Latest news with #StellaPrize
The Advertiser
23-05-2025
- Entertainment
- The Advertiser
Novel formula for interrupted tale claims Stella Prize
Michelle de Kretser is one of Australia's most celebrated writers - but the $60,000 Stella Prize has been a long time coming. The Sri Lankan-born Sydney author has been shortlisted three times, including for the very first Stella awarded in 2013, and has even judged the awards. Now her latest work of fiction, Theory & Practice, has finally won the $60,000 prize for Australian women and non-binary writers, announced Friday at the Sydney Writers Festival. "I thought this would be another shortlisting at best ... so it was just thrilling and incredible, and I've felt very lucky," she said ahead of the official announcement. "Theory & Practice is an exceptional novel of hyper realism in which Michelle de Kretser, an author at the height of her powers, interrogates the messiness of life found in the gap between theory and practice," said chair of the judging panel Astrid Edwards. Theory & Practice begins with the tale of an Australian geologist in Switzerland, but is interrupted by what appears to be the author, aged in her twenties - declaring that she no longer wants to write novels that read like novels. The life and thoughts of this young woman take over, including her complicated relationship with literary hero Virginia Woolf - the "Woolfmother". There are sections on the pioneering English author, including investigating her anti-Semitism, and de Kretser declares these parts are as accurate as she could make them. But the characters and events of Theory & Practice are entirely fictitious. Adding to the trickery, one edition of the book has a snap of de Kretser as a student on the front cover, taken in the Melbourne suburb of St Kilda. "I wanted to write this novel that would make people think, 'Is this memoir? Is this all non-fiction?' But it's not, it's actually fiction that doesn't read like fiction," she said. Unlike her protagonist, de Kretser never studied Woolf at university, but reading about Woolf's late novel The Years, she found the English author had attempted to alternate story and essay. Woolf eventually ditched the idea, but for de Kretser it provided the scaffolding for an innovative structure. "The fiction, non-fiction thing didn't work for Virginia Woolf, I don't think it's going to work for me! So I will just try and do more of a mix," she said. Theory & Practice also investigates the pervasive tension between the work that artists leave behind, and their lives and political views. From Pablo Picasso to George Orwell, Paul Gauguin and Donald Friend, there's a long list of artists who would be cancelled - or jailed - if they were they alive today. So how to judge our literary heroes when we discover they have feet of clay? Openness is a start, according to de Kretser. "No one is perfect, but we acknowledge that people have done or said or written certain things that we find unacceptable, and that can be very hurtful," she said. At least the field of potential literary heroes has widened since Woolf's era - thanks in part to her own theory and practice, and thanks also to initiatives such as the Stella Prize. There were 180 entries for the 2025 Stella, and for the first time in the award's 13 years, the shortlist featured only women of colour. The Stella has made a difference to the book industry broadly, said de Kretser. "There has been much greater awareness of reviewing books by women, and greater awareness of gender issues on prize shortlists," she said. Michelle de Kretser is one of Australia's most celebrated writers - but the $60,000 Stella Prize has been a long time coming. The Sri Lankan-born Sydney author has been shortlisted three times, including for the very first Stella awarded in 2013, and has even judged the awards. Now her latest work of fiction, Theory & Practice, has finally won the $60,000 prize for Australian women and non-binary writers, announced Friday at the Sydney Writers Festival. "I thought this would be another shortlisting at best ... so it was just thrilling and incredible, and I've felt very lucky," she said ahead of the official announcement. "Theory & Practice is an exceptional novel of hyper realism in which Michelle de Kretser, an author at the height of her powers, interrogates the messiness of life found in the gap between theory and practice," said chair of the judging panel Astrid Edwards. Theory & Practice begins with the tale of an Australian geologist in Switzerland, but is interrupted by what appears to be the author, aged in her twenties - declaring that she no longer wants to write novels that read like novels. The life and thoughts of this young woman take over, including her complicated relationship with literary hero Virginia Woolf - the "Woolfmother". There are sections on the pioneering English author, including investigating her anti-Semitism, and de Kretser declares these parts are as accurate as she could make them. But the characters and events of Theory & Practice are entirely fictitious. Adding to the trickery, one edition of the book has a snap of de Kretser as a student on the front cover, taken in the Melbourne suburb of St Kilda. "I wanted to write this novel that would make people