Queensland’s State Library will no longer manage the state literary awards on behalf of the government, in response to a long-awaited review into the sinking of a fellowship last year.
Arts Minister John-Paul Langbroek’s intervention in the $15,000 black&write! fellowship last year led to the last-minute May cancellation of a First Nations author’s award ceremony.
Langbroek had accused the Adelaide-based author K.A. Ren Wyld of “glorifying terrorism” over a social media post praising slain Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar.
The decision sparked an independent review into the roles of the library and minister, along with state literary award delays driven by the resignations of 12 judges.
The review, by Australian Catholic University chancellor and former Supreme Court judge Martin Daubney AM KC, was handed to the library in October, and Langbroek in November.
The review was published on Thursday, along with statements from both Langbroek and the state library – the latter of which said it had accepted all five recommendations.
“This includes ceasing management of the Queensland Literary Awards on behalf of the Queensland government,” the library said, without detailing which body would do so instead.
Langbroek said the library would “transition the Queensland Literary Awards to alternative providers” and work with funding partner Creative Australia to do similar with black&write!
“More broadly, the Daubney Review has highlighted the need for government-funded arts and cultural organisations to consider their policies and risk-management frameworks to ensure they are consistent with and meet the expectations of the Crisafulli government,” Langbroek said.
“We remain committed to the future of the literary awards and are determined to ensure they go from strength to strength.
“After a decade of decline under Labor, the Crisafulli government unashamedly holds the position that state-owned buildings will not be a platform for hate speech.”
Creative diversity and robust debate are important, and central to the value of the arts, however, we’ve taken decisive action to make Queensland safer.
Arts Minister John-Paul Langbroek
Questions from this masthead to the library and Langbroek about the future of this year’s awards are yet to receive a response. Entries for the 2025 awards opened on March 3 that year. There is yet to be an announcement about the 2026 schedule.
In his review, Daubney said that while it was commissioned after the events of the black&write! decision by Langbroek to direct the library not to give the award to Wyld in the state-owned venue, it was “not a vehicle to critique” his intervention.
“Rather, it has been a broader exercise to identify lessons from the circumstances surrounding that intervention and to provide both context and guidance to the Board and SLQ management in the proper exercise of their functions and duties.”
The key findings of Daubney’s 57-page report include that the black&write fellowship matter highlighted issues needing to be addressed via policy clarity, communications protocols and reputational risk management.
He found there was “ambiguity” around whether competitive literary awards were a core statutory function of the board, and policies around venue use and intellectual freedom were “due for review”.
“There is an opportunity to strengthen communication protocols between the Board, Minister, and AQ [the Arts Queensland Department], especially for sensitive or high-profile decisions and the Minister’s expectations.”
As a result, Daubney recommended Langbroek – with the advice of his department and the library board – “clarify as a matter of policy whether the conduct of competitive literary awards is a proper function of the board”.
He also called on the board to review its risk management and venue use policy, along with developing policies for awards and fellowships to lay out clear objectives for each program.
These would include processes to help the board “mitigate any risk of reputational damage” through requiring award entrants or venue hirers to undergo background checks.
Entrants and venue hirers would also be required to provide an acknowledgment that if they are to receive an award or use a state library venue, they will not – and must not have – engaged in any behaviour inconsistent with an award program or which could bring the library or award “into disrepute”.
Former Liberal senator for Queensland George Brandis was appointed by Langbroek as chair of the library’s board last month.
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Matt Dennien is a reporter at Brisbane Times covering state politics and the public service. He has previously worked for newspapers in Tasmania and Brisbane community radio station 4ZZZ. Contact him securely on Signal @mattdennien.15Connect via email.
