Twelve judges resign from literary awards after fellowship sinking
What they said
Responding to questions from Labor's Leeanne Enoch, State Librarian Vicki McDonald said of the 36 judges lined up for the Queensland Literary Awards, to be announced next month, 12 had resigned since Wyld's award was rescinded.
'We have not had the number of judges resign previously,' McDonald, who has been in the role for nine years, said.
Langbroek, facing questions himself, stood by the decision to issue a legal direction to the library not to hand over the award on state-funded premises to someone 'appearing to justify terrorism'.
'Let me make it very clear … that I'm not questioning the skill, expertise and knowledge of [judging] panel members. What we're talking about here is the circumstances in which a fellowship was withdrawn under my direction,' he said.
Asked if he would rule out intervening in any other awards, Langbroek said he would take similar action in future 'if it's deemed necessary' and said if people 'choose not to be judges again, we will find other judges'.
Another perspective
Wyld told Guardian Australia in May that her X post bore no relevance to her manuscript on the Stolen Generations that originally garnered her the fellowship.
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'I probably could have worded it less emotional,' Wyld said. 'It was mostly me being really devastated at the Albanese government's approach to the whole [Gaza] situation.'
The Australian Society of Authors said in May it intended to write to Langbroek and Premier David Crisafulli to 'call for a strong stance on freedom of expression and independent arts funding processes'.
What you need to know
Enoch also used the hearing to question QPAC chief executive Rachel Healy about the $175 million New Performing Arts Venue – to be known as the Glasshouse Theatre after a recent public poll – and the original plan to name it after a prominent First Nations figure.
Healy told the hearing that the QPAC board was invited by the then Arts Department director-general in August 2023 to 'provide advice on the name of the new theatre'.
Healy confirmed the board made a recommendation to the department in March 2024 featuring 'a range of names' but that the name of activist and poet Oodgeroo Noonuccal 'stood out' in the view of the board's Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander advisory committee.
The board was then advised in April that public consultation process would be undertaken for the name. While respondents could make their own suggestions, the only pre-selected options were Glasshouse, Lantern, Watershed and Russell.
Healy said the decision to not include Noonuccal's name in this list was 'a matter for the department and for the minister'.
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