VETERAN Canberra poet and essayist Subhash Jaireth has today (September 29) been announced as winner of the $10,000 2021 ACT Book of the Year for his collection of essays, “Spinoza’s Overcoat”.

His award-winning book uses the essay form to explore the lives of writers, poets and their travels.

Jaireth, who received a Canberra Critics’ Circle award in 2020 for his poetic output, accepted the award by reciting a poem.

Describing him as a writer of international significance, the judges commented: “This major achievement takes a broad literary perspective, pushing form and progression of poetics. This is first-class cultural criticism, in a voice that is daring and rare, moving and lifting. Subhash Jaireth is a superb writer, poet and researcher, and above all true to himself.”

Born in India, Jaireth spent nine years in Russia studying geology and Russian literature before migrating to Australia and Canberra, where he has become a respected member of the literary community.

He has published poetry in Hindi, English and Russian and even had a play about Russian author Anton Chekov’s family staged at The Street Theatre.

ACT Book of the Year 2021

• Winner: “Spinoza’s Overcoat” by Subhash Jaireth
• Highly Commended: “Oil Under Troubled Water” by Bernard Collaery
• Highly Commended: “Doggerland” by Moya Pacey
• Shortlisted: “Utterly” by Dr PS Cottier
• Shortlisted: “Nigh” by Dr Penelope Layland
• Shortlisted: “The Trials of Portnoy” by Dr Patrick Mullins

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