Awards | Books+Publishing

Varuna 2026 Trans and Gender Diverse Fellowship recipients announced

Monday, 4 May 2026
Varuna, the National Writers’ House has announced the recipients of the 2026 Trans and Gender Diverse Fellowship. The fellowship recipients are: Dani Leever Hay Elliott-Ryan Mohammad Taha Robin M Eames...

Wakefield wins Edgar Award

Monday, 4 May 2026
Adelaide-based author Vikki Wakefield has won the award for Best Paperback Original at the Edgar Allan Poe Awards for To the River (Text). Published in the US under the name...

Wheeler Centre 2026 Hot Desk Fellows announced

Monday, 4 May 2026
The Wheeler Centre has announced the 22 successful applicants for its 2026 Hot Desk Fellowships. The emerging writers who will be this year's fellows are: Amarantha Nicola Bryant Anna Carlsson...

Oodgeroo Noonuccal honoured in inaugural Luminas

Thursday, 30 April 2026
Activist and poet Oodgeroo Noonuccal has been announced as the arts/creative honouree in the Hall of Fame category of the inaugural Luminas honours program. Presented by Diversity Arts Australia (DARTS)...

Rabah wins 2026 Calibre Essay Prize

Wednesday, 29 April 2026
The Australian Book Review (ABR) has announced Sahar Rabah as the 2026 winner of the $10,000 Calibre Essay Prize for her essay “Between Reality and Dreams”. “Between Reality and Dreams”...

Lai’s “Cannon” shortlisted for Carol Shields Prize for Fiction

Wednesday, 22 April 2026
Australian cartoonist Lee Lai, who currently lives in Canada, has been shortlisted for the US$150,000 (A$209,673) Carol Shields Prize for Fiction for the graphic novel Cannon (Giramondo). The full 2026...

NSW Literary Awards 2026 shortlists announced

Tuesday, 21 April 2026
The shortlists for the 2026 NSW Literary Awards have been announced. The shortlisted works in each category are: Christina Stead Prize for Fiction ($40,000) Cure (Katherine Brabon, Ultimo) Arborescence (Rhett...

Local authors longlisted for 2026 CWA Daggers

Monday, 20 April 2026
Local authors Sam Guthrie, Laura McCluskey, Zoë Rankin and Jennifer Trevelyan are among those whose works have been longlisted for the UK Crime Writers’ Association’s (CWA) 2026 Dagger Awards. Guthrie,...

ABIA 2026 business award shortlists announced

Wednesday, 15 April 2026
Books+Publishing, in partnership with the Australian Publishers Association, has announced the 2026 business award shortlists for the Australian Book Industry Awards (ABIAs). The shortlistees in each category are: Bookshop of...

The Age Book of the Year 2026 shortlists announced

Wednesday, 15 April 2026
The shortlists for the 2026 Age Book of the Year awards have been announced. Shortlisted works in each category are: Fiction Fierceland (Omar Musa, Penguin) The Immigrants (Moreno Giovannoni, Black Inc.) Out of the...

Regional shortlist released for 2026 Commonwealth Short Story Prize

Tuesday, 14 April 2026
One Aotearoa New Zealand writer and one Australian writer are among the finalists for the 2026 Commonwealth Short Story Prize. The works shortlisted for the Pacific region are: ‘Bitter Water...

ABA announces inaugural lifetime achievement award

Monday, 13 April 2026
The Australian Booksellers Association (ABA) has created a new Lifetime Achievement in Bookselling Award for “an individual who has given extraordinary and sustained service to bookselling in Australia”. According to...

Ena Noël Award 2026 winners announced

Monday, 13 April 2026
The Australian branch of the International Board on Books for Young People (IBBY) has announced the winners of the 2026 Ena Noël Award. The winners of the award are author...

Storylines Awards 2026 winners announced

Monday, 13 April 2026
The Storylines Trust has announced the 2026 winners of the Storylines Awards in Aotearoa New Zealand. The winners are: Margaret Mahy Medal and Lecture Award Tim Tipene Gaelyn Gordon Award...

Shakthidharan among Windham-Campbell Prize 2026 winners

Thursday, 9 April 2026
Sydney playwright S Shakthidharan has won a 2026 Windham-Campbell Prize, worth US$175,000 (A$249,000). Shakthidharan was selected in the category of drama for his “ambition and scale, and his deep care...

Stella Prize 2026 shortlist announced

Thursday, 9 April 2026
The shortlist for the $60,000 Stella Prize for works by Australian women and non-binary writers has been announced. The shortlisted books are: The Rot (Evelyn Araluen, UQP) Memorial Days (Geraldine Brooks, Hachette)...

Cultivate mentorship 2026 winners announced

Wednesday, 8 April 2026
Writing NSW has announced the winners of the 2026 Cultivate Mentorship Program for First Nations and Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Emerging Writers. Developed by Writing NSW to “help build equity...

Blake Poetry Prize 2026 shortlist announced

Tuesday, 7 April 2026
Liverpool Powerhouse and WestWords have announced the poets shortlisted for the 2026 Blake Poetry Prize, worth $5000. The shortlisted works are: “Aftermath” by Terri Slanovits “Father” by Phillippa Cordwell “Jigar...

New ASA mentorship program winners announced

Tuesday, 7 April 2026
The Australian Society of Authors (ASA) has announced the winners of mentorships in the 2026 CA/ASA Developmental Leadership Program. Thirteen creators have won the opportunity to work with an experienced...

DANZ Children’s Book Award 2026 longlists announced

Thursday, 2 April 2026
The 2026 longlists for the Australian School Library Association (ASLA) DANZ (Diversity in Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand) Children’s Book Award have been announced. The longlisted titles in each category...

Australia Reads nominated for 2026 IPA Innovation in Publishing Award

Thursday, 2 April 2026
Newly minted not-for-profit Australia Reads, established by the Australian Publishers Association, is among 5 nominees for the 2026 Innovation in Publishing Award presented by the International Publishers Association. The award...