Released 06/08/2024
The 2024 ACT Book of the Year has been awarded to Chris Hammer’s gripping crime thriller, The Seven. Award winning crime fiction author Chris will receive $10,000 as the author of the 2024 ACT Book of the Year.
The judges have also awarded two highly commended and three shortlisted works from local authors. This year’s finalists include a diverse range of genres, crime fiction, poetry, short stories, non-fiction and children’s historic fiction.
2024 ACT Book of the Year finalists:
- Winner: The Seven by Chris Hammer
- Highly Commended: Untethered by Ayesha Inoon
- Highly Commended: The Measure of Sorrow: Stories by J. Ashley-Smith
- Shortlisted: Sleeplessness by Paul Hetherington
- Shortlisted: Tiwi Story: Turning history downside up by Mavis Kerinaiua and
- Laura Rademaker
- Shortlisted: The Great Gallipoli Escape by Jackie French
You can purchase the books in bookstores across the city and they are also available on loan from ACT Libraries.
Minister for the Arts Tara Cheyne congratulated the winning author and those highly commended and shortlisted for the Award.
“Congratulations to bestselling crime fiction writer, Chris Hammer, whose latest work The Seven is this year’s ACT Book of the Year. The Seven trulykeeps you in riveted suspense and is hard to put down.”
“I’d also like to congratulate authors Ayesha Inoon and J Ashley-Smith whose highly commended works demonstrate the depth of their talent and skills. This year’s shortlisted works by Paul Hetherington, Jackie French, and Mavis Kerinaiua and Laura Rademaker exemplify the outstanding quality and the diversity of the nominated works this year. Congratulations everyone!”
“The judging panel, Helen Ennis, T.R. Napper and Barrina South, faced quite the challenge in selecting this year’s winner and finalists. Thank you for your time and insights, this task is never easy given the breadth of talent in Canberra’s writing community.”
“The ACT Book of the Year Award showcases this talent and the excellence of our local authors. It is not only a celebration of the amazing works coming out of the community each year, but also intended to inspire those who have an idea, a seed for a book to ‘pick up the pen’ and get writing,” said Minister Cheyne.
Visit the artsACT website for more information.
Judges’ comment:
In The Seven Chris Hammer demonstrates total mastery of the crime genre. From the first pages onwards Hammer creates a thrilling narrative filled with suspense that immerses the reader in gripping, page-turning intrigue.
Hammer conveys a beautiful sense of place in developing this quintessential Australian story, filled with compelling characters, who are poignantly reflective about their own lives. The narrative, exposing the power of the landed aristocracy in a fictional country town, is skilfully controlled so that the reader is never certain where they will be taken next, until the final resolution. The town itself functions as a powerful metaphor which, with its art deco façade, is an evocative setting for this world-class crime novel.
- Statement ends -
Tara Cheyne, MLA | Media Releases