Mother-and-daughter relationships can be complicated. Families in general can be tricky.
But no matter how complicated those relationships are, they are usually a perfect topic for a book. Something newly awarded ACT Book of the Year author Lucy Neave knows all too well.
Her 2021 book, Believe in Me, was announced as the 2022 recipient of the ACT Book of the Year by Minister for the Arts Tara Cheyne at the Civic Library on Monday.
For Neave, the book is about connection, or lack thereof, as it dives into the lives of three generations of one family, exploring whether one can ever truly know or understand their parents' early lives, and whether it is needed.
"My book is kind of about the act of the imagination, and how the main character imagines the life of her mother to try and make peace with her," the author said.
"But I think literary works ask complicated questions about how we live and they often can make people uncomfortable in the way that they ask questions and they demand that people think about aspects of our society and the way we go about our business."
The judges - author and poet Sam Faulkner, author of last year's highly commended book The Trials of Portnoy, Patrick Mullins and Canberra Times journalist Jasper Lindell - considered the author's second novel one that "moves across continents and time telling an expansive story that vividly explores the bonds of motherhood, the fragility of knowing and familial inheritance".
"The author writes assuredly, and is never weighed down by her subject matter," Ms Cheyne said.
"The novel is moving and beautiful, combining deep feelings with insight and compassion."
Also awarded during Monday's ceremony were the three highly commended books - Milk by Dylan Van den Berg, The Kindness of Birds by Merlinda Bobis and Killernova by Omar Musa.
Each year the ACT Book of the Year Award recognises high-quality contemporary literary works by ACT-based authors. This year's nominations - of which there were seven from the 43 eligible nominations of books published in 2021 - showcased works across the genres of fiction, non-fiction and poetry.
"It is impossible, of course, to overstate the value of books and reading, the countless voices and experiences shared, indelible impressions left and the change that creates within us," Ms Cheyne said.
"As an art form, it is always a journey, but one that can be explored and engaged at our own pace. And there of course no limits as to how many times we can revisit that.
"Building and maintaining a strong writers' scene is fundamental to realising our ambition to be recognised as Australia's arts capital.
"If the number and the calibre of books submitted in this year's award is anything to go by, we are well on our way."
