QF32, the epic story of the aircraft’s survival following a mid-air engine explosion as told by Qantas A380 captain Richard de Crespigny, has been voted the Non-Fiction Book of the Year in the 2013 Australian Book Industry Association Awards.
Similar to the Academy Awards for the film industry, the ABIA Awards recognise publishers, authors and book stores. Over 300 guests attended the gala evening that was opened by Federal Attorney-General – the Hon. Mark Dreyfus QC – and timed to coincide with the Sydney Writers’ Festival .
QF32 was also one of the six finalists for the ABIA’s 2013 Book of the Year. This award was won by M.L. Stedman for “The Light Between Oceans” (Random House Australia).
Richard de Crespigny congratulated all authors whose works were presented for awards:
“I congratulate all the other authors who were shortlisted for this award, “ said Captain de Crespigny. “You were not handed a script that included three iconic companies, a $400m aircraft and 440 passengers, but you have all produced truly wonderful works. QF32 was never a story about me, but a story about teamwork – a case study where the pilots, cabin crew and hundreds of ground crews pooled their knowledge, training, experience working in teams to help us survive the event that we had never trained for nor expected.”
Richard and Robin de Crespigny
Captain de Crespigny added: “In particular, I congratulate another “R de Crespigny”, my cousin, Robin de Crespigny, whose wonderful book “The People Smuggler” has received world acclaim and was also one of the other five finalists for the “Non- Fiction Book of the Year – 2013″. I am so proud: two R de Crespignys, both first-time writers, were both up for the same award. You should be winning this award Robin – not me!”