The shortlists for the 2009 Melbourne Prize for Literature were announced this morning. The Prize is part of a three-year cycle of awards run by the Melbourne Prize Trust, which also recognises urban sculpture and music. Here at Text we are over the moon to see three of our authors on the shortlists.

Shane Maloney, fresh from his Ned Kelly Lifetime Achievement Award a few weeks back, is shortlisted for the Melbourne Prize for Literature. This Prize is ‘for a Victorian author whose body of published/produced work has made an outstanding contribution to Australian literature and to cultural and intellectual life.’ Also on this shortlist is Gerald Murnane, a brilliant writer who many believe is a contender for the Nobel Prize for Literature.

And debut author Amra Pajalic is shortlisted for the Best Writing Award, ‘for a piece of published or produced work of outstanding clarity, originality and creativity by a Victorian writer, 40 years or under.’

This is a terrific achievement for Shane, Gerald and Amra, and we congratulate them all.

This year the Prize includes a Civic Choice Award, so you can visit the Melbourne Prize Trust website, and click on ‘Finalists Announced…’ in the top right to vote for your favourite author in each category.

The winners of the Melbourne Prize and the Best Writing Prize will be announced on 11 November, the Civic Choice Award on 27 November.