think, 'Is this memoir? Is this all non-fiction?' But it's not, it's actually fiction that doesn't read like fiction," she said. Unlike her protagonist, de Kretser never studied Woolf at university, but reading about Woolf's late novel The Years, she found the English author had attempted to alternate story and essay. Woolf eventually ditched the idea, but for de Kretser it provided the scaffolding for an innovative structure. "The fiction, non-fiction thing didn't work for Virginia Woolf, I don't think it's going to work for me! So I will just try and do more of a mix," she said. Theory & Practice also investigates the pervasive tension between the work that artists leave behind, and their lives and political views. From Pablo Picasso to George Orwell, Paul Gauguin and Donald Friend, there's a long list of artists who would be cancelled - or jailed - if they were they alive today. So how to judge our literary heroes when we discover they have feet of clay? Openness is a start, according to de Kretser. "No one is perfect, but we acknowledge that people have done or said or written certain things that we find unacceptable, and that can be very hurtful," she said. At least the field of potential literary heroes has widened since Woolf's era - thanks in part to her own theory and practice, and thanks also to initiatives such as the Stella Prize. There were 180 entries for the 2025 Stella, and for the first time in the award's 13 years, the shortlist featured only women of colour. The Stella has made a difference to the book industry broadly, said de Kretser. "There has been much greater awareness of reviewing books by women, and greater awareness of gender issues on prize shortlists," she said. Michelle de Kretser is one of Australia's most celebrated writers - but the $60,000 Stella Prize has been a long time coming. The Sri Lankan-born Sydney author has been shortlisted three times, including for the very first Stella awarded in 2013, and has even judged the awards. Now her latest work of fiction, Theory & Practice, has finally won the $60,000 prize for Australian women and non-binary writers, announced Friday at the Sydney Writers Festival. "I thought this would be another shortlisting at best ... so it was just thrilling and incredible, and I've felt very lucky," she said ahead of the official announcement. "Theory & Practice is an exceptional novel of hyper realism in which Michelle de Kretser, an author at the height of her powers, interrogates the messiness of life found in the gap between theory and practice," said chair of the judging panel Astrid Edwards. Theory & Practice begins with the tale of an Australian geologist in Switzerland, but is interrupted by what appears to be the author, aged in her twenties - declaring that she no longer wants to write novels that read like novels. The life and thoughts of this young woman take over, including her complicated relationship with literary hero Virginia Woolf - the "Woolfmother". There are sections on the pioneering English author, including investigating her anti-Semitism, and de Kretser declares these parts are as accurate as she could make them. But the characters and events of Theory & Practice are entirely fictitious. Adding to the trickery, one edition of the book has a snap of de Kretser as a student on the front cover, taken in the Melbourne suburb of St Kilda. "I wanted to write this novel that would make people think, 'Is this memoir? Is this all non-fiction?' But it's not, it's actually fiction that doesn't read like fiction," she said. Unlike her protagonist, de Kretser never studied Woolf at university, but reading about Woolf's late novel The Years, she found the English author had attempted to alternate story and essay. Woolf eventually ditched the idea, but for de Kretser it provided the scaffolding for an innovative structure. "The fiction, non-fiction thing didn't work for Virginia Woolf, I don't think it's going to work for me! So I will just try and do more of a mix," she said. Theory & Practice also investigates the pervasive tension between the work that artists leave behind, and their lives and political views. From Pablo Picasso to George Orwell, Paul Gauguin and Donald Friend, there's a long list of artists who would be cancelled - or jailed - if they were they alive today. So how to judge our literary heroes when we discover they have feet of clay? Openness is a start, according to de Kretser. "No one is perfect, but we acknowledge that people have done or said or written certain things that we find unacceptable, and that can be very hurtful," she said. At least the field of potential literary heroes has widened since Woolf's era - thanks in part to her own theory and practice, and thanks also to initiatives such as the Stella Prize. There were 180 entries for the 2025 Stella, and for the first time in the award's 13 years, the shortlist featured only women of colour. The Stella has made a difference to the book industry broadly, said de Kretser. "There has been much greater awareness of reviewing books by women, and greater awareness of gender issues on prize shortlists," she said. Michelle de Kretser is one of Australia's most celebrated writers - but the $60,000 Stella Prize has been a long time coming. The Sri Lankan-born