Richard Flanagan’s award of the Baillie Gifford Prize for literature cements his place in the front rank of global authors, former senator and friend Bob Brown said in Hobart today.

“Richard has lifted Tasmania’s and Australia’s reputation around the world and his requirement that Baillie Gifford review its investment in fossil fuels points directly to his deserved reputation for authenticity and principle in a world of insubstantial glitz and glister.”

“His latest book, QUESTION 7, is a masterpiece in the annals of timeless literature. He won’t like me saying this but he is a genius of both the pen and thoughtfulness, of both trying to make sense of the world and, at the same time, working to put things right. His humaneness is an essence of his wonderful writing. We are honoured that he is so determinedly Tasmanian,” said Bob Brown.