Bondi writer wins national literature award

Robert Gray, widely known for his poetry, has taken out  this year’s prestigious Nib – CAL Waverley Library Award for Literature for his first published prose work, The Land  I Came Through Last.

The announcement was made during a breakfast presentation at Nick’s restaurant at the Bondi Pavilion on Bondi Beach.  Leading figures from the world of literature, publishers and authors including previous award winners were among those who attended. ABC radio identity Richard Glover was MC and Waverley Mayor Sally Betts announced the judges’ decision.

The Nib award, which enjoys high status within the writers’ fraternity, attracted 160 entrants this year battling for its $20,000 prize. The large mounted trophy of a nib is a visible and lasting indicator of an author’s success.

But perhaps the fact this year’s presentation was made by a representative of all Australian authors indicates that The Nib represents the acclaim an award holder receives from fellow writers. Eloise Nolan (pictured), Membership Head of Copyright Agency Limited, the group that collects and distributes royalties to authors, presented the cheque and trophy to Bondi writer Robert Gray.

The award is unique in Australia: the winning work must be the result of research but also be a jolly good read, of literary merit and of community interest.

With such initiatives as The Nib, Waverley Library, with its support group, the Friends of Waverley Library (FOWL) punches well above its weight for a community library.  No suburban library has such a national influence as Waverley.

-By Peter McCallum