In recent years there’s been a trend of writers publicly giving away prize money to charity or sharing it with other shortlisted writers.

But when novelist Laura Elizabeth Woollett was shortlisted for the Prime Minister’s Literary Award, she was working in a call centre. The $80,000 prize would have utterly changed her life and bought her literally years of time to write. 

We’re suspicious of romantic notions about starving artists here at the SRB. We asked Andrew Brooks to talk to Laura about her essay ‘Award Rate’ and the complex relationship between writing, money, work, and prizes.

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Read Laura’s Writers at Work essay ‘Award Rate’ on the SRB website

 

Laura’s website is lauraelizabethwoollett.com
She’s on Instagram @lauraelizabethwoollett.

 

Andrew Brooks is one half of the critical art collective Snack Syndicate and part of the Rosa Press collective.

 

Our producer is Allison Chan. Sound design and mixing by Elina Godwin.

 

Visit sydneyreviewofbooks.com/podcast for show notes.

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Our website is sydneyreviewofbooks.com

Sign up to our weekly newsletter

Find us on Twitter and Instagram @SydReviewBooks

Follow us on Facebook

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We acknowledge the traditional custodians of the lands on which we work, the Burramattagal people of the Darug nation and the Gadigal people of the Eora nation We pay our respects to elders past, present, and emerging. Sovereignty was never ceded, and the struggles for justice are ongoing. We acknowledge the traditional custodians of the lands this digital platform reaches.

In recent years there&rsquo;s been a trend of writers publicly giving away prize money to charity or sharing it with other shortlisted writers.
But when novelist Laura Elizabeth Woollett was shortlisted for the Prime Minister&rsquo;s Literary Award, she was working in a call centre. The $80,000 prize would have utterly changed her life and bought her literally years of time to write.&nbsp;
We&rsquo;re suspicious of romantic notions about starving artists here at the SRB. We asked Andrew Brooks to talk to Laura about her essay &lsquo;Award Rate&rsquo; and the complex relationship between writing, money, work, and prizes.
- - - -
Read Laura&rsquo;s Writers at Work essay &lsquo;<a href="https://sydneyreviewofbooks.com/essay/woollett-award-rate/">Award Rate</a>&rsquo; on the SRB website
&nbsp;
Laura&rsquo;s website is <a href="http://www.lauraelizabethwoollett.com/">lauraelizabethwoollett.com </a>She&rsquo;s on <a href="https://www.instagram.com/lauraelizabethwoollett/">Instagram</a> @lauraelizabethwoollett.
&nbsp;
Andrew Brooks is one half of the critical art collective <a href="https://snacksyndicate.net/">Snack Syndicate</a> and part of the <a href="https://rosapress.net/">Rosa Press</a> collective.
&nbsp;
Our producer is Allison Chan. Sound design and mixing by Elina Godwin.
&nbsp;
Visit <a href="https://sydneyreviewofbooks.com/podcast/">sydneyreviewofbooks.com/podcast</a> for show notes.
- - - -
Our website is <a href="https://sydneyreviewofbooks.com/">sydneyreviewofbooks.com</a>
Sign up to <a href="https://sydneyreviewofbooks.us6.list-manage.com/subscribe/post?u=eeb3b9f459ef0436a1bc11dde&amp;id=990edbb38f">our weekly newsletter</a>
Find us on <a href="http://twitter.com/sydreviewbooks">Twitter</a> and <a href="https://www.instagram.com/sydreviewbooks/">Instagram</a> @SydReviewBooks
Follow us on <a href="https://www.facebook.com/SydneyReviewBooks">Facebook</a>
- - - -
We acknowledge the traditional custodians of the lands on which we work, the Burramattagal people of the Darug nation and the Gadigal people of the Eora nation We pay our respects to elders past, present, and emerging. Sovereignty was never ceded, and the struggles for justice are ongoing. We acknowledge the traditional custodians of the lands this digital platform reaches.

Each week the Sydney Review of Books publishes criticism and essays by Australia’s best writers – and now we’ve got a podcast to match. It’s about what writers do to make books, essays and poems – and what they do to make a living. Settle in for audio essays, conversations and documentary featuring some of our favourite local writers.

Each week the Sydney Review of Books publishes criticism and essays by Australia&rsquo;s best writers &ndash; and now we&rsquo;ve got a podcast to match. It&rsquo;s about what writers do to make books, essays and poems &ndash; and what they do to make a living. Settle in for audio essays, conversations and documentary featuring some of our favourite local writers.

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