Sydney author has been shortlisted three times, including for the very first Stella awarded in 2013, and has even judged the awards. Now her latest work of fiction, Theory & Practice, has finally won the $60,000 prize for Australian women and non-binary writers, announced Friday at the Sydney Writers Festival. "I thought this would be another shortlisting at best ... so it was just thrilling and incredible, and I've felt very lucky," she said ahead of the official announcement. "Theory & Practice is an exceptional novel of hyper realism in which Michelle de Kretser, an author at the height of her powers, interrogates the messiness of life found in the gap between theory and practice," said chair of the judging panel Astrid Edwards. Theory & Practice begins with the tale of an Australian geologist in Switzerland, but is interrupted by what appears to be the author, aged in her twenties - declaring that she no longer wants to write novels that read like novels. The life and thoughts of this young woman take over, including her complicated relationship with literary hero Virginia Woolf - the "Woolfmother". There are sections on the pioneering English author, including investigating her anti-Semitism, and de Kretser declares these parts are as accurate as she could make them. But the characters and events of Theory & Practice are entirely fictitious. Adding to the trickery, one edition of the book has a snap of de Kretser as a student on the front cover, taken in the Melbourne suburb of St Kilda. "I wanted to write this novel that would make people think, 'Is this memoir? Is this all non-fiction?' But it's not, it's actually fiction that doesn't read like fiction," she said. Unlike her protagonist, de Kretser never studied Woolf at university, but reading about Woolf's late novel The Years, she found the English author had attempted to alternate story and essay. Woolf eventually ditched the idea, but for de Kretser it provided the scaffolding for an innovative structure. "The fiction, non-fiction thing didn't work for Virginia Woolf, I don't think it's going to work for me! So I will just try and do more of a mix," she said. Theory & Practice also investigates the pervasive tension between the work that artists leave behind, and their lives and political views. From Pablo Picasso to George Orwell, Paul Gauguin and Donald Friend, there's a long list of artists who would be cancelled - or jailed - if they were they alive today. So how to judge our literary heroes when we discover they have feet of clay? Openness is a start, according to de Kretser. "No one is perfect, but we acknowledge that people have done or said or written certain things that we find unacceptable, and that can be very hurtful," she said. At least the field of potential literary heroes has widened since Woolf's era - thanks in part to her own theory and practice, and thanks also to initiatives such as the Stella Prize. There were 180 entries for the 2025 Stella, and for the first time in the award's 13 years, the shortlist featured only women of colour. The Stella has made a difference to the book industry broadly, said de Kretser. "There has been much greater awareness of reviewing books by women, and greater awareness of gender issues on prize shortlists," she said.
Sydney Morning Herald
23-05-2025
- Politics
- Sydney Morning Herald
‘Serious consequences for Australian democracy': Author uses prize speech to warn against censorship
Australian author Michelle de Kretser has described feeling afraid of speaking publicly about the conflict in Gaza and warned against the serious consequences of censorship as she accepted the 2025 Stella Prize for her book Theory & Practice. In her acceptance speech for the prestigious literary award, the Sri Lanka-born author said she believed truthful speech about what the Israeli government is doing in Gaza is being shut down and accused the Australian government of being complicit with 'material and diplomatic support'. 'That complicity has had serious consequences for Australian democracy. We've seen scholars, creatives and journalists silenced, their funding revoked and their contracts cancelled for expressing anti-genocide views ... We've seen our institutions and our media betray the principles they're supposed to uphold,' she said. 'We've seen language suffer Orwellian distortions. We've seen our leaders pander to the anti-Arab racism of that global bully the United States. And all of this damage has been done to prop up Israel: a brazenly cruel foreign power, whose leaders are internationally wanted criminals.' According to the Sydney-based author, the aim of this suppression is to intimidate. 'In Australia today it isn't those applauding mass murder who have cause to be afraid, but those speaking out against it. Principally targeted are Palestinians, Arabs, Muslims, First Nations people, people of colour, queers,' she said. 'All the time I was writing these words, a voice in my head whispered, You will be punished. You will be smeared with labels as potent and ugly as they're false.' 'I'm still afraid. But I've just accepted a prize that is not about obedience. It's not about feel-good narratives, it's not about marketing, it's not even about creativity – Stella is about changing the world.'
