PhD Student's Debut Novel Awarded Two Prizes

Recent PhD graduate and current casual academic, Dr Michael Sala, has won two prestigious book awards, after his debut novel, The Last Thread, was awarded the Regional Winner (Pacific) of the Commonwealth Book Prize.

The Commonwealth Book Prize is awarded for the best first novel across the Commonwealth regions of Africa, Asia, Canada and Europe, the Caribbean and the Pacific. Michael will now represent the Pacific Region in vying for the Commonwealth Book Prize, which will be announced on 31 May 2013 at the Hay Festival in Wales.

The Last Thread has also won the UTS Glenda Adams Award for New Writing in this year's NSW Premier's Literary Awards.

Ryan O'Neill, a current PhD student was also nominated for the 2013 NSW Premier's Literary Award for New Writing for his short story collection The Weight of a Human Heart.

Congratulations to both authors!