The Stella Prize has shown that feminist activism in the literary sector can work. At its outset, in 2013, it drew attention to the lack of women on prize shortlists.
Over time, it appears to have shifted prize culture in this county to the point that it seems unlikely that we’ll see a “sausagefest” shortlist again any time soon. And Stella’s regular count of gender in Australian book reviewing has ensured editors think about the gender of the authors they review and the writers who review them.
