The State Library congratulates Ross McMullin who last night won the Australian History award in the 2013 Prime Minister’s Literary Awards for his book Farewell, Dear People.

McMullin, a former State Library Creative Fellow, conducted extensive research for this book during his time at the Library. In his Fellowship application he noted the State Library has ‘the richest collection in Victoria of sources relating to the First World War’ – the subject of his work.

Farewell, Dear People, exams the catastrophic loss of 60,000 Australian soldiers during the First World War with biographies of 10 soldiers who exemplified Australia’s gifted generation lost in that war.

The award judges said Farewell, Dear People ‘… tells the reader a great deal about how the war was actually fought on the ground by those present on the Western Front and at Gallipoli.’ Further, they said it ‘is a powerful and important contribution to Australian history.’

The Prime Minister’s Literary Awards recognise excellence in Australian literature. Since their inauguration in 2008, 108 books have been shortlisted and 18 books have won.

Farewell, Dear People is published by Scribe.

Watch Ross McMillin discuss his book on ABC Lateline.

Listen to Ross McMullin in Remembering Australia’s Great War, a panel discussion at the State Library.

Farewell, dear people