The Kibble Literary Awards comprise two awards—the Nita B Kibble Literary Award, which recognises the work of an established Australian female writer, and the Dobbie Literary Award, which is for a first published work by a female writer.[1][2] The Awards recognise the works of women writers of fiction or non-fiction classified as 'life writing'. This includes novels, autobiographies, biographies, literature and any writing with a strong personal element.
The Nita Kibble Literary Awards were established in 1994 by Nita Dobbie, through her will, in honour of her aunt, Nita Kibble (1879–1962), who had raised her from birth after her mother died.[1] Kibble, who was the first woman to be a librarian with the State Library of New South Wales, served the role of Principal Research Librarian from 1919 until retirement in 1943, and was founding member of the Australian Institute of Librarians. Dobbie followed her aunt into the library profession, and believed there was a need to foster women's writing in the community.[1] The awards are currently worth A$35,000 in total.[3]
The Trust established for the award is managed by Perpetual Limited,[4] and the award is administered in association with the State Library of New South Wales.[5]
Both awards were presented annually from their inception until 2016, when they were changed to biennial presentation.[6] In 2020, no awards were presented "due to a review of the funding trust and the award processes."[7]
Nita B Kibble Literary Award honorees
Nita B Kibble Literary Award winners and finalists[8][9]
