A “stunning” debut novel has won the $30,000 top prize at the Queensland literary awards (QLAs). Lenora Thaker, author of The Pearl of Tagai Town, received the Queensland premier’s award for a work of state significance for her historical novel, which draws on her family’s history in Cairns-Malay Town.
Historical Context
Cairns-Malay Town was an unmapped shantytown that existed from the late 1800s until the late 1950s, housing Indigenous Australians, Chinese, Indian, Japanese, Malaysian, and Sri Lankan residents who were segregated from the white population. The QLA judges praised Thaker’s work for its “accessible and deeply enjoyable” narrative and its “vivid sense of place.”
““Warm, richly drawn characters and an innovative integration of Ailan languages come together in a rich, cohesive whole, bringing new insight and fresh imaginative life to a far north Queensland community. The Pearl of Tagai Town is a stunning debut novel,” the judges stated in a joint statement.
