From the Standing Committee on Awards and Prizes
Nominations will soon close for the Rosie Award for Excellence in Editing, which carries a $4,000 prize. The Rosanne Fitzgibbon Editorial Award – the Rosie – recognises excellence in editing. The nominated editor will have demonstrated a commitment and dedication to their craft by supporting a writer to create the best publishing outcome.
IPEd CEO Karen Lee says, “The value an editor brings to a project is – by design – often undetectable. The Rosie recognises that value and the contribution editors across Australia and New Zealand make to published work.”
“We encourage authors and publishers to nominate their brilliant editors for the Rosie, but we also encourage editors to celebrate their commitment and dedication to their craft and nominate themselves!”
Board Chair Catherine Macdonald AE adds, “It’s always a joy for IPEd to award the Rosie for excellent editing on a particular work. Editors seldom receive public acclaim for their largely invisible work, so it’s a pleasure to provide some recognition.”
The nominated work may be a published work of fiction or nonfiction in any genre, or another substantial body of work. It must have been published between 22 October 2024 and 21 October 2026.
The nominated editor must be an IPEd professional member or nominated staff member under an IPEd organisational membership (paid-up member) during the entire nomination and award process.
The winner receives a cash prize of A$4,000. Nominations are open until Wednesday 21 October 2026.
Full details on eligibility, judging criteria and nominations are available in the 2027 nomination guidelines.
The Rosie honours the memory of Rosanne Fitzgibbon DE (1947–2012), a distinguished editor of literary fiction and nonfiction, as well as of scholarly work in literary studies, and the recipient of the inaugural Beatrice Davis Editorial Fellowship in 1992.
Rosie, as she was often called, worked with well-known writers such as Thea Astley, Peter Carey, Kate Grenville and Janette Turner Hospital. She was renowned as an editor who devoted her time generously to both her authors and her profession, serving in many roles in many organisations.
Initiated by IPEd’s Editors Queensland branch, the Rosie was first awarded in 2017. The inaugural award was won by Jacqueline Blanchard for her editorial work on Matthew Condon’s novel All fall down (University of Queensland Press).
The 2019 winner was Julia Carlomagno for her editorial work on Briohny Doyle’s narrative nonfiction book Adult fantasy (Scribe).
The 2021 winner was Johannes Jakob for his editorial work on Kyle Perry’s novel The bluffs (Penguin Random House).
The 2023 winner was Cathy Vallance for her editorial work on Zana Fraillon’s middle-grade verse novel The way of dog (University of Queensland Press).
The 2025 winner was Emma Rafferty for her editorial work on JP Pomare’s fiction novel 17 years later (Hachette Australia).