• Maureen Scott Harris (Toronto, ) for her essay “Broken Mouth – Offerings for the Don River, Toronto ”. Maureen receives $5 000 plus return airfares to Hobart and a two week residency at Lake St Clair in the Tasmanian highlands.

The minor awards were shared by:

• Noelle Janaczewska (Pyrmont, NSW) for “The City Lorikeets”, and

• Louise Crisp (Bairnsdale, Vic) for “Holding Pattern”. They each receive $250.

Three other entries were highly commended by the judges. They were:

• Anne Morgan (Cascades, Tas) for “ Aurora ”

• Elizabeth Hutchins (Leabrook, SA) for “Turtle Tears”  

• Michael Giacometti ( Alice Springs, NT ) for “Kwatye (Water)”

Congratulations to all of the winners, and thank you to all authors who submitted works.

Thanks also to our fellow sponsors and supporters: Tasmania Parks & Wildlife Service, The Freycinet Experience Walk, Island Magazine, In Graphic Detail, the judges (Dael Allison and Adrienne Eberhard), the Steering Group (Andrew Smith, Pete Hay, David Owen, Gina Mercer), and also Bradley Trevor Greive for his artwork.

"So, does writing make a difference in the world? Maybe it doesn't directly put trees in the ground, or clean up litter or even maintain a remote lighthouse. But it has been proven here in Tasmania on many occasions that literature and art can change people and their understanding and passion and then they go and change the world or they way they interact with it. Writing (and reading) can take us on a journey into the wild corners of our minds, and help us to understand that we act out our lives in the context of a natural world that beats in our hearts, coarses through our bloodstream and nourishes our minds."     Andrew Smith, Co-Chair WILDCARE Inc

The next Prize will be awarded in 2011. Watch here for entry forms from spring 2010.

 For reference Entry Form 2009 is available for download here.