Australia’s independent booksellers are pleased to announce the shortlist for the Indie Awards 2012, recognizing their favourite Australian authors from the past 12 months.  The category winners and the overall ‘Book of the Year’ winner will be revealed on Saturday 10th March 2012.

Independent booksellers have a well-earned reputation for being the ones to spot the next-big-thing and The Indie Awards is one to watch.   Previous Indie ‘Book of the Year’ winners include Breath by Tim Winton, Jasper Jones by Craig Silvey and The Happiest Refugee by Anh Do, all going on to national and international acclaim.

‘It’s a great honour to be listed for the Indie Awards. Independent bookstores support our reading and writing culture in essential and indispensable ways - through vigorous advocacy, personal recommendations, events, launches, intelligent and friendly conversation  -  and above all by promoting a genuine solidarity with both readers and writers. They’re a precious national treasure it’s been a great delight to work with them.’ – Gail Jones

‘It's always nice to be nominated for an award but doubly so when it comes from a body whose business is also its love – books and reading. Independent booksellers help spread the joy and richness of the written word and in the National Year of Reading 2012 they play an incredibly important role.’ – William McInnes

"It's independent booksellers over decades who have guided me to the minds and works that shaped my life.  I don't know where or, frankly, who I'd be without them.  Since becoming a published author it's been a genuine pleasure to work closely with them.  To learn now of this nomination adds honour to the pleasure."  - Elliot Perlman

“Independent booksellers give me great hope that stories like mine can be published and sell well. I know the future of Australian books is in good hands if we keep supporting our independents.” - Favel Parrett

"I’m honoured to have The 13-Storey Treehouse shortlisted for the Indie awards. Independent bookshops have always played a crucial role in helping me to find--and keep--an audience for my books. They provide the opportunity for staff who both love and know about books to put them into the hands of the right sort of readers, thereby helping to speed up the crucial word-of-mouth process which helps build a readership. And just as important, they have provided the venues for the many hundreds of in-store events over the years where my readers and I have been able to get to know each other first hand, which ultimately leads to me being able to write better books."  - Andy Griffiths

The shortlisted books for the Indie Awards 2012 are:

FICTION

Caleb's Crossing by Geraldine Brooks (Harper Collins)
The Street Sweeper by Elliot Perlman (Random House)
Foal's Bread by Gillian Mears (Allen & Unwin)
Five Bells by Gail Jones (Random House)

NON-FICTION

Worse Things Happen at Sea by William McInnes and Sarah Watt (Hachette)
Notebooks by Betty Churcher (MUP)
After Words: Post Prime Ministerial Speeches by Paul Keating (Allen & Unwin)
A Private Life by Michael Kirby (Allen & Unwin)

DEBUT FICTION

Past the Shallows by Favel Parrett (Hachette)
All That I Am by Anna Funder (Penguin)
The Roving Party by Rohan Wilson (Allen & Unwin)
Watercolours by Adrienne Ferreira (Harper Collins)

CHILDREN’S

The 13-Storey Treehouse by Andy Griffiths & Illus Terry Denton (Pan Macmillan)
The Jewel Fish of Karnak by Graeme Base (Penguin)
The Little Refugee by Anh & Suzanne Do & Illus Bruce Whatley (Allen & Unwin)
The Coming of the Whirlpool: Ship Kings 1 by Andrew McGahan (Allen & Unwin)