Baxter, Burrows, Reid named SMH Best Young Australian Novelists 2022

The Sydney Morning Herald (SMH) has announced the Best Young Australian Novelists for 2022.

The writers and their novels, all debuts, are:

• Ella Baxter for New Animal (A&U)
• Michael Burrows for Where the Line Breaks (Fremantle Press)
• Diana Reid for Love & Virtue (Ultimo).

Now in its 26th year, the award recognises emerging writing talent and is open to writers aged 35 or younger at the time of publication of their nominated book. Overall winner Reid receives $8000, while Baxter and Burrows each receive $1000, courtesy of the Copyright Agency.

Judges Thuy On, Gretchen Shirm and SMH Spectrum editor Melanie Kembrey said the three novels ‘stood out from the many entrants for their strong narrative voices, memorable characters and sharp writing—they’ll make you laugh, cry and keep thinking long after you’ve turned the final page’.

Reid’s novel Love & Virtue was acquired via an eight-publisher auction in 2020 after literary agency Curtis Brown discovered the manuscript in its submissions inbox. Reid’s second novel Seeing Other People will be published by Ultimo Press in October.

Pictured: Overall winner Diana Reid.

Category: Awards Local news