Literature - March 2008 closing dates

This meeting summary report summarises the outcomes of the meeting of the Australia Council's literature board held on 10-11 July 2008.

Chair’s report

The literature board’s focus at this meeting was on the publishing and promotion of Australian literature – both nationally and internationally – and overseas residencies for Australian writers.

Small and medium sized Australian publishers are the main focus of the Board’s funding, with support going directly towards the publication of new titles. Black Pepper, Currency Press, Ford Street Publishing, Fremantle Press, Giramondo Publishing, Island Press, Puncher & Wattmann, Scribe Publications, UQP and Wakefield Press are just some of the publishers to receive support this year for their publishing programs. The board was impressed with the quality of the literary titles to be published by new and emerging writers, and developing and  established writers, and is committed to supporting innovative Australian publishing.

With it support for the promotion of Australian literature, the literature board was pleased to support the Australian Festival for Young People’s Come Out Festival, the Fremantle Children’s Literature Centre’s Interstate Artist-in-Residence program, and international tours for Australian writers to the Tokyo Poetry Festival, Vancouver International Writers Festival, and the 2008 Ubud Writers’ and Readers’ Festival.

International residencies are among the most artistically rewarding grants offered by the Board, and although the number of applications this year was less than last year, the decisions were still difficult.  Seven writers will take up residencies in Ireland, Paris, Rome, and the US.
On behalf of the Board, I congratulate all successful applicants.

Imre Salusinszky
Chair, literature board

Successful applicants

Presentation and promotion (promotion)
Closing date: 15 March 2008

Australian Festival for Young People Inc (Come Out Festival) SA $25,000
Towards fares, fees & expenses for 9 Australian writers to participate in the 2009 Come Out Festival

Brisbane Writers Festival Association Inc. QLD $25,000
Towards fares, fees & expenses for Australian writers to attend the 2008 Brisbane Writers' Festival

Charles University Prague (Centre for Australian Studies) CZE $5,000
Towards travel expenses for Pam Brown & Michael Farrell to undertake a reading tour of Czech Rep.

Christchurch Writers Festival Books and Beyond Trust inc. NZ $1,645
Fares, fees & expenses for Alexis Wright to participate in 2008 Press Christchurch Writers' Festival

City of Albany WA $6,000
Towards fares, fees & expenses for Australian writers to attend Sprung & Big Sky Writers' Festivals

City of Geraldton-Greenough WA $6,000
Towards fares, fees & expenses for Australian writers to attend Big Sky & Sprung Writers' Festivals

Fondation Les Forges Inc CAN $3,285
Towards travel expenses for Pam Brown to attend Festival I'national de la Poesie + readings in US 

Fremantle Children's Literature Centre Inc WA   $25,000
Towards expenses for authors/illustrators to  participate in Interstate Artists-in- Residence program

JUTE QLD $15,000
Towards costs of 2008 National Regional Playwrights' & Theatre Makers' Conference

Melbourne Writers' Festival Inc VIC $25,000
Fares, fees & expenses for Australian writers to attend the 2008 Melbourne Writers' Festival

Muae Publishing Inc USA $4,000
Towards fares, fees and expenses for Brian Castro to undertake a promotional tour of the US

NT Department of Local Government, Housing and Sport NT $5,820
Towards fares & expenses for Phillip Gwynne & Rob Hirst to participate in Darwin Cultural Festival

Nimrod Forlag AB GER $6,000
Towards expenses for Les Murray to undertake a promotional tour of Austria, Switzerland & Germany

Tasmanian Poetry Festival Incorporated TAS $6,000
Fares, fees & expenses for Australian poets to participate in the 2008 Tasmanian Poetry Festival

Tokyo Poetry Festival JAP $1,800
Towards travel expenses for Grant Caldwell to participate in the 2008 Tokyo Poetry Festival

Vancouver International Writers Festival CAN $1,750
Towards expenses for Gail Jones to participate in 2008 Vancouver I'national Writers' Fest & Wordfest

Yayasan Saraswati (Saraswati Foundation for the Arts) INDO $10,000
Towards expenses for 8 Australian writers to participate in 2008 Ubud Writers' and Readers' Festival

Grants this Round: 17
Amount Approved: $172,300.00 

Publishing and promotion (publishing)
Closing date 15 March 2008 

Actes Sud FRA $5,000
Translation and publication of 'Carpentaria' by Alexis Wright (French)

