Two Griffith REVIEW authors have won Australia’s top honour in journalism with their essays receiving Walkley Awards.
Melissa Lucashenko won the long feature category with Sinking below sight: Down and out in Brisbane and Logan, detailing urban poverty and the day to day struggles of three mothers living in the area known as the ‘Black Belt’.
Kathy Marks’ essay Channelling Mannalargenna, about the survival and sense of self among Tasmania’s aboriginal population, won the Indigenous Affairs category.
Griffith REVIEW editor Professor Julianne Schultz said the awards, announced in Brisbane on Thursday night, were welcome news, particularly as the publication celebrates a decade in print.
“The awards for extended journalism and essays have been wound back in recent years. There are not a lot of awards for which we are eligible anymore, so to win two Walkley awards in our anniversary year is especially good news.”
Ms Lucashenko’s recognition is viewed as a milestone for Griffith REVIEW.
“The long feature category, which Melissa has been shortlisted for and then won, is one that is new this year, and so to be included as the only non-mainstream publication is a real honour and speaks to the quality of the work we publish,” Professor Schultz said.
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Ms Marks’ award is evidence of the importance Griffith REVIEW places on Indigenous affairs.
“The Indigenous category is important, because detailed and tough-minded coverage and writing about Indigenous issues is something which is central to every edition of Griffith REVIEW and has been since the start.”
Both writers are long-term contributing authors to the publication, each with numerous pieces published over the last 10 years.
“We have published a lot of Kathy’s and Melissa’s writing over the years, so this is particularly important and it is nice that people who are so much a part of our group of writers should be recognised in this way,” Professor Schultz said.
Griffith REVIEW has had success with the Walkely Awards in the past with Margaret Simons being nominated for Magazine Feature Writing and Frank Moorhouse winning the Social Equity Journalism category for his piece The writer in a time of terror. Both were published in 2007.
By Communications intern Amy Brticevich and Dean Gould