Overview
- The six-member jury, chaired by Robbie Millen, selected Garner as the unanimous winner and praised the book’s “reckless candor.”
- At 82, Garner becomes the prize’s oldest recipient and the first winner recognized for a work of diaries.
- The award carries £50,000 for the winner, with the five other shortlisted authors each receiving £5,000.
- Organizers disclosed a potential conflict of interest involving judge Lucy Hughes-Hallett, whose daughter acquired the UK edition, noting the judge offered to recuse and that support for the book was overwhelming.
- The win underscores Garner’s widening recognition beyond Australia, with UK critics invoking Virginia Woolf and high-profile admirers such as Dua Lipa elevating her profile.