The Tina Kane Emergent Writer Award honors Tina Kane, who had been for twenty years – as a 2014 citation of her noted – ​‘a presence to rely on, engaging with writers, locals and visitors, making them feel welcome in the space she creates around herself, which is one of curiosity, intimacy and genuine good will.’ Tina was particularly welcoming to young and newly emergent writers, who often expressed their gratitude for her personal warmth and attention.  Hers is a tradition the Mildura Writers Festival intends to mark and continue with this annual award.

The 2018 winner of the Tina Kane Emergent Writer Award was Louise Allen.

​Growing up in Tasmania, Louise studied Medicine at the University of Tasmania, went on to become a GP, then moved across the country to Perth before she took up writing. Her first novel The Sisters' Song, based on an earlier short story she wrote in 2010, was published in January 2018.

Previous winners are:
​2017 Natalie Harkin
​2016 Emily Bitto

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People say prizes don’t count, but they do. Well, this one did to me. I didn’t write my book in the hope of winning something—not even in my wildest imagination—but it’s nice to know that someone, and a New York professor of English at that, liked my book.
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It also says I might have written something worthwhile and perhaps my crazy mid-life career change wasn’t so silly after all. Most importantly, it’s encouraged me to commit to my art, to learn more, practise harder and become the best writer I can be.

After spending four days with these intelligent, accomplished writers, I realise I’m just out of the starting blocks and I’ve much to learn. But being surrounded by literary minds, I’ve resolved to do that: to work harder, to give myself completely and utterly when I’m writing, and to try to create an even better book next time and every time after that, so that all of my future books will be better than the last.

This festival and the award were exactly what I needed –to be reminded of why I write and how much I love it.