The Council for the Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences (CHASS) awards an annual Australia Book Prize to the author whose non-fiction book, in the opinion of the judges, contributes most to Australian cultural and intellectual life. This major book prize is supported by Routledge Publishers. In 2014, the Prize was awarded to Professor Ian McCalman for his book, The Reef and in 2015 to Professor Alan Atkinson for his book The Europeans in Australia.

132 books, published in 2015, were submitted for the 2016 CHASS Prize, the largest number in the history of the Prize, reflecting its growing importance. The CHASS Prize longlist of eight titles will be announced by the President of CHASS, Professor Joe Siracusa, Professor of Human Security and International Diplomacy and former Deputy Dean of Global and Language Studies (2009-2015) at the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology (RMIT) University. The winner will be announced on October 20 at RMIT University in Melbourne.

This is a free event, no bookings required and precedes a major Canberra Writers’ Festival presentation at 3.15pm by Professor A C Grayling on Progress in Troubled Times: Learning from “The Age of Genius”. Bookings for Grayling’s event at the Canberra Writers’ Festival website.