Moriarty Captures Oz’s Davitt

During an event held last evening in Melbourne’s Thornbury Theatre, Sisters in Crime Australia announced the winners of its 2015 Davitt Awards. Those prizes, which are supposed to identify the best Aussie crime fiction written by women, for both adults and children, are named in honor of Ellen Davitt (1812-1879), Australia’s first crime novelist. And the winners are …

Adult Novel: Big Little Lies, by Liane Moriarty (Pan MacMillan)

Also nominated: Through the Cracks, by Honey Brown (Penguin Australia); Forbidden Fruits, by Ilsa Evans (Momentum); A Murder Unmentioned, by Sulari Gentill (Pantera Press); A Morbid Habit, by Annie Hauxwell (Penguin Australia); and Present Darkness, by Malla Nunn (Atria)

Young Adult Novel: Every Word, by Ellie Marney (Allen & Unwin)

Also nominated: Intruder, by Christine Bongers (Woolshed Press); The Astrologer’s Daughter, by Rebecca Lim (Text); and The Ratcatcher’s Daughter, by Pamela Rushby (HarperCollins Australia)

Children’s Novel: Withering-by-Sea, by Judith Rossell
(HarperCollins Australia)

Also nominated: The Adventures of Stunt Boy and His Amazing Wonder Dog, Blindfold, by Lollie Barr (Pan Macmillan Australia); Kitten Kaboodle Mission 1: The Catier Emerald, by Eileen O’Hely (Walker); Friday Barnes: Big Trouble, by R.A. Spratt (Random House); and Truly Tan 4: Freaked!, by Jen Storer (ABC)

Non-fiction: Last Woman Hanged, by Caroline Overington (HarperCollins Australia)

Also nominated: Love You to Death: A Story of Sex, Betrayal and Murder Gone Wrong, by Megan Norris (Five Mile Press); Have You Seen Simone?: The Story of an Unsolved Murder, by Virginia Peters (Nero); and The Tainted Trial of Farah Jama, by Julie Szego (Wild Dingo Press)

Debut: Intruder, by Christine Bongers (Woolshed Press)

Also nominated: The Adventures of Stunt Boy and His Amazing Wonder Dog, Blindfold, by Lollie Barr (Pan Macmillan Australia); Hades, by Candice Fox (Random House); What Came Before, by Anna George (Penguin Australia); Gap, by Rebecca Jessen (University of Queensland Press); Have You Seen Simone?: The Story of an Unsolved Murder, by Virginia Peters (Nero); The Ratcatcher’s Daughter, by Pamela Rushby (HarperCollins Australia); Tell Me Why, by Sandi Wallace (Clan Destine Press); and The Tainted Trial of Farah Jama, by Julie Szego (Wild Dingo Press)

In addition, the organization reports that “Sandi Wallace, who lives in the Dandenong Ranges outside of Melbourne, won the Davitt (Readers’ Choice) as voted by the 660 members of Sisters in Crime, for Tell Me Why (Clan Destine Press).”

Congratulations to all of this year’s Davitt Award contenders!