West Australian
23-05-2025
- Entertainment
- West Australian
Novel formula for interrupted tale claims Stella Prize
Michelle de Kretser is one of Australia's most celebrated writers - but the $60,000 Stella Prize has been a long time coming. The Sri Lankan-born Sydney author has been shortlisted three times, including for the very first Stella awarded in 2013, and has even judged the awards. Now her latest work of fiction, Theory & Practice, has finally won the $60,000 prize for Australian women and non-binary writers, announced Friday at the Sydney Writers Festival. "I thought this would be another shortlisting at best ... so it was just thrilling and incredible, and I've felt very lucky," she said ahead of the official announcement. "Theory & Practice is an exceptional novel of hyper realism in which Michelle de Kretser, an author at the height of her powers, interrogates the messiness of life found in the gap between theory and practice," said chair of the judging panel Astrid Edwards. Theory & Practice begins with the tale of an Australian geologist in Switzerland, but is interrupted by what appears to be the author, aged in her twenties - declaring that she no longer wants to write novels that read like novels. The life and thoughts of this young woman take over, including her complicated relationship with literary hero Virginia Woolf - the "Woolfmother". There are sections on the pioneering English author, including investigating her anti-Semitism, and de Kretser declares these parts are as accurate as she could make them. But the characters and events of Theory & Practice are entirely fictitious. Adding to the trickery, one edition of the book has a snap of de Kretser as a student on the front cover, taken in the Melbourne suburb of St Kilda. "I wanted to write this novel that would make people think, 'Is this memoir? Is this all non-fiction?' But it's not, it's actually fiction that doesn't read like fiction," she said. Unlike her protagonist, de Kretser never studied Woolf at university, but reading about Woolf's late novel The Years, she found the English author had attempted to alternate story and essay. Woolf eventually ditched the idea, but for de Kretser it provided the scaffolding for an innovative structure. "The fiction, non-fiction thing didn't work for Virginia Woolf, I don't think it's going to work for me! So I will just try and do more of a mix," she said. Theory & Practice also investigates the pervasive tension between the work that artists leave behind, and their lives and political views. From Pablo Picasso to George Orwell, Paul Gauguin and Donald Friend, there's a long list of artists who would be cancelled - or jailed - if they were they alive today. So how to judge our literary heroes when we discover they have feet of clay? Openness is a start, according to de Kretser. "No one is perfect, but we acknowledge that people have done or said or written certain things that we find unacceptable, and that can be very hurtful," she said. At least the field of potential literary heroes has widened since Woolf's era - thanks in part to her own theory and practice, and thanks also to initiatives such as the Stella Prize. There were 180 entries for the 2025 Stella, and for the first time in the award's 13 years, the shortlist featured only women of colour. The Stella has made a difference to the book industry broadly, said de Kretser. "There has been much greater awareness of reviewing books by women, and greater awareness of gender issues on prize shortlists," she said.
