TWO Rocks writer and poet Shey Marque’s book The Hum Hearers is on the shortlist for the Kenneth Slessor prize as part of the NSW Premier’s literary awards 2026.
The Kenneth Slessor prize ($30,000) is offered to a poet for a book of collected poems or a single poem of substantial length published in book form.
The Hum Hearers won the Wesley Michel Wright prize 2025 and was a finalist for the 2023 Dorothy Hewett award.
Throughout the book, Marque explores cellular memory and epigenetic inheritance of family trauma, an interest she has long held since touching on the subject during her PhD at UWA Pathology.
Marque, who works as secretary of the board for Writing WA, has had her work published nationally and internationally in journals, choreographed for contemporary dance and made into poetry film.
Her list of other awards includes the Blue Nib Chapbook award, QLD Poetry Festival Emerging Poet award, Poetry d’Amour prize, KSP Poetry prize, runner-up for the Gwen Harwood Poetry prize, Bruce Dawe Poetry prize and shortlisted for many others.
Keeper of the Ritual was a finalist for the 2017 Noel Rowe award.
The NSW literary awards are the richest and longest running state-based literary awards in Australia and cover all genres of writing.
The awards provide an opportunity to highlight the importance of literacy and to encourage everyone to enjoy and learn from the work of writers.
Marque would appreciate support from residents in the Yanchep-Two Rocks area and surrounds in voting for her book, The Hum Hearers in the University of Sydney people’s choice award, which is voted for from the shortlists for the Kenneth Slessor prize, the Christina Stead prize for fiction and the Douglas Stewart prize for non-fiction.
Anyone who votes is also in the running to receive a prize of a books pack.
