The Iremonger Award for Writing on Public Issues is an annual Australian literary award that was established in 2003 by Australian publisher Allen & Unwin to commemorate publisher and author John Iremonger and "foster the sort of ideas that he was so good at cultivating".[1] The award is made "for works of political, social and cultural commentary with contemporary Australian relevance" and offers a prize of $10,000 as well as guaranteed publication, royalties and editorial support.[2]
The judges for the first award, made in 2004, included Anne Manne and David Marr.[1] The award has three judges, one from Allen & Unwin and two independent judges who “know what’s happening at the moment and have a unique perspective”.[3]
John Iremonger, who died of cancer in August 2002[1], worked in the publishing industry in Australia for 35 years. He started the independent publishing company, Hale and Iremonger, in 1977, with Greens MP, Sylvia Hale, but left the partnership in 1980 to join Allen & Unwin when its publishing director Patrick Gallagher offered him a job.[4] Iremonger's career at Allen & Unwin lasted 22 years, which included a four-year break to run Melbourne University Press.[5] He was also founding editor of the ANU Historical Journal.[6]
“He had an enormous impact on Australian publishing. He had a deeply inquiring mind, a strong sense of what was right and wrong and a deep human compassion.” [3]