Nominations for the $10,000 ACT Book of the Year Award are now open for ACT-based fiction, poetry and non-fiction writers who published between January 1 and December 31, 2015. Nominations for the ACT Book of the Year Award will close at 5pm, on June 1 2016. See: arts.act.gov.au.

ACU POETRY PRIZE

Entries for the 2016 Australian Catholic University (ACU) Prize for Poetry are now open. The first prize is $7000. The ACU Prize for Poetry will be awarded for outstanding poetry with the theme Loving Kindness, and will be presented on September 1. Australian residents are eligible to enter. Entries must be unpublished, must not have won any other competition, and must not be under consideration by any publisher, literary journal or for any other prize. Entries will be open until June 6. See: acu.edu.au.

What's on

April 30: The ANU Women's Department, PARSA Women's Office and Canberra literary collective Scissors Paper Pen presents "Spoken: Women Armed with Words", an evening where the words of women are celebrated at the Food Co-op at 7.30pm. Light food will be provided. This is an event for women-identifying and non-binary people only.

May 1: At Muse Canberra at 3pm, Jennifer Rayner discusses her book Generation Less, about the prospects of young Australians. $10 includes a drink. musecanberra.com.au.

May 1: ANU academic Dr Andrew Kipi's book China and Postsocialist Anthropology: Theorising Power and Society after Communism will be launched by Head of the China Contemporary Centre at the Asia Bookroom, Unit 2, 1-3 Lawry Place, Macquarie at 6pm.RSVP: By 5.30pm Wednesday April 30: 62515191 or books@AsiaBookroom.com.

May 3: Big Life, a memoir by teacher, musician and actor George Huitker, will be launched by Principal of Black Mountain School Frank Fogliati at 6pm at Radford College Senior School.

May 7: At Harry Hartog Woden at 11am, meet author Meg Hale who will be discussing and signing copies of her book Mothers in Arms, about the mothers touched by Australia's forced adoption policies. 6232 5832 or woden@harryhartog.com.au.

May 8: At Muse Canberra at 3pm, Toni Jordan will talk about her bedroom farce Our Tiny, Useless Hearts. $10 includes a drink. Musecanberra.com.au

May 11:The next Poetry at the House reading at University House at 8pm features Alan Wearne (from Wollongong) and Cassandra Atherton (from Melbourne and the US). Admission: $10 waged, $5 unwaged. Meals are available in the Fellows Bar and Cafe from 6.30pm. Bookings: gpage40@bigpond.net.au.

May 13: In an ANU/Canberra Times meet the author event, social researcher Hugh Mackay will be speaking on his new book Beyond Belief, exploring the impact in Australia of the decline in religious faith and practice. Theatre 2, Manning Clark Centre, ANU at 6pm. Bookings at anu.edu.au/events or call 6125 8415.

May 14: Lisa Portolan will be discussing and signing copies of her book Seesaw, a novel about an alcoholic advertising woman who becomes a success, at 11am Harry Hartog Woden. 02 6232 5832 or woden@harryhartog.com.au.

May 14: At Muse Canberra at 3pm, a free classical music open mic - BYO instrument or play on the baby grand in any composer, tune or style. $10 includes a drink. musecanberra.com.au.

May 15: At Muse Canberra at 3pm, meet Rosalie Ham, author of The Dressmaker, recently made into a successful movie. $10 includes a drink. musecanberra.com.au.

May 22: At Muse Canberra at 3pm, journalist Tom Dusevic will discuss Whole Wild World, about his 1970s childhood, suburbia and making sense of his refugee Croatian parents. $10 includes a drink. musecanberra.com.au.

* Contributions to Litbits are welcome. Please email litbits@canberratimes.com.au by COB on the Monday prior to publication. Publication is not guaranteed.