Queensland literary awards: ‘stunning’ debut inspired by segregated shantytown wins top prize
Author Lenora Thaker has won the Queensland Premier’s Award for a work of state significance for her debut novel, The Pearl of Tagai Town. The book explores the history of a segregated shantytown in Cairns that housed diverse migrant and Indigenous communities from the late 1800s to the 1950s.
Why it matters
The award highlights the importance of preserving multicultural historical narratives and recognizing Indigenous and migrant contributions to Australian literature.
Lenora Thaker, author of The Pearl of Tagai Town. Photograph: Kah-May Foong Lenora Thaker, author of The Pearl of Tagai Town. Photograph: Kah-May Foong Australian books Queensland literary awards: ‘stunning’ debut inspired by segregated shantytown wins top prize Lenora Thaker wins $30,000 prize for ‘a work of state significance’ for The Pearl of Tagai Town, which draws on her family’s history in Cairns-Malay Town
Prefer the Guardian on Google A “stunning” debut novel described as “unambiguously and distinctively Queensland” has won the $30,000 top prize at the Queensland literary awards (QLAs).
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