TEMPLE TOPS AWARDS. AGAIN.

The Ned Kelly Awards for Australian Crime Writing 2003, was organised by the Crime Writers’ Association of Australia (CWAA), and held on Thursday, August 28 in Melbourne.

More than 250 crime fans, writers, publishers, drunks, ruffians and footpads packed into the Night Cat Bar on Thursday night to see Peter Temple win his fourth Ned Kelly Award.

White Dog (Text), the alleged last book to feature protagonist Jack Irish, picked up the award for Best Novel. Temple adds this to the Neds received for Bad Debts (1997) and Dead Point (2001) both featuring Irish whilst the stand alone Shooting Star won Best Novel in 2000.

Best First Novel went to Alex Palmer for Blood Redemption (HarperCollins), and Bloodstain (Allen & Unwin) by News Ltd journo Peter Lalor picked up the award for Best True Crime. Kerry Greenwood, creator of 1920s heroine Phryne Fisher, received the award for Lifetime Achievement.

MC (Mistress of Crime) Jane Clifton proved the consummate professional in coping admirably with a rambunctious audience and some of the rowdier speakers.

Rhys Muldoon proved his public speaking prowess (forged in the white heat that is Play School) by sliding references to Dr Johnson and Roger Rogerson into the same speech.

In launching Peter Corris’s latest Cliff Hardy novel, Master’s Mates, Shane Maloney depicted a Sydney which Melburnites love and which Sydneysiders love to hate. Rhys Muldoon had a two word comment for this (forged in the white heat that is Play School…).

Mistake of the Night: a free bar (all five minutes of it)

Word of the Night: Palimpsest

Rumour of the Night: Michael Connolly, creator of Harry Bosch, will be coming to Australia next year.