Sworder wins ABIA Book of the Year
The winners of the 2026 Australian Book Industry Awards (ABIA) have been announced, with Once I Was a Giant by Zeno Sworder (Thames & Hudson) taking out the overall Book of the Year award, as well as the award for Children’s Picture Book of the Year.
In the business awards, Penguin Random House Australia was named Publisher of the Year for a third year in a row, while Magabala Books won both the Small Publisher of the Year and Children’s Publisher of the Year awards. In retailing, Gleebooks Dulwich Hill won the Bookshop of the Year award.
The ABIA winners – in the book and business categories – are:
Book Awards
Book of the Year
- Once I Was a Giant (Zeno Sworder, Thames & Hudson)
Audiobook of the Year
- Mad Mabel (Sally Hepworth, narrated by Hannah Fredericksen & Jenny Seedsman, Macmillan Australia Audio)
Biography Book of the Year
- Memorial Days (Geraldine Brooks, Hachette Australia)
Book of the Year for Older Children (ages 13+)
- Wandering Wild (Lynette Noni, Penguin)
Book of the Year for Younger Children (ages 7–12)
- Caution! This Book Contains Deadly Reptiles (Corey Tutt, illustrated by Ben Williams, Allen & Unwin)
Children’s Picture Book of the Year (ages 0–6)
- Once I Was a Giant (Zeno Sworder, Thames & Hudson)
General Fiction Book of the Year
- Mad Mabel (Sally Hepworth, Macmillan)
General Nonfiction Book of the Year
- The Mushroom Tapes (Helen Garner, Chloe Hooper & Sarah Krasnostein, Text Publishing)
Illustrated Book of the Year
- The Art of Kaylene Whiskey: Do You Believe in Love? (Kaylene Whiskey & Natalie King, Thames & Hudson)
International Book of the Year
- Heart the Lover (Lily King, Canongate)
Literary Fiction Book of the Year
- Wild Dark Shore (Charlotte McConaghy, Penguin)
Small Publishers’ Adult Book of the Year
- The Rot (Evelyn Araluen, University of Queensland Press)
Small Publishers’ Children’s Book of the Year
- Sundays Under the Lemon Tree (Julia Busuttil Nishimura, illustrated by Myo Yim, Scribble)
Social Impact Book of the Year
- A Piece of Red Cloth (Leonie Norrington, Merrkiyawuy Ganambarr-Stubbs, Djawa Burarrwanga & Djawundil Maymuru, Allen & Unwin)
The Matt Richell Award for New Writer of the Year
(for an author’s first book, regardless of genre)
- Melaleuca (Angie Faye Martin, HQ)
Business Awards
Bookshop of the Year
- Gleebooks Dulwich Hill
Book Retailer of the Year
- Readings
Multicategory Retailer of the Year
- BIG W
Commissioning Editor/Publisher of the Year
- Vanessa Radnidge (Hachette Australia)
Marketing/Publicity Campaign of the Year
- Cherry Lam Colouring Book Series (Penguin Random House Australia)
Publisher of the Year
- Penguin Random House Australia
Small Publisher of the Year
- Magabala Books
Children’s Publisher of the Year
- Magabala Books.
Winners were selected by judges from shortlists for the book awards and business awards announced in April.
As previously reported, the recipients of the Hall of Fame awards were announced as Mem Fox for the Lloyd O’Neill Award and Paul Macdonald for the Pixie O’Harris Award.
The ABIAs are presented annually for achievements in bringing Australian books to readers. This year marks the 26th anniversary of the awards.
The winner of last year’s ABIA Book of the Year award was The Voice Inside (John Farnham with Poppy Stockell, Hachette).
Judges’ comments for each winning entry are available on the ABIA website.
Category: ABIA news
