
More info: Carmel Shute, Secretary & National Co-convenor, Sisters in Crime Australia, on 0412 569 356; admin@sistersincrime.org.au