Ned Kelly Awards 2026 best debut crime fiction shortlist announced

The Australian Crime Writers Association has announced the 2026 Ned Kelly Awards shortlist for best debut crime fiction.

The shortlisted titles, selected from 160 entries, are:

• The Butterfly Women (Madeleine Cleary, Affirm Press)
• In Bloom (Liz Allan, Sceptre)
• Melaleuca (Angie Faye Martin, HQ Fiction)
• The Peak (Sam Guthrie, HarperCollins)
• The Wolf Tree (Laura McCluskey, HarperCollins)
• The Wykehamist (Alexandra Strnad, Black Spring Press).

The judging panel this year commented that the range of books included “several bold topics and fresh writing styles”, according to award organisers. “Settings and characters, in particular, stood out this year with both being finely detailed and exquisitely written to draw in the reader.”

The shortlists for other award categories (best crime fiction, best true crime writing and best international crime fiction) are yet to be announced. The overall winners will be announced in September 2026.

Last year’s winner for best debut crime fiction was All You Took from Me (Lisa Kenway, Transit Lounge).

More information about the awards is available on the Australian Crime Writers Association website.

Category: Awards Local news