THE City of Fremantle has pledged to sponsor WA’s premier literary award—the TAG Hungerford—for the next six years. The award provides $12,000 to unpublished WA authors and the chance to get their manuscript published with Fremantle Press.

It has been around since 1990 with the principal sponsor changing five times. Last year, the prize was bumped up from $6000 to $12,000.

“There is a lot of prestige and respect around this award, and we didn’t want reduce this by not having a similar cash reward,” says Fremantle Press CEO Jane Fraser.

Mayor Brad Pettitt says the award is a tangible way for the community to foster and celebrate WA’s literary culture.