Welcome to Sexthe educational book by Dr. Melissa Kang and television presenter Yumi Stynes, has been shortlisted for the Prime Minister’s Literary Awards.
The book, which provides comprehensive and wide-ranging content on sex education, has been the subject of much controversy over the past year. Shortly after its release, Big W removed it from shelves following a campaign by family groups and religious organizations.
There have been calls to remove the book from public libraries, restrict access, or in some cases ban its publication altogether. Later this month, Albany City Council will face a special meeting of voters called by residents concerned about the book, as well as underage twerking, Dungeons and Dragons role-playing, and Pride events.
The book is nominated in the “Young Adult” category. It will compete against the LGBTIQA+ thematic category. We could be something by author Will Kostakis, Grace notes by Karen Comer, We didn’t think about it by Gary Lonesborough and A Hunger of Thornes by Lili Wilkinson.
Broadcaster, author and journalist David Marr is nominated in the History category for his work Killing for the Fatherland: A Family StoryThe book won the Indie Book Awards earlier this year.
The Prime Minister’s Literary Awards recognise the contribution of Australian literature to the cultural and intellectual life of the country and have been presented by Creative Australia since 2023.
CEO Adrian Collette said the awards were an important part of Australian cultural life.
“Stories are the heartbeat of our culture. They connect us to our past, illuminate our present and shape our future. The Prime Minister’s Literary Awards celebrate the storytellers who enrich our lives with their creativity and outstanding talent,” he said.
Creative Australia received an impressive 533 entries across six literary categories: fiction, non-fiction, young adult literature, children’s literature, poetry and Australian history.
The winners and shortlisted authors will share a tax-free prize pool of $600,000, the largest sum for a literary prize in Australia. Each shortlisted entry will receive $5,000 and the winner of each category will receive $80,000.
Take a look at the shortlist of nominees and find some great books. The winners will be announced on September 12th.
