Noëlle Janaczewska

Noëlle Janaczewska brings innovative stagecraft and a questioning voice to plays that translate cultural and political tensions into drama as complex as it is illuminating.

Noëlle Janaczewska writes plays, monologues, poetry, essays, radio scripts, libretti, open texts, and gallery and on-line explorations. Originally from the United Kingdom, she moved to Australia in the late 1980s. She has worked with theatre companies in Britain, Germany, Netherlands, and Australia. She notes the following recurring themes in her work: “the history and philosophy of science, colonialism and its legacies, narratives of place and migration, and the exploration of language/s.” Her intellectual rigor and impressive grasp of the craft of turning political realities into compelling theater—as in This Territory, which sprang from a racial incident in Australia in 2005 known as “Reclaim the Beach”—represent a high level of artistic excellence. Among the prizes she has won are the 2006 Queensland Premier's Literary Award; the Griffin Playwriting Award; and the Playbox-Asialink Playwriting Competition; and 5 Australian Writer’ Guild Awards for radio. Internationally, she has been a finalist for the prestigious Susan Smith Blackburn Prize.

I’m amazed, delighted, and truly honoured to receive this prize. It’s a wonderful, generous gift of time and space—precious commodities for a writer. Time to concentrate on the actual work; space for ideas to germinate and flourish. Thank you. NOËLLE JANACZEWSKA