Perth Now
23-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Perth Now
Novel formula for interrupted tale claims Stella Prize
Michelle de Kretser is one of Australia's most celebrated writers - but the $60,000 Stella Prize has been a long time coming. The Sri Lankan-born Sydney author has been shortlisted three times, including for the very first Stella awarded in 2013, and has even judged the awards. Now her latest work of fiction, Theory & Practice, has finally won the $60,000 prize for Australian women and non-binary writers, announced Friday at the Sydney Writers Festival. "I thought this would be another shortlisting at best ... so it was just thrilling and incredible, and I've felt very lucky," she said ahead of the official announcement. "Theory & Practice is an exceptional novel of hyper realism in which Michelle de Kretser, an author at the height of her powers, interrogates the messiness of life found in the gap between theory and practice," said chair of the judging panel Astrid Edwards. Theory & Practice begins with the tale of an Australian geologist in Switzerland, but is interrupted by what appears to be the author, aged in her twenties - declaring that she no longer wants to write novels that read like novels. The life and thoughts of this young woman take over, including her complicated relationship with literary hero Virginia Woolf - the "Woolfmother". There are sections on the pioneering English author, including investigating her anti-Semitism, and de Kretser declares these parts are as accurate as she could make them. But the characters and events of Theory & Practice are entirely fictitious. Adding to the trickery, one edition of the book has a snap of de Kretser as a student on the front cover, taken in the Melbourne suburb of St Kilda. "I wanted to write this novel that would make people think, 'Is this memoir? Is this all non-fiction?' But it's not, it's actually fiction that doesn't read like fiction," she said. Unlike her protagonist, de Kretser never studied Woolf at university, but reading about Woolf's late novel The Years, she found the English author had attempted to alternate story and essay. Woolf eventually ditched the idea, but for de Kretser it provided the scaffolding for an innovative structure. "The fiction, non-fiction thing didn't work for Virginia Woolf, I don't think it's going to work for me! So I will just try and do more of a mix," she said. Theory & Practice also investigates the pervasive tension between the work that artists leave behind, and their lives and political views. From Pablo Picasso to George Orwell, Paul Gauguin and Donald Friend, there's a long list of artists who would be cancelled - or jailed - if they were they alive today. So how to judge our literary heroes when we discover they have feet of clay? Openness is a start, according to de Kretser. "No one is perfect, but we acknowledge that people have done or said or written certain things that we find unacceptable, and that can be very hurtful," she said. At least the field of potential literary heroes has widened since Woolf's era - thanks in part to her own theory and practice, and thanks also to initiatives such as the Stella Prize. There were 180 entries for the 2025 Stella, and for the first time in the award's 13 years, the shortlist featured only women of colour. The Stella has made a difference to the book industry broadly, said de Kretser. "There has been much greater awareness of reviewing books by women, and greater awareness of gender issues on prize shortlists," she said.
The Age
23-05-2025
- Politics
- The Age
‘Serious consequences for Australian democracy': Author uses prize speech to warn against censorship
Australian author Michelle de Kretser has described feeling afraid of speaking publicly about the conflict in Gaza and warned against the serious consequences of censorship as she accepted the 2025 Stella Prize for her book Theory & Practice. In her acceptance speech for the prestigious literary award, the Sri Lanka-born author said she believed truthful speech about what the Israeli government is doing in Gaza is being shut down and accused the Australian government of being complicit with 'material and diplomatic support'. 'That complicity has had serious consequences for Australian democracy. We've seen scholars, creatives and journalists silenced, their funding revoked and their contracts cancelled for expressing anti-genocide views ... We've seen our institutions and our media betray the principles they're supposed to uphold,' she said. 'We've seen language suffer Orwellian distortions. We've seen our leaders pander to the anti-Arab racism of that global bully the United States. And all of this damage has been done to prop up Israel: a brazenly cruel foreign power, whose leaders are internationally wanted criminals.' According to the Sydney-based author, the aim of this suppression is to intimidate. 'In Australia today it isn't those applauding mass murder who have cause to be afraid, but those speaking out against it. Principally targeted are Palestinians, Arabs, Muslims, First Nations people, people of colour, queers,' she said. 'All the time I was writing these words, a voice in my head whispered, You will be punished. You will be smeared with labels as potent and ugly as they're false.' 'I'm still afraid. But I've just accepted a prize that is not about obedience. It's not about feel-good narratives, it's not about marketing, it's not even about creativity – Stella is about changing the world.'
