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Shortlists announced for Australia’s only humour writing prize

Wednesday 26 May 2021

Australia’s funniest books from the last two years have been announced by the State Library of NSW TODAY [Wednesday 26 May]. 

Selected from 48 entries, the shortlisted books for the 2021 Russell Prize for Humour Writing are: 

  • The F Team by Rawah Arja (Giramondo Publishing)  
  • Mammoth by Chris Flynn (University of Queensland Press)  
  • Factory 19 by Dennis Glover (Black Inc.)  
  • It Sounded Better in My Head by Nina Kenwood (Text Publishing)  
  • Black is the New White by Nakkiah Lui (Allen & Unwin)   
  • Burger Force Vol. 4: Punishment by Jackie Ryan (Parentheses Press)  

The inaugural $5,000 Humour Writing for Young People Award, offered for a published work intended for readers between the ages of 5 and 12 years, attracted 66 entries. The shortlisted books, selected by a judging panel of five primary school students, are: 

  • Action Tank – Book 2 by Mike Barry (Mike Barry Was Here)  
  • Wombat by Philip Bunting (Scholastic Australia)  
  • Your Birthday was the BEST! by Maggie Hutchings, illustrated by Felicita Sala (Affirm Press)  
  • Sneaky Shadows by SC Manchild, illustrated by Sam Caldwell (Berbay Books)  
  • The Stolen Prince of Cloudburst by Jaclyn Moriarty (Allen & Unwin)   
  • The Underhills: A Tooth Fairy Story by Bob Graham (Walker Books Australia)  

The winners will be announced on 17 June 2021.

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