The shortlist for the 2010 NSW Premier’s Literary Awards was announced a while ago. We've been distracted, but Kit Brookman's playwright's protest session prompted us to post this event on the site for completeness.

The winners will be announced at the NSW Premier’s Literary Awards dinner in Sydney on May 17 during the 2010 Sydney Writers’ Festival.

Named in honour of the distinguished Australian journalist, war correspondent and poet, The Kenneth Slessor Prize ($30,000) is offered to a poet of collected poems or for a single poem of substantial length published in book form.

Previous winners of The Kenneth Slessor Prize include Les A. Murray, Robert Gray, Jill Jones, John Tranter and Kathryn Lomer.

2010 shortlisted writers are...

Jordie Albiston - The Sonnet According to 'M'
Emily Ballou - The Darwin Poems
Judith Beveridge - Storm and Honey
Emma Jones - The Striped World
Morgan Yasbincek - White Camel

Judge's comments are available as a PDF.

The NSW Premier's Literary Awards Dinner is also featured as part of the Sydney Wrtiers Festival. To book tickets or find out more information, email awards.dinner@communities.nsw.gov.au.