- At
their meeting on 21 September 1990 the judges selected
Marion Halligan as the winner of the 1990 prize, awarded
this year for literary reviewing and criticism. The judges
wish in particular to commend the skill and sensitivity of
her work, the range of her interests, and her delight in
words and ideas, qualities also evident in her work as a
highly respected writer of fiction.
-
-
Halligan's reviews in print and on radio are informed by an
admirable command of critical and theoretical issues through
which she has achieved distinction as a perceptive, generous
but never undiscriminating commentator on literary culture.
She is a powerful advocate for the writer's craft who
nevertheless leaves the reader sufficient space for
interpretation, for reaching an individual judgment, thereby
establishing an open-ended discourse between reader and
writer.
-
- In
jumping the gap separating creative writing and criticism,
and through her versatility and flexibility, Halligan has
proved an eloquent mediator between the writing community
and the reading public. Her reviews and her critical
writings have made a distinguished contribution to the
public's awareness and appreciation of both established
writers and those who are recent arrivals on the literary
scene.
-
- Judges 1990
-
Andrew Riemer (Convenor)
-
Rosemanry Sorensen
- Ian
Templeman
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