Allen & Unwin Pty Ltd NSW $28,000
Book Publishing Grant 2008-2009 

Ambo Anthos uitgevers NDL $5000
Translation and publication of " Orpheus Lost" by Janette Turner Hospital (Dutch) 

Australian Scholarly Publishing Pty Ltd VIC $12,000
Book Publishing Grant 2008-2009

Cicero Konyvstudio Kft HUN $5,000
Translation and publication of 'Once' by Morris Gleitzman (Hungarian)

Currency Press Pty Ltd NSW $20,000
Book Publishing Grant 2008-2009

Europa Editions Inc USA $4,000
Publication of "Sorry" by Gail Jones (English Language)

Five Islands Press VIC $10,000
Book Publishing Grant 2008-2009

Ford St Publishing VIC $8,000
Book Publishing Grant 2008-2009 

Fremantle Arts Centre Press (t/a Fremantle Press) WA   $24,000
Book Publishing Grant 2008-2009

Giramondo Publishing Company Pty Ltd NSW $23,500
Book Publishing Grant 2008-2009

Interactive Publications Pty Ltd QLD $5,000
Book Publishing grant 2008-2009 

Island Press Co-operative Ltd NSW $2,500
Book Publishing Grant 2008-2009

Laguna DOO SERB $5,000
Translation and publication of "The Book Thief" by Markus Zusak (Serbian) 

Mongrel Jazz Pty Ltd trading as Black Pepper VIC $18,000
Book Publishing Grant 2008-2009

Papertiger Media Inc QLD $9,000
Book Publishing Grant 2008-2009 

Playlab Inc QLD $14,000
Book Publishing Grant 2008-2009 

Puncher & Wattmann Pty Ltd NSW $22,000
Book Publishing Grant 2008-2009

RBA Libros S.A  ESP $5,000
Translation and publication of 'People of the Book' by Geraldine Brooks (Catalan) 

Scribe Publications Pty Ltd (ITF Rosenbloom Family Trust) VIC $24,000
Book Publishing Grant 2008-2009 

Sleepers Publishing Pty Ltd VIC $12,000 
Book Publishing Grant 2008-2009
    
Text Publishing VIC $24,000
Book Publishing Grant 2008-2009

Transit Lounge Publishing Pty Ltd VIC $6,500
Book Publishing Grant 2008-2009 

Uitgeverij J M Meulenhoff b.v  NDL $5,000
Translation and publication of collection of poems by Les Murray (Dutch)

University of Queensland Press QLD $25,000
Book Publishing Grant 2008-2009 

Verlag Thomas Reche GER $5,000
Translation and publication of selected poems by Les Murray (German) 

Vermilion Zim Doo MAC $2,500
Translation and publication of "Red Spikes" by Margo Lanagan (Macedonian)

Wakefield Press Pty Ltd SA $28,000
Book Publishing grant 2008-2009

Yedermann Verlag, Oliver Brauer und Sebastien myrus GbR GER $5,000
Bi-lingual publication of an anthology of poems by Emma Lew (English/German) 

Grants this Round: 29
Amount Approved: $362,000.00 

Residencies
Closing date: 15 March 2008 (15769)

Gardner, Angela QLD $4,000
Six-week residency at the Tyrone Guthrie Centre, Ireland, 2009

Janson, Julie NSW $4,000
Six-week residency at the Tyrone Guthrie Centre, Ireland, 2009

Lea, Bronwyn QLD $16,000
Six-month residency at the B.R. Whiting Library, Rome, 1 February - 28 July 2009

O'Neill, Helen NSW $16,000
Six-month residency at the Keesing Studio, Paris, 1 February - 28 July 2009

Philip Hammial NSW $16,000
Six-month residency at the Keesing Studio, Paris, 1 August 2009 - 28 January 2010

Tulloch, Lee NSW $4,000
Two-month residency at Ledig House, Art Omi International Arts Centre, 2009

Wearne, Alan Richard NSW $14,000
Six-month residency at the B.R. Whiting Library, Rome, 1 August 2009 - 28 January 2010

Grants this Round: 7
Amount Approved: $74,000.00 

Board members and peers at the meeting

Board members
Imre Salusinszky (NSW), Chair
Peter Holbrook (Qld)
Ann Galbally (Vic)
Jack Hibberd (Vic)
Nicholas  Jose (NSW)
Sophie Masson (NSW)
Fay Zwicky (WA)

Peers
Fiona Inglis (NSW) – literary agent, Curtis Brown (Australia) Pty Ltd