ARA Historical Novel Prize longlists announced

The Historical Novel Society Australasia (HNSA) has announced the longlists for the 2023 ARA Historical Novel Prize.

Featuring ‘a vast tapestry of settings and eras’, this year’s longlisted titles are:

Adult category

• Limberlost (Robbie Arnott, Text)
• The Fire and the Rose (Robyn Cadwallader, HarperCollins)
• Nimblefoot (Robert Drewe, Hamish Hamilton)
• The Benevolent Society of Ill-mannered Ladies (Alison Goodman, HarperCollins)
• Salonika Burning (Gail Jones, Text)
• The Sun Walks Down (Fiona McFarlane, A&U)
• Iris (Fiona Kelly McGregor, Picador)
• The Settlement (Jock Serong, Text)
• The Bookbinder of Jericho (Pip Williams, Affirm)

Children and young adult category

• The Great Gallipoli Escape (Jackie French, HarperCollins)
• Running with Ivan (Suzanne Leal, HarperCollins)
• The Killing Code (Ellie Marney, A&U)
• The Bookseller’s Apprentice (Amelia Mellor, Affirm)
• Waiting for the Storks (Katrina Nannestad, ABC Books)
• The Upwelling (Lystra Rose, Lothian)
• The Mud Puddlers (Pamela Rushby, Walker Books)
• Iris and Me (Philippa Werry, Ahoy!)
• Tilda (Sue Whiting, Walker Books).

HNSA chair and program director Elisabeth Storrs said that the longlist demonstrates ‘the true depth of talent of historical fiction authors.’ ‘Above all, [the longlisted books] are a testament to the enduring spirit of humanity and the power of stories to bridge time and place, highlighting the shared struggles, aspirations and triumphs that resonate across generations,’ Storrs said.

The award offers a total prize pool of $100,000. The prize’s shortlist will be announced on 27 September, followed by the winners on 19 October. The adult category winner will receive $50,000 and the children and young adult category winner will receive $30,000, while other shortlisted authors will receive $5000 each.

The ARA Historical Novel Prize was established in 2020 and is open to historical fiction books from Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand. Last year’s winners were Tom Keneally (adult category, Corporal Hitler’s Pistol, Penguin) and Katrina Nannestad (children and young adult category, Rabbit, Soldier, Angel, Thief, ABC Books). Nannestad also won the children and young adult category of the prize in 2021.

This year’s judging panel includes Robert Gott, Renée Otmar and Lucy Treloar (adult category), as well as Christopher Cheng, Craig Cormick and Lauren Keenan (children and young adult category).

More information about the prize is available on the HNSA website.

Category: Awards Local news