A "sawn-off anthracite dildo” in hot demand

For a variety of reasons that may become more apparent in the coming weeks, I've been reflecting a fair bit on literary festivals, authors events, and crime writing awards lately.

As I've noted here in the past, unlike most of our English-language counterparts around the world (and many non-English speaking ones as well), New Zealand does not have a crime/thriller writing association, or an award recognising great crime writing. We love our crime fiction down here - the international stuff at least, while we are getting better (slowly) at publishing, supporting, and reading some of our own.


After seeing the shortlists for the Arthur Ellis Awards (Canadian crime fiction) yesterday, I was browsing the Australian equivalent to see who might be up for the Ned Kelly Awards this year. The Ned Kelly Award (pictured) has been around since 1996, and is given out in a variety of categories to recognise the best in Australian crime writing. The award itself has been memorably described by 2009 Lifetime Achievement winner Shane Maloney as looking like “a sawn-off anthracite dildo”. But it's held in high regard, and pretty prized by our cousins across the Tasman. Deservedly.

I've been reading a bit of Australian crime fiction lately, including Michael Robotham's BLEED FOR ME, and Leah Giarratano's BLACK ICE, both of which I really enjoyed. Last year I also read TROPIC OF DEATH by Robert Sims, which I felt fell way short, quality-wise. I also have a number of other Australian authors in my TBR pile, so I was very curious to see which of them might be up for this year's Ned Kellys.

According to the Crime Writers Association of Australia website, the nominations period for the 2010 Ned Kelly Awards has now closed. The full nomination list (a longlist, I guess you would call it) for the Best Fiction Award is as follows (bold titles being ones I've either read, or have copies of in my TBR pile to read soon):

• Andy Semple, Eden Prime
• Lenny Bartulin, The Black Russian
• Barry Ward, The Nelson Conspiracy
• Alex Palmer, Labyrinth of Drowning
• Tara Moss, Siren
• Wendy James, Why She Loves Him
• Wendy James, Where Have You Been?
• Peter Temple, Truth
• Garry Disher, Wyatt
• Garry Disher, Blood Moon
• Michael Robotham, Bleed For Me
• Philip McLaren, Murder In Utopia
• Fiona McIntosh, Beautiful Death
• David Owen, No Weather For a Burial
• Steven Lang, 88 Lines about 44 Women
• Bruce Pascoe, Bloke
• Barry Maitland, Dark Mirror
• Karry Greenwood, Forbidden Fruit
• Peter Corris, Torn Apart
• Catherine Jinks, The Reformed Vampire Support Group
• Sydney Baur, Trust of the Matter
• Kathryn Fox, Blood Born
• PD Martin, The Killing hands
• Katherine Howell, Cold Justice

It's great to see so many crime novels being published and considered. The Crime Writers Association of Australia was set up in the mid 1990s to promote and encourage Australian crimewriting through the establishment of the Ned Kelly Awards. At the time a small group of people saw a burgeoning future for the genre locally. I understand that in 1999, for instance, there were about 14 novels considered for that year's awards - so the Australian crime canon has certainly grown over the past fifteen or so years that the CWAA has been around.
Interestingly, in the very first year of the Ned Kellys in 1996, a New Zealander actually shared the Best Fiction Award - Paul Thomas for his Detective Ihaka novel, INSIDE DOPE.
Have you read any of the 24 novels listed above? Or other Australian crime in the past year? Who is your favourite Australian crime writer? Thoughts and comments welcome.