The National Biography Award, established in Australia in 1996, is awarded for the best published work of biographical or autobiographical writing by an Australian. It aims "to encourage the highest standards of writing biography and autobiography and to promote public interest in those genres".[1] It was initially awarded every two years, but from 2002 it has been awarded annually. Its administration was taken over by the State Library of New South Wales in 1998.
It was originally endowed by private benefactor, Dr. Geoffrey Cains, and the original prize money was $12,500. In 2002, Cains said of endowing the award that "I wanted to give back to literature something, it had given me so much; besides, philanthropy in this country is so overlooked and diminished".[2] In 2005, the prize money was increased to $20,000 with the support of Michael Crouch.[3] Belinda Hutchinson, President of the Library Council of NSW, expressed gratitude for this increase to "an award that celebrates the Australian psyche through distinguished biography writing."[3]
The judging panel varies from year to year. In 1998, the first year it was administered by the State Library of New South Wales, the panel comprised Elizabeth Jolley, Helen Garner and Tony Maniaty.
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In 2003, the National Biography Award lecture was instituted. It is associated with the award, and is also sponsored by Cains and Crouch. It is given annually, but is not given at the same time as the announcement of the winner.[1]