The Independent Bookshops in Australia make the Indie Awards each year. As the website says:
Now in its second year, The Indie Book Award is all about Australian independent booksellers showing the strength of their support for Australian authors and celebrating the very best of Australian writing.
Panels of expert judges (all avid readers and indie booksellers) choose winners in the four categories. These four category winners form the shortlist and independent booksellers from across the country then vote to select the best of the best - the top-polling book will be announced as The Indie Book of the Year for 2009. The author of the winning book will receive prize money of $15,000.
The four category winners have now been anounced as follows:
Fiction - Jasper Jones, by Craig Silvey
Debut Fiction - The Virtuoso by Sonia Orchard
Non-Fiction - The Tall Man by Chloe Hooper
Children's Book - Pearl Verses the World by Sally Murphy, illustrated by Heather Potter
The Indie Book of the Year winner will be announced on Monday, September 28
I'm not at all surprised about the Orchard win.