Pascall Prize Recipients

James Bradley

2012 Pascall Prize Recipient

James Bradley is an award-winning writer and critic. His books include three novels, Wrack, The Deep Field and The Resurrectionist, all of which have been widely translated and won or been shortlisted for major Australian and international literary awards; a book of poetry, Paper Nautilus; and two anthologies, Blur, a collection of stories by young Australian writers and The Penguin Book of the Ocean.

Alongside his career as a novelist he has developed a substantial career as writer of non-fiction and criticism, with reviews and essays exploring topics ranging from books and writing to television, environmental issues and technology appearing in Australian and international newspapers and magazines such as The Times Literary Supplement, The Guardian, The New York Review of Science Fiction, Griffith Review, Meanjin, Heat and The Australian Literary Review. He also maintains the popular blog, City of Tongues, and reviews regularly for The Australian, Australian Book Review, The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age.

James Bradley's acceptance speech

Presentation speech by Geordie Williamson and the 2012 Judges' Report

James Bradley's blog - City of Tongues

Geordie Williamson

2011 Pascall Prize Recipient

Sydney-based reviewer and essayist Geordie Williamson, chief literary critic of The Australian, won the Pascall Prize for 2011.

Geordie Williamson acceptance speech

2011 Judges' Report

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Mark Mordue

2010 Pascall Prize Recipient

Sydney-based journalist, essayist, editor and internationally published freelance writer Mark Mordue won the Pascall Prize for 2010.

Mark Mordue acceptance speech

2010 Judges' Report

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Alison Croggon

2009 Pascall Prize Recipient

South African born poet, playwright, fantasy novelist and librettist. Based in Melbourne, Alison won the 2009 Pascall Prize for her blog Theatre Notes.

Alison Croggon acceptance speech

2009 Judges' Report

theatrenotes.blogspot.com

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Paul Byrnes

2007 Pascall Prize Recipient

Noted for his wry, personable film criticism and analysis, Paul has been a film critic for The Sydney Morning Herald. He was director of the Sydney Film Festival for ten years, and has programmed exhibitions of Australian cinema for venues in Berlin and New York. Paul won the 2007 Pascall Prize for critical writing of Australian film and screen culture.

Paul Byrnes acceptance speech

2007 Judges' Report

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Robert Forster

2006 Pascall Prize Recipient

The Brisbane born performer and critic studied Arts at Queensland University. Also known as a singer and songwriter for the pop band, The Go Betweens. He became the rock critic for a new magazine, The Monthly. Robert won the 2006 Pascall Prize for his contribution to the critical writing of popular music.

Robert Forster acceptance speech

2006 Judges' Report

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Gerard Windsor

2005 Pascall Prize Recipient

Australian born Gerard is a Sydney-based novelist, essayist and freelance literary critic. Awarded the 2005 Pascall Prize for writing a series of 200-word essay style, book reviews in The Australian Financial Review’s Friday Review section.

2005 Judges' Report

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Peter Craven

2004 Pascall Prize Recipient

A prolific Melbourne based reviewer, literary critic, columnist and essayist. He was the founding editor of the Black Inc. Best Of annuals (Essays, Stories, Poems) and of Quarterly Essay. His work appears regularly in The Age, The Australian, the Sydney Morning Herald and the Australian Literary Review. Peter won the 2004 Pascall Prize for his contribution to literary review and criticism.

2004 Judges' Report

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Julie Rigg

2003 Pascall Prize Recipient

A critic and arts broadcaster, Juile specialises in film having served on the executive of the Film Critics Circle of Australia. She is the presenter for ABC Radio National's ‘Movie Time’ program. Julie won the 2003 Pascall Prize for her film reviews for ABC Radio National.

2003 Judges' Report

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Noel Purdon

2002 Pascall Prize Recipient

Educated in Sydney, Florence and Cambridge, Noel began lecturing and writing on film as a fellow of Trinity Hall, Cambridge. He is an author and winner of the 2002 Pascall Prize for creative criticism in his long running column in the Adelaide Review.

Noel Purdon acceptance speech

2002 Judges' Report

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Elizabeth Farrelly

2001 Pascall Prize Recipient

Educated in Sydney, Florence and Cambridge, Noel began lecturing and writing on film as a fellow of Trinity Hall, Cambridge. He is an author and winner of the 2002 Pascall Prize for creative criticism in his long running column in the Adelaide Review.

2001 Judges' Report

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Robert Nelson

2000 Pascall Prize Recipient

Associate Professor in the Faculty of Art & Design at Monash University. Robert’s interest is in exploring links between contemporary art & design and the history of ideas. He has written poetry and criticism for many art journals. Robert won the 2000 Pascall Prize for his contribution as an art critic.

