2011 Commonwealth Writers' Prize Shortlists

The shortlisted works for the 2011 Commonwealth Writers' Prize have now been released.  As you'll no doubt recall, this prize makes awards in each of four regions (Africa, Canada and Caribbean, South Asia and Europe, and South Each Asia and Pacific) and in two categories in each region (Best Book and Best First Book).  After the winners for each category and region have been announced, the Best Book and Best First Book winners across the whole of the Commonwealth are selected.  The regional winners will be announced on May 3rd, and the overall winner anouncements will take place at this year's Sydney Writers' Festival on May 21st.

The shortlisted works in both categories for the South Each Asia and Pacific region are:

Best Book

Reading Madame Bovary by Amanda Lohrey (Australia)
That Deadman Dance by Kim Scott (Australia)
Time's Long Ruin by Stephen Orr (Australia)
Hand Me Down World by Lloyd Jones (New Zealand)
Notorious by Roberta Lowing (Australia)
Gifted by Patrick Evans (New Zealand)

Best First Book

21 Immortals by Rozlan Mohd Noor (Malaysia)
A Man Melting by Craig Cliff (New Zealand)
The Graphologist's Apprentice by Whiti Hereaka (New Zealand)
The Body in the Clouds by Ashley Hay (Australia)
Traitor by Stephen Daisley (Australia/New Zealand)
A Few Right Thinking Men by Sulari Gentill (Australia)

Last year's winners in the region were: Best Book - The Adventures of Vela by Albert Wendt (Samoa) and Best First Book - Siddon Rock by Glenda Guest (Australia).