Celebrating original, excellent and engaging works by women and non-binary authors, the Stella Prize has helped elevate the careers of numerous Australian writers and has become one of the country’s most prestigious literary accolades. Be one of the first to hear from the winner of this year’s award, Sarah Holland-Batt, as she sits down in conversation with judging panel member Beejay Silcox to discuss her creative inspirations, writing process and prize-winning work, The Jaguar.

Sarah Holland-Batt (Australian)

Sarah Holland-Batt

Sarah Holland-Batt is the author of three books of poetry –The Jaguar (2022), The Hazards (2015) and Aria (2008) – and a book of essays on contemporary poetry, Fishing for Lightning (2021). Her honours include the 2016 Prime Minister’s Literary Award for Poetry, a Sidney Myer Creative Fellowship, and residencies at MacDowell and Yaddo in the United States. She is presently the Judy Harris Writer in Residence at the University of Sydney’s Charles Perkins Centre, and Professor of Creative Writing and Literary Studies at QUT.

Beejay Silcox (Australian)

Beejay Silcox

Beejay Silcox is a writer and critic currently based in Canberra. Her reviews and cultural commentary regularly appear in national arts publications, and are increasingly finding an international audience. Beejay has stories to tell. She's been kicked in the head by a mountain gorilla, blessed by a voodoo priest and stuck in quicksand; she eloped to Las Vegas, and drove to Timbuktu in a car held together with a bra-strap.