2000 Judges' Report

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Andrew Riemer

1999 Pascall Prize Recipient

A bestselling author and the Chief Book Reviewer of The Sydney Morning Herald. Andrew’s books include Inside Outside, Sandstone Gothic, Hughes and A Family History of Smoking. He is best known by his byline as the Sydney Morning Herald Book Chief Reviewer. Andrew was the 1999 winner of the Pascall Prize for his contribution to literary criticism.

1999 Judges' Report

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Andrew Ford

1998 Pascall Prize Recipient

English born, educated at the University of Lancaster, composer, writer and broadcaster. Andrew has composed orchestral and chamber music, operas and music-theatre pieces, and a wide range of vocal and solo instrumental works. He has been an academic on the Faculty of Creative Arts at the University of Wollongong and has written and broadcast on a wide range of music. Andrew won the 1998 Pascall Prize for a considerable body of work consisting of a weekly ABC Radio National program, his regular book and CD reviews, radio series and book, Illegal Harmonies.

1998 Judges' Report

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Adrian Martin

1997 Pascall Prize Recipient

An award-winning journalist with over two decades experience of film criticism and analysis. Adrian has been the weekly film critic for The Age in Melbourne since 1995 and has written extensively for film and culture magazines. He has also written and made contributions to over 30 books. Adrian won the 1997 Pascall Prize for his critical film reviews in The Age and on ABC Radio National.

1997 Judges' Report

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Bruce Elder

1996 Pascall Prize Recipient

Bruce Elder is a journalist, writer and commentator and has been involved in writing over 60 books as well as working as a print and radio journalist in both London and Sydney. He is currently a full-time journalist with the Sydney Morning Herald specialising in travel and popular culture. He is also the director of Walkabout, the Fairfax organisation's detailed travel internet site. Bruce won the 1996 Pascall Prize because of the breadth of his knowledge and his wide reaching works as a critic in print and on radio.

1996 Judges' Report

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John McCallum

1995 Pascall Prize Recipient

A lecturer at the University of NSW and is a significant figure writing about Australian Theatre, author of Belongings: Australian Playwriting in the 20th Century, a speaker at The Sydney Writers Festival, and the Sydney Theatre Critic for The Australian Newspaper. John won the 1995 Pascall Prize for his critical reviews of theatre.

1995 Judges' Report

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Sandra Hall

1994 Pascall Prize Recipient

An Australian journalist well known for her film reviews for The Sydney Morning Herald. Sandra has written books on Australian television - Supertoy and Turning on, Turning Off and another novel, A Thousand Small Wishes and has just released her biography of Ezra Norton called The Tabloid Man: The life and times of Ezra Norton. Sandra won the 1994 Pascall Prize for her contribution to film criticism.

1994 Judges' Report

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Roger Covell & Cyrus Meher-Homji

1993 Pascall Prize Recipient

Roger Covell is a Sydney born musicologist, critic and author. He is Professor Emeritus in the School of English, Media and Performing Arts at the University of New South Wales, and continues to contribute articles and reviews to the Sydney Morning Herald, where he served as principal music critic. Together, Roger and Cyrus won the 1993 Pascall Prize for music criticism.

1993 Judges' Report

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Alan Saunders

1992 Pascall Prize Recipient

London born and educated, Alan came to Australia in 1981 to pursue research in the History of Ideas Unit at the Australian National University and was subsequently awarded a PhD. He is a presenter of By Design, a weekly show about architecture and design, gardens and food on ABC National Radio. Alan won the 1992 Pascall Prize for his food and wine reviews and criticism.

1992 Judges' Report

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Joanna Mendelssohn

1991 Pascall Prize Recipient

An award winning art critic for the Bulletin, and a critic for the Australian and the National Times. Joanna is an Associate Professor at the College of Fine Arts at the University of New South Wales and is actively involved in researching content for the Dictionary of Australian Artists Online. Joanna won the 1991 Pascall Prize for her contribution as a critic in Australian Visual Art.

1991 Judges' Report

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Marion Halligan

1990 Pascall Prize Recipient

Born in Newcastle, this award-winning novelist, essayist and short-story writer has now published some twenty books and has written short stories, articles, book reviews and essays for various publications. Marion won the 1990 Pascall Prize for her literary reviews and criticism in print and on radio.

1990 Judges' Report

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David Malouf

1988 Pascall Prize Recipient

Brisbane born literary prizewinner. His father's family came to Australia in the 1880s from Lebanon and his mother's family from London just before World War I. He was educated at Brisbane Grammar School and the University of Queensland, where he taught for two years after graduating. He left Australia aged twenty-four and lived in Britain from where he taught in London and Birkenhead. He returned to teach English at the University of Sydney, where he stayed until 1977. He now writes full-time and lives part of the year in Australia and part in southern Tuscany in Italy.

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