The 2022 Barbara Jefferis Award is open to novels first published commercially and distributed in the period 1 January 2020 - 31 December 2021. This means any works first published before or after this date range are not eligible for the 2022 Award.
The Barbara Jefferis Award is for a novel, i.e. a book-length work of fiction. Both Adult and Young Adult fiction novels are eligible for consideration. Short story collections in these readerships are eligible for consideration. Children’s writing, poetry and non-fiction are not eligible for this Award.
Yes, both traditionally published and independently published works are eligible for the Barbara Jefferis Award so long as they have been published commercially and distributed between 1 January 2020 and 31 December 2021.
Yes, books that have been published in ebook form only are eligible for consideration. All applicants are required to provide a digital copy of the ebook during the submission process. Books that have also been made available in print formats must also post one copy of the hardcopy to the ASA Office.
Novels may be submitted by the author, or by the publisher or literary agent on behalf of the author. If a novel is entered by a publisher or agent, they require the author’s consent to enter the novel.
If you are an author who has been traditionally published, please check with your publisher before submitting your work as they may be planning to enter your work.
Yes, the author of the submitted novel may identify as any gender. As long as the novel includes a positive representation and/or empowers the status of women and/or girls, the author may be of any gender identity.
The judging panel for the Barbara Jefferis Award assesses novels against two criteria, namely:
(a) the literary merit of each novel, defined as the entrant’s writing ability, focusing on style, appropriateness of form, skilled use of language, clarity of expression and sustained development of themes or ideas; and
(b) the work’s success in depicting women and/or girls in a positive way or in a way that otherwise empowers the status of women and/or girls in society.
The Barbara Jefferis Award’s definition of women and/or girls is inclusive of women and girls of all cultural and socio-economic backgrounds, and all people who identify as women/girls.
Over the years, the judging of the Barbara Jefferis Award has highlighted the different considerations important to answering these questions. In 2008, the judges praised the inaugural winner, Rhyll McMaster’s Feather Man, for its complex female characters, depicted ‘in all their fabulous monstrosity’. In 2010, Kristina Olsson’s winning The China Garden was admired for its depiction of female resilience, suggesting ‘that it is always possible to make new things out of the past, however fractured or painful’. And in 2014, Fiona McFarlane’s The Night Guest, explored the life and sexual desires of an elderly woman, offering insight into a group of women who have traditionally been rendered invisible in literature.
As feminist conversations evolve over time, from questions about the role of women in society to discussions about intersectionality and what is meant by the term ‘woman’, so too does the interpretation of the criteria of the award evolve. In 2018, judge Sandra Yates decried the plethora of novels where the abuse of women featured as the driving force behind the plot, stating:
“We were surprised, I have to say, that so many even in the longlist seemed to have such dark, negative portrayals of women in them...We [women] don’t need any more books about our capacity to endure, I think we have established that.”
In contrast, the winning title from that year, Libby Angel’s The Trapeze Act, was praised for its strong female protagonist in charge of her life, who may not be likeable, but who demonstrates bravery and willpower.
But where is the line drawn between a story featuring suffering and endurance, and a story about the resounding resilience and strength of women? Does a female character need to be likeable to empower the status of women in society? Can a positive depiction of women include a woman who is not able to overcome all the obstacles society lays in her path by virtue of her gender? Is it a positive representation of women if the protagonist succeeds at the expense of other women in the story? It is discussions on exactly these kinds of questions that the Barbara Jefferis Award generates.
Find out more about the 2022 Barbara Jefferis Award and enter here.
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