So, this morning I went over to the State Library of Queensland for the awarding of the inaugural Queensland Writers Fellowships, which is an initiative of the Queensland Literary Awards and funded by Arts Queensland.
I was fortunate enough to get one of the Fellowships, which is an honour and a shock – I’m still waiting for someone to tell me it’s a mistake.
Dr Stuart Glover and Minister Walker kindly handled the presentations, then Kris Olsson and Patrick Holland (the other recipients) and I went off to have our photos taken – which was great because we got to be inside in the warmth, instead of out on the Queensland Terrace freezing!
It was a lovely morning and my speech (without the extempore blurts) is below. Thanks to my sis for the photos. And it’s a relief not to have to keep this a secret anymore!!
Here we talk to Terri from ABC Radio.
Acceptance Speech:
I essentially have a long list of thank yous, which may start to sound like a Christmas list.
First of all, I would like to thank the Board of the Queensland Literary Awards for having the vision to create these Fellowships, and Arts Qld and the Queensland Government for having the generosity to provide the funding.
This is a most heartening step forward for Queensland’s arts community.
Thank you to:
- my best friend, Dr Lisa Bennett, who yelled at me until I applied
- Drs Kim Wilkins and Donna Hancox, for their encouragement and feedback
- Brisbane Writers Festival Director, Kate Eltham, for her wisdom and friendship
- the Queensland Writers Centre, for being a writers organisation without equal
- QLA’s, Claire Booth, who’s been such a great manager and soldiering on though suffering from a revolting lurgy.
I’d particularly like to thank the Fellowships’ judging panel for this unexpected and deeply appreciated honour.
Joan Didion says that “We tell ourselves stories in order to live”, and the Fellowships will give three of us the chance to buy time in order to write those stories.
Last but definitely not least, I must thank my parents, sister and nephew for always being my cheer quad, and especial thanks to my wonderful partner David who not only provides constant emotional support, but also financial support, and keeps me in sundries when my writer’s income is simply too skimpy to stretch to a new pair of socks.
Congrats, much deserved.
Congratulations, sweetie, this is totally fab and groovy news! Cheers, hooplahs and champy all round 🙂
Woohoo! No one more deserving!
Thanks!
Thank you, lovely Suze! x
Many thanks, Al.
Congratulations! Brilliant news!
🙂 Ta, Duchess.
Congratulations bella! So well deserved! xx
Congratulations Angela.
I can’t think of anyone more deserving. You give so much to all of those around you, I’m glad to see some of it coming back to you, especially in the most essential kind. Tell David, he was looking very patronly in the photo!
Mwah! Thanks so much, J. x
Well done, Ang. I saw this on Facebook this morning and I am so happy that you’ll have the $ you need to continue the passion and work you are so good at – and love.
Thanks so much, Melissa :-).
Fantastic, congratulations 😉
Congratulations!
Many thanks!
Ditto what they all said – and this had better mean there is ultimately more for us all to read!
😀 That’s the plan.