It was a delight to be part of the festivities for the 2026 Alice Literary Award which this year was hosted by the Tasmanian branch of the Society of Women Writers.
Nettie and I spent a lovely couple of days in Launceston connecting with other writers, locally and from interstate. The welcoming atmosphere and genuine support to all women writers is a testament to the Society and the Tasmanian Branch did a wonderful job creating a 3 day event.
If you haven’t heard of this award, The Alice Literary Award is a biennial prize presented by the Society of Women Writers to an Australian woman who has made a distinguished, long-term contribution to Australian literature. Running for nearly 5 decades, The Alice Award was created in 1978 to honour Alice Booth, the foundational president of the Society of Women Writers Australia (SWWA). The first recipient was Eleanor Dark.
Unlike most awards, which are related to a single book, The Alice Literary Award acknowledges and celebrates a woman writer’s lifetime of dedication, mentorship, and impact on Australian literary landscape.
Congratulations to Hobart based writer, Heather Rose, who won the award this year – great to have a Tassie writer win the year it was hosted locally in Lutruwita.
Congratulations also to the other nominees (one from each member state): Helen Iles (WA), Vicki Bennett (QLD), Vikki Petraitis (Vic), Beverley George (NSW).
