The Victorian Premier’s Literary Awards announced its winners on Monday night, honouring the literary achievements of Australian writers. The categories spanned across a multitude of genres and writing styles, and joining us to talk a bit more about the prize and his work is David Stavanger, winner of the Poetry Prize for 2021.

David is a poet, performer, cultural producer, editor and lapsed psychologist. His recent work Case Notes, a follow-up of his book The Special, is a visceral and profound meditation on masculinity, mental illness, fatherhood, family and suburban life. Through a mix tape of free verse, lyric poetry, found text and spoken word, this book perfectly captures the lived/living mental health experience.

To find out more about the Victorian Premier’s Literary Awards, head over to the Wheeler Centre website, and check out David’s book Case Notes available in all bookstores now.