Robinson wins 2026 UQP Quentin Bryce Award
University of Queensland Press (UQP) has announced Lenny Robinson as the winner of the 2026 UQP Quentin Bryce Award, worth $5000, for her debut novel And in the Morning.
The award, which recognises former governor-general Dame Quentin Bryce, is for a book on UQP’s list that celebrates women’s lives and/or promotes gender equality.
Of selecting And in the Morning from UQP’s 2026 list, Bryce said, “Lenny Robinson’s novel … marries two subjects that have been such a major focus of my public life: the role of our armed services (including women in the military), and recognition of – and better protection for – women’s wide-ranging contributions to society.
“Lenny’s book movingly and gracefully considers how a series of wars that involved Australia have impacted women’s lives: as mothers, partners, daughters, and as those who took on official roles in the forces. A gloriously written, intricate and thought-provoking work of historical fiction.”
Robinson is a writer living in Naarm/Melbourne. She is the author of This Moral Pandemonium (2009), a short biography of notorious 19th-century figure Madame Brussels, and several philosophy textbooks. She said, “I am humbled that [And in the Morning] has been chosen as the recipient of the 2026 UQP Quentin Bryce Award by Dame Quentin Bryce, who, over the course of her extraordinary career, has worked tirelessly to improve the lives of women. Her selection of my novel is an unexpected privilege and a true honour.”
The UQP Quentin Bryce Award was established in 2020. The 2025 winner was Rachel Morton for The Sun Was Electric Light.
Related:
Category: Awards Local news
