The award, particularly meaningful to Turner because it comes from her home country, is for best fiction book and is considered among the top literary awards internationally. A prize of $25,000 accompanies the award.

In her acceptance speech, Hospital said, "This award is more precious to me than any I have won so far: to be recognized by my home state, the place that bred me and that continues to inform the rhythms, images and themes of my writing. I'm grateful for my Queensland education, for the long and nurturing support of the University of Queensland Press."

Due Preparations for the Plague is a timely story with relevance to Sept. 11, 2001, the U.S.–Iraq war and the onset of the deadly "SARS" virus worldwide. The plot follows a man and a woman searching for the truth about the fate of loved ones who died on a flight from Paris to New York. It is a tale of terrorism, fear, loss, and the human experience.

The Queensland Premier's Literary Awards were established in 1999 by the Queensland Government. They include nine awards in different categories, with the award for best fiction book as its pinnacle honor. Although relatively new, the Queensland Premier's Literary Awards have earned a place among the world's most distinguished literary honors.

Hospital, an acclaimed author, came to USC in 1999 to fill the writer-in-residence position vacated by James Dickey, who died in 1997. A native of Melbourne, Australia, Hospital moved to the United States in the 1960s. Before coming to USC, Hospital was a writer-in-residence at universities in Australia, Canada, England and France, as well as Boston University, MIT, and Colgate University.

Besides Due Preparations for the Plague, Hospital has written five other internationally hailed novels, including The Ivory Swing (1982), winner of Canada's Seal Award; Borderline (1985); Charades (1988), The Last Magician (1992), and Oyster (1996). Her short-story collection, Dislocations (1987), won the FAW Australian Natives Association Award in 1988. Isobars was published in 1990, and one of the stories was included in the UK's Annual Best Short Stories for 1990. Collected Stories (1995) brings together all her short stories in one volume.

In addition to her accolades as a writer, Hospital has distinguished herself at USC for her teaching and service.

"Caught in the Creative Act," her free literature course for the general public that brings in top authors to give readings, has more than 600 students this semester, double the number from last fall. She also organizes and hosts a literary festival at USC each year. The 2003 Fall Festival of Authors will take place Oct. 22–24.

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