Having scored a gong for her contribution to arts and culture, Canberra-raised playwright Lally Katz says the support of young writers is paramount for the industry.
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She was presented with the InStyle Women of Style Award on Tuesday night and named a co-winner in her category alongside Bride Stripped Bare author Nikki Gemmell at a star-studded ceremony in Sydney.
The New Jersey-born Katz lived in Canberra for 10 years from the age of eight.
She said the awards celebrate the work women do. ''To me, [the award] is uplifting and gives me a confidence boost. It shows I'm on the right path.''
InStyle editor Kerrie McCallum praised Katz for her deep love for her craft and for being an imaginative storyteller and committed mentor to the next generation of playwrights.
Katz said: ''I feel passionate about making sure young playwrights are supported and nurtured. It's an important part of the industry.''
Her advice to writing rookies was to take in as much theatre as possible, read their own plays out loud ''to get a feeling for how words sound in the air'', and find a way to have their work performed, even if they lack the funding.
Katz has more than 20 plays and screenplays to her name, including The Black Swan of Trespass, which won four Green Room Awards and the New York International Fringe Festival Producer's Choice Award; a 2008 adaptation of Frankenstein, which was nominated in the Queensland Premier's Awards; and 2009's Goodbye Vaudeville Charlie Mudd, a winner in the Victorian Premier's Literary Awards.
Meanwhile, model Miranda Kerr won two gongs at the awards ceremony - in the beauty category, for her Kora Organics range, and the Reader's Choice award. The fashion category winners were Pamela Easton and Lydia Pearson, for their Easton Pearson label. Actor Asher Keddie triumphed over Rose Byrne and Natalie Imbruglia to win in the news and entertainment category.
The winners were chosen by a judging panel which included actor-activist Deborra-lee Furness, designer Collette Dinnigan, journalist Jana Wendt and director Gillian Armstrong.
