The Literature Board of the Australia Council has announced the first three of eight recipients of their Book2 grants. The grants are worth $50,000 over three years and are intended to lessen the pressure on writers writing their second book. The recipients are Nam Le, Anna Krien and Favel Parrett.
In a media release making the announcement, Susan Hayes, Director of Literature at the Australia Council, says, “[F]or many writers, the second book will be the most difficult of their career … This is particularly the case for literary writers, whose first book will have attracted considerable critical acclaim but a relatively low contribution to their income.” Book2 is part of the Australia Council’s Creative Australia Artists' Grants program.