The 2015 Scribe Nonfiction Prize for Young Writers was awarded to Patrick Mullins last night at the Express Media Awards at the Wheeler Centre. The award was presented by Scribe publisher Henry Rosenbloom.
Patrick’s entry, A Liberal View, impressed judges with its research and sophisticated storytelling. It’s a work of political history focused on former Australian PM William McMahon — his tumultuous, unlikely career and his ill-fated attempts to publish a biography.
Two writers were highly commended for their entries: Zoya Patel for Match Fixing, a compelling insight into arranged marriage in Muslim communities; and Drew Rooke, for Machine Highs, an assured and passionate work of journalism about gambling addiction.
Patrick’s prize is $1500, a meeting with a Scribe editor and publisher, up to 10 hours of editorial time with a Scribe editor, and a 12-month subscription to Scribe nonfiction books: one new-release nonfiction title of their choice each month for a year.
Patrick said that he was ‘very happily surprised by the award’.
‘It’s a sheer delight to be presented with the opportunity that it affords, and it’s reassuring to have the validation that the prize suggests: on the day that I received the news, clouds were fluffier, the sun was warmer, the winds were a little gentler. I’m terribly excited by it, and can’t thank Scribe and Express Media enough.’
He said the sought-after Scribe Nonfiction Prize was a fantastic initiative that offered opportunity and recognition for young writers.
‘The prize has also ensured that nonfiction writing in Australia remains vibrant and rich.’
The Scribe Nonfiction Prize is a developmental award to foster talented writers aged 30 or under who are working on longform and book-length works, and it is the only prize of its kind in Australia. Now in its third year, it provides recognition and professional-development opportunities to a range of young writers. Previous winners of the prize have gone on to be published by Scribe. This year, each of the 12 longlisted entries also received a personalised manuscript report from the judges.
Scribe congratulates Patrick, Zoya and Drew and looks forward to working further with them and to seeing their careers develop.
For further enquiries or to arrange an interview with Patrick Mullins, please contact Lilly O’Gorman at Scribe on (03) 9388 8780 or lilly@scribepub.com