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$100k Historical Novel Prize longlists announced

The Historical Novel Society Australasia (HNSA) has announced the longlist for the second annual ARA Historical Novel Prize and the inaugural longlist for its children’s and young adult (CYA) category.

With a total value of $100,000, the prize will award $50,000 to the adult category winner and $30,000 to the CYA category winner. The four remaining shortlisted authors across both categories will each receive $5000. The addition of the CYA category this year means the prize is the richest genre-based literary award in Australasia.

The titles longlisted for the 2021 ARA Historical Novel Prize in the adult category are:

  • The Tolstoy Estate (Steven Conte, HarperCollins)
  • A Room Made of Leaves (Kate Grenville, Text)
  • Bila Yarrudhanggalangdhuray, River of Dreams (Anita Heiss, S&S)
  • The Last Convict  (Anthony Hill, Michael Joseph)
  • The Glass Harpoon (Robert Horne, Ginninderra Press)
  • Our Shadows (Gail Jones, Text)
  • The Madwoman’s Coat (Ian Reid, Framework Press)
  • The Burning Island (Jock Serong, Text)
  • The Silent Listener (Lyn Yeowart, Viking).

The titles longlisted for the 2021 ARA Historical Novel Prize in the CYA category are:

  • The Boy Who Stepped Through Time (Anna Ciddor, A&U)
  • Night Ride into Danger (Jackie French, HarperCollins)
  • Heroes of the Secret Underground (Susanne Gervay, HarperCollins)
  • The Detective’s Guide to Ocean Travel (Nicki Greenberg, Affirm)
  • The Grandest Bookshop in the World (Amelia Mellor, Affirm)
  • We are Wolves (Katrina Nannestad, HarperCollins)
  • Echo in the Memory (Cameron Nunn, Walker Books)
  • The Mummy Smugglers of Crumblin Castle (Pamela Rushby, Walker Books)
  • Harmony (Richard Yaxley, Scholastic).

Two shortlists of three titles each will be announced on Wednesday, 22 September, with the winners to be announced at the HNSA virtual conference on 22 October. The 2021 judging panel for the adult category included Nicole Alexander (chair), Carmel Bird and Roanna Gonsalves, while the judging panel for the CYA category included Paul McDonald (chair), Thuy On and Catherine Mayo.

Mirandi Riwoe won the inaugural $50,000 prize last year for her novel Stone Sky Gold Mountain (UQP).

For more information see the HNSA website.

 

Category: Awards Junior Local news