WA book award renamed to honour Indigenous poet

The poetry category of the Western Australian Premier’s Book Awards has been renamed to honour celebrated poet, the late Dr Charmaine Papertalk Green Smith.

Born and raised in the Mid West where she lived and worked, the Yamaji-Wilunyu elder was a poet, writer, artist, social sciences researcher and community leader.

Dr Papertalk Green Smith was the author of five critically acclaimed poetry and verse books, including Nganajungu Yagu (2019), which won two major national literary awards, and was widely respected in the Western Australian creative community.  

She passed away in August last year at the age of 63.

“Dr Charmaine Papertalk Green Smith’s was a powerful voice for First Nations people, and she was deeply committed to transformative social change,” said Premier, Roger Cook.

“Her research and advocacy were recognised across Australia, and my government is proud to honour Dr Papertalk Green Smith’s significant contribution to Western Australian writing.”

The Dr Charmaine Papertalk Green Smith Poetry Prize will be awarded for the first time in September 2026 for the best Western Australian poetry book published in the preceding year as part of the annual Western Australian Premier’s Book Awards administered by the State Library. 

Dr Papertalk Green Smith’s contribution to the State’s writing sector will be celebrated with posthumous induction into the Western Australian Writers Hall of Fame at the same event.

“A friend and collaborator of many writers and artists, Dr Papertalk Green Smith made a rich contribution to the Western Australian community, in both her creative and academic work,” said Creative Industries Minister, Simone McGurk.

“I thank Dr Papertalk Green Smith’s family for their support in naming the poetry category and offer my sympathies to those who loved her and those who learned from her.”  

The renaming of the poetry prize and the Hall of Fame induction are undertaken with the support of Dr Charmaine Papertalk Green Smith’s family and representatives from the Western Australian poetry community.