Trailblazer tales help authors vie for literary prize
Two University of Sydney historians are in the running for Australia's richest business literature prize.聽 聽聽
University of Sydney research fellow and author Catherine Bishop.聽
University of Sydney historians have scooped two of four nominations for this year鈥檚 Ashurst Business Literature Prize.
and were nominated by an independent judging panel for books about Wall Street鈥檚 first black millionaire, and Sydney鈥檚 colonial era businesswomen.
鈥淚 am absolutely delighted that my book about forgotten colonial businesswomen is on the shortlist,鈥� said Catherine Bishop, author of .
鈥淲e hear a lot today about encouraging women into small business and into the corporate world, but this is usually seen as a twenty-first century issue.
鈥淚t is easy to forget that, in fact, Australian women have always been active in the business world, in an extraordinary variety of enterprises. I hope that my book will challenge some of our assumptions about women in business,鈥� she added.
Professor Shane White.聽
Another forgotten historical figure is restored in聽,听which earns Professor Shane White his nomination.
鈥淚n the middle of the nineteenth century, an African American named Jeremiah G. Hamilton cut a swathe through the lily-white New York business world and became Wall Street鈥檚 first black millionaire,鈥� said Professor White.
鈥淲ithin 20 years of his death, he had become completely forgotten, relegated to the dustbin of history. However, by dint of combing through the New York legal archives and the city newspapers, I managed to recover enough material about him to write聽Prince of Darkness.鈥澛�
Professor White said he is grateful to be shortlisted and that it is 鈥済ratifying to be acknowledged for what I do in the city in which I live.鈥澛�
The Ashurst Business Literature Prize was established by law firm Ashurst (formerly Blake Dawson) and the State Library of NSW to encourage Australian literary commentary on business and financial affairs.
鈥淚t鈥檚 very exciting to see these two nominations,鈥� said Professor Annamarie Jagose, Dean of the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences.
鈥淎 Department of History is perhaps not the first place one would look for prize-worthy business literature. Yet, in being nominated together for this award, Shane and Catherine evidence the breadth and strength of historical expertise in our Faculty. And they remind us that the things 鈥� whether objects, events or, as here, persons 鈥� that fall from public memory often richly reward our attention.鈥�
Ashurst Vice-Chairman聽Mary Padbury聽said: "Now in its 14th year, the Ashurst Business Literature Prize continues to attract exceptional works and set the standard for business literature in Australia. This year's shortlisted authors have explored a variety of interesting stories in ways that contribute to a deeper understanding of the past and present."
Paul Cleary's Trillion Dollar Baby: How Norway Beat The Oil Giants and Won a Lasting Fortune聽and Rozzi Bazzani's Hector聽complete the prize's shortlist. The prize-winner will be announced on March 29.