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| Calibre Prize | |
|---|---|
| Name | Calibre Prize |
| Awarded for | Excellence in essay writing |
| Presenter | Australian Book Review |
| Country | Australia |
| First awarded | 2007 |
| Reward | Cash prize and publication |
Calibre Prize The Calibre Prize is an Australian literary award administered by Australian Book Review that honors outstanding long-form essay writing and contributes to the cultural conversation in Melbourne, Victoria, and across Australia. It was established to encourage sustained critical inquiry by authors associated with publications such as The Monthly, Griffith Review, and Meanjin, and it sits among awards like the Miles Franklin Award, Kenneth Slessor Prize for Poetry, and Stella Prize in national prominence. Entrants and winners often intersect with institutions such as University of Melbourne, Australian National University, and publishing houses including Penguin Random House, Allen & Unwin, and Transit Lounge.
The Prize was inaugurated in 2007 by Australian Book Review with support from literary patrons and benefactors linked to organizations like the Copyright Agency, Australia Council for the Arts, and the State Library of Victoria. Early years saw essays addressing subjects from Indigenous Australian histories involving figures like Eddie Mabo and events such as the Mabo case to analyses of global topics referencing Iraq War, Global Financial Crisis, and commentators associated with outlets like The Guardian (London), The Sydney Morning Herald, and The Age (Melbourne). Jurors have included critics and writers connected to University of Sydney, Monash University, La Trobe University, and editors from magazines such as Scribe Publications and Quadrant (Australian magazine). Over time the Prize intersected with debates raised by contributors to forums like the Perth Writers Festival, Melbourne Writers Festival, and organizations such as Writers Victoria.
Eligibility requires entrants to submit long-form essays previously unpublished, typically by individual writers affiliated with publications such as The Monthly, Griffith Review, Overland (magazine), or independent presses like UQP (University of Queensland Press). Submission rules reference length thresholds comparable to features in outlets such as The Atlantic, New Yorker, and London Review of Books and specify Australian residency or authorship connections to institutions including Australian Book Review, Griffith University, and literary networks like Australian Society of Authors. Entrants must follow formatting standards familiar to editors at Allen & Unwin, Cambridge University Press, and HarperCollins, and provide metadata akin to submissions for festivals such as Brisbane Writers Festival and journals like Meanjin.
The Prize awards a cash sum and publication in Australian Book Review, with past remuneration and benefits often compared to those of the Miles Franklin Award and the Patrick White Award. Judging panels have included critics and academics who have taught at Monash University, University of Melbourne, and Australian National University', and editors from magazines like Quarterly Essay, Meanjin, and Griffith Review. The adjudication process emphasizes originality and research standards similar to those for prizes administered by Copyright Agency and panels associated with events such as the Perth Festival. Shortlists and winners are announced at venues such as the State Library of Victoria and discussed on platforms including ABC Radio National, SBS, and literary podcasts like those produced by The Conversation.
Winners and shortlisted authors have included established and emerging writers who also appear in collections published by Penguin Books (Australia), Allen & Unwin, and Scribe Publications. Past recipients have written on topics intersecting with figures and events like Eddie Mabo, Uluru Statement from the Heart, Ludwig Leichhardt, and analyses involving institutions such as High Court of Australia and International Criminal Court. Shortlisted essays frequently reference contemporary subjects covered by commentators for The Guardian (Australia), The Sydney Morning Herald, The Australian, and contributors to forums like ABC News and The Conversation.
The Prize has influenced careers of essayists who later taught or held fellowships at University of Melbourne, Monash University, and Australian National University and whose work has been cited in outlets including The Guardian (London), The Atlantic, and academic journals associated with ANU Press. It has shaped public debates involving topics like Indigenous Australians’ rights and heritage, Australian foreign policy discussions involving United States–Australia relations and the Asia-Pacific, and cultural conversations promoted by festivals such as the Melbourne Writers Festival and organizations like Writers Victoria. Critical reception in publications including The Monthly, Quadrant (Australian magazine), and The Conversation highlights the Prize’s role in sustaining long-form nonfiction similar to awards like the Walkley Awards and the Walkley Book Award.
Category:Australian literary awards