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The judges of the book awards may propose to the Government that a special award, with or without money, be made for a work not readily covered by the existing categories, or in recognition of a writer's achievements generally. The prize money for the Special Award is usually $20,000.
Previous recipients of the award include A.D. Hope, Judith Wright, Nick Enright, Ruth Park, Ruby Langford Ginibi, Rosemary Dobson, Gerald Murnane and Thomas Keneally.
The winner of the 2009 Special Award is:
Katharine Brisbane AM
For services to Australian literature and theatre
Katharine Brisbane 'is the wise old woman of Australian theatre ....she saw theatre, not as something happening in the dark behind closed doors, but as a necessary part of this country's story,' writes David Marr. Committed to the arts, Katharine Brisbane pioneered the publication of Australian plays. A respected theatre critic who wrote for The Australian newspaper, Theatre Australia and The National Times, she is also an editor and author of acclaimed books on the history and nature of Australian theatre. Her book Not Wrong Just Different: Observations on the Rise of Contemporary Australian Theatre is recognised as a leading text on Australian theatre.
Katharine Brisbane's greatest achievement began in 1971, when she co-founded, with her husband Dr Philip Parsons, Currency Press. Currency Press has been the primary, and at times the only, publisher of the original work of Australian playwrights, performers and composers. Katharine Brisbane's turbulent and passionate thirty year journey with Currency Press is one that successfully overcame huge obstacles, ranging from the financial threats of the oil crisis to potential bankruptcy. There were friends on the way who believed in Katharine's vision, like Nick Hern, former head of Methuen, and Brian Harris of Cambridge University Press in Melbourne. However it was Katharine Brisbane's commitment that drove her vision to ensure that Australian theatre has a recognised place in the literary landscape.
Currency Press has published Australian works such as Alex Buzo's Macquarie, Peter Kenna's A Hard God, Hannie Rayson's play Life After George which was short listed for the Miles Franklin Award in 2001, and the 2007 Robert Helpmann Award winning play of Jackie French's Hitler's Daughter. Katharine Brisbane and Philip Parson's vision of creating a permanent place for published Australian drama has been realised in Currency Press, possibly the oldest surviving independent publisher in Australia.
Despite retiring as managing editor and publisher of Currency Press in 2001, Katharine Brisbane has continued her arts advocacy: in 2001 she established Currency House Inc., a non-profit association dedicated to stimulating, enriching and advancing the quality and enjoyment of the Australian performing arts.
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Awards Shortlists