Selection Panel 2019

The selection panel for the UC Book of the Year 2019 comprised of eminent academics, authors, scholars and critics charged with the challenge of choosing the most appropriate novel from a short-list of great books:

The University of Canberra appreciates the work of all the panel members:

Professor Nick Klomp, Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academic), University of Canberra

Professor Nick Klomp is the Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academic) at the University of Canberra, responsible for academic policy, teaching and learning quality and enhancement, and student support and equity. He has a Bachelor of Applied Science degree from Curtin University, First Class Honours from Murdoch University and a PhD in ecology from Glasgow University.

Prior to his appointment as Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academic), Professor Klomp was the Dean of the Faculty of Science at Charles Sturt University, leading one of the largest and most diverse science faculties in Australasia. Under his leadership the Faculty enjoyed enormous growth in its research and teaching programs, underpinned by multi-million dollar grants and many new collaborations with government, industry and education providers.

Professor Klomp has won the Vice-Chancellor's Award for Teaching Excellence, was a weekly Science Correspondent for ABC radio for more than eleven years, and has thrice been nominated for the Eureka Prize for the Promotion of Science.

In addition to his extensive teaching career, Professor Klomp is recognised internationally for his research in applied ecology and environmental science, having authored two books and hundreds of publications, successfully supervised more than a dozen doctoral students, and attracted several large nationally-competitive grants.

Professor Jen Webb, Professor of Creative Practice, University of Canberra

Jen Webb studied in South Africa, New Zealand, Canada and Australia. She holds a PhD in cultural theory (art and society) and a DCA in writing (creativity and embodiment). She is Professor of Creative Practice in the Faculty of Arts and Design, where she leads research in creative writing. Her academic interests focus on the relationship between artistic practice and society, including how representations are made of human rights issues, conflict and crisis, and how individuals perceive themselves and their lived experience. She also investigates the links between creativity and knowledge, and particularly about how research training can best be conducted in art disciplines.

Jen's research has resulted in a variety of outputs, both creative and critical. Her books include titles on the works of Michel Foucault and Pierre Bourdieu, and on the topics of globalization, visual culture and representation, as well as the collection of poems, Proverbs from Sierra Leone (Five Islands Press, 2004) and the short story collection Ways of Getting By (Ginninderra Press, 2006). Her academic essays, articles and reviews, and her poems and short stories, have been widely published in Australia and overseas, and her artist books exhibited in Australia, New Zealand and Hong Kong. Jen is currently writing a book titled Understanding the body (with Dr Jordan Williams; for Sage Publications, London), and a volume on creative research (for P&H Publications, Cambridge).

Mr Christian West, Deputy Manager Library, University of Canberra

Christian West is a passionate reader who is also the acting Manager, Library Services at the University of Canberra. He has been involved in libraries for over 20 years including working as Manager of Chifley Library at the Australian National University and leading technical services at various Victorian public libraries. In his free time Christian reads young adult novels, eats a lot of chocolate and watches too much TV.

Mr Ian McHugh, PhD student, University of Canberra

Ian McHugh’s first success as a fiction writer was winning the short story contest at a science-fiction convention. Since then he has sold stories to magazines, webzines and anthologies in Australia and internationally. His stories have won grand prize in the Writers of the Future contest, been shortlisted six times at Australia’s Aurealis Awards (winning Best Fantasy Short Story in 2010), been reprinted in national and international year’s best anthologies and appeared in the Locus and Tangent Online annual Recommended Reading Lists. He graduated from the Clarion West writers’ workshop in 2006. His collection of short stories, Angel Dust, was shortlisted for an Aurealis Award in 2015.

Mr Craig Cormick, Freelance Science Communicator and Author 

Craig Cormick is an award-winning Canberra author and science communicator – and a graduate of the University of Canberra’s creative writing program. He has published over 30 books of fiction, non-fiction and children’s fiction, with both small and mainstream publishers, in Australia and overseas. Much of his work deals with reinterpretations of history. His writing awards include a Queensland Premier's Literary Award, ACT Book of the Year Award, the Tasmania Writers Prize and a Victorian Community History Award. Craig is a former chair of the ACT Writers Centre and has taught creative writing at University and in schools. He has a PhD in creative writing, has been a writer in residence in Malaysia and Antarctica and is a graduate of the Yale Writing Program. www.craigcormick.com