The CAL Scribe Fiction Prize

Scribe is thrilled to announce that the winner of the inaugural CAL Scribe Fiction Prize is:

Maris Morton for her manuscript, A Darker Music, a mystery that uncovers the buried secrets of a family who own a merino sheep station in Western Australia.

The winner was officially announced on February 18 at the newly opened Wheeler Centre for Books, Writing and Ideas in Melbourne. Maris Morton will receive $12,000 and a book contract from Scribe.

Maris Morton was born in 1938 and A Darker Music will be her first published book. She currently lives in Uki in rural NSW but has worked in various jobs around Australia including as an English teacher, shearers’ cook, shed hand, artist, art restorer and director of an art gallery.

Maris said of the win: ‘Winning the CAL Scribe Prize has made what seemed to be an impossible dream come true. I'm still pinching myself. Winning has given me an added incentive to go on doing what I love best: telling stories!’

More information about the announcement can be found on our news page.

Entries for the 2011 CAL Scribe Fiction Prize will open later this year. Please continue to check this page for more details.

About the prize

In August 2009, Scribe launched the CAL Scribe Fiction Prize for an unpublished manuscript by an Australian writer over 35, regardless of publication history. The winner receives $12,000 and a book contract from Scribe.

Many writers only find the time and have acquired the life experience to write fiction later in life. This prize recognises that there are many examples of late bloomers when it comes to writers, certainly in terms of getting published. Youth is already celebrated in so many ways, and Scribe wants to support writers who are emerging or still going strong in their prime.

It is Scribe’s intention that this prize will raise the profile of Australian fiction, demonstrate our commitment to local authors, and find a wonderful new voice and/or novel.

Scribe gratefully acknowledges the assistance of the CAL Cultural Fund.

Click here to download the media release announcing the launch of the prize.