Every year my kids’ school has a vital information night on at the same time as the Stella Prize longlist announcement. So, while I would have preferred to be at the Melba Spiegeltent for the announcement, I was instead in a school hall, pretending to listen to VCE study tips and surreptitiously looking at Twitter as the longlist was revealed.
I’m home now and I’m ready to start reading.
To the list:
The Weekend by Charlotte Wood
There Was Still Love by Favel Parrett
The Yield by Tara June Winch
Here Until August by Josephine Rowe
Lucky Ticket by Joey Bui
Paper Emperors by Sally Young
See What You Made Me Do by Jess Hill
When One Person Dies the Whole World is Over by Mandy Ord
This Is How We Change the Ending by Vicki Wakefield
Song Spirals by Gay’Wu Group of Women
The House of Yousseff by Yumna Kassab
Diving Into Glass by Caro LLewellyn
My first impressions – it’s an extremely varied list – YA, short stories, traditional Aboriginal songspirals, a graphic novel. and one doorstopper (Young at 691 pages).
I predicted four, continuing my crappy record. I’ve read two (Wood an Parrett); have a few in the reading stack ready to go (Winch, Rowe, and Bui); and have placed a bunch of library reservations.
The shortlist will be announced in March and the winner in April.