Social entrepreneurship memoir wins $30,000 business book prize
Michael Traill’s fascinating memoir about ‘jumping ship’ from the high-flying world of banking to the not-for-profit sector has won the Ashurst Business Literature Prize, Australia’s most significant award for business writing.
In his debut book Jumping Ship: From the World of Corporate Australia to the Heart of Social Investment (published by Hardie Grant), Michael Traill tells a candid story about how he transferred the business acumen of banking to the philanthropy and social ventures sectors, with impressive results.
Awarding the prize, Richard Fisher AM, chair of the judging panel said “In an age when companies are thinking more about their corporate social responsibility and what it might involve, Michael Traill’s insightful book provides some great pointers on working successfully across all sectors.”
The independent judging panel, comprising of Richard Fisher AM, Narelle Hooper and Margie Seale, selected Traill’s book as the winner from a shortlist of three.
The other shortlisted works were Losing Streak: How Tasmania was Gamed by the Gambling Industry by James Boyce (Black Inc.) and Stop Fixing Women: Why Building Fairer Workplaces is Everybody’s Business by Catherine Fox (NewSouth Publishing).
Launched by Ashurst in 2004 and administered by the State Library of NSW, the $30,000 annual Ashurst Business Literature Prize was established to encourage the highest possible standards of literary commentary on business and financial affairs by an Australian author.
Ashurst’s Global Managing Partner Paul Jenkins commented: “As a proud sponsor, Ashurst congratulates Michael Traill on winning this prestigious prize, now in its 15th year. The standard of entries was exceptional, demonstrating the depth and talent of our Australian authors.”
NSW State Librarian Dr John Vallance said: “Cynics used to say that business and literature are mutually exclusive. This creative partnership between Ashurst and the State Library of NSW continues to prove them wrong.”
Michael Traill accepted the prize from Andy Vesey, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of AGL Energy, the guest speaker at a special award dinner hosted by Ashurst in Sydney.
