Question Tuesday: Should Taxpayers Subsidise Writing Programs and Awards?

Posted June 12, 2012 by Michael @ Knowledge Lost in Question Tuesday / 0 Comments

Yes.

For the sake of a blog post, I better expand on this answer. I think the government should set money aside for the arts and when they get neglected, I get very upset. See my post about the Queensland Government Cutting Literary Award in order to save $244,000 of a $47,000,000,000 budget. I don’t think taxpayers should be subsidising every writer but I do believe there is a need for state and national writer awards that would bestow unpublished authors with a publishing contract and publicity.

I think that Australia does a great job in helping writers get a start in the industry. With programs like state writing centres which helps train writers into refining their arts, and the Australian/Vogel Literary Award which recognises writers under the age of 35 with unpublished manuscripts. Even though the Queensland government has cut funding to the Queensland Literary Awards, this award will continue to run, even if they are unable to give some prize money to the winners.

I’m sure there is more money being put in to developing writers within Australian that I haven’t mentioned. It does surprise me just how much our government does for the arts. Sure, I would like to see more money put into the arts but I’m sure many people within Australian would object to that. I’m not sure what it’s like for writers in other countries but I think I truly live in a great country.