WA Premier’s Book Awards 2026 shortlists announced

The shortlists for the 2026 Western Australian Premier’s Book Awards have been announced by the State Library of Western Australia.

The shortlisted books in each category are:

Fiction Book of the Year ($15,000)

• Chance and Necessity: A Novel of Narrogin and Williams (Rosanne Dingli, self-published)
• When She Was Gone (Sara Foster, HarperCollins)
• King of Dirt (Holden Sheppard, Pantera Press)
• I Am Nannertgarrook (Tasma Walton, Bundyi)
• O’Keefe (David Whish-Wilson, Fremantle Press).

Nonfiction Book of the Year ($15,000)

• My Fight with PD: A Neurologist with Parkinson’s Disease (David Blacker, The Book Reality Experience)
• No Time for Makeup: The Life of a Flying Doctor and Paediatrician (Elizabeth Green, Exisle)
• How Not to Become a Grumpy Old Bugger: A Bloke’s Guide to Living a Better Life (Geoff Hutchinson, Affirm Press)
• The Shameful Isles: The True Story of North-West Australia’s Fatal Experiment with Medical
  Apartheid (David Price, Fremantle Press)
• Tjukurrpa Kurranyu, Tjukurrpa in the Front: The Yarnangu Foundation for Joint Management in the Pila Nature Reserve (Jan Turner & Lizzie Marrkilyi Giles Ellis, Warnpurru Aboriginal Corporation).

Emerging Writer of the Year ($15,000)

• CryBaby (Mabel Gibson, Night Parrot Press)
• Nock Loose (Patrick Marlborough, Fremantle Press)
• The Montegiallo School of Swearing (Andrew HC McDonald, Fremantle Press)
• Inner Demons (Stephen B Platt, New Dawn)
• Geraldine (Andrea Thompson, Fremantle Press).

Children’s Book of the Year ($15,000)

• Creature Clinic (Gavin Aung Than, Hardie Grant Children’s Publishing)
• Everglade 1: Rise of the Witch (Kitty Black, Affirm Kids)
• Bigfoot vs Yeti (James Foley, Fremantle Press)
• One Day (Shirley Marr & Michael Speechley, Walker Australia Studio)
• The Surface Trials (HM Waugh, A&U Children’s).

Young Adult Book of the Year ($15,000)

• Made of Steam and Stardust (Bianca Breen, Stag Beetle Books)
• A New World Rises: Tales of a LEGO® Future (Cristy Burne, Jackson Harvey & Alex Towler, Fremantle Press)
• A Murder Is Going Down (Kate Emery, A&U Children’s)
• Trapped! (Julia Lawrinson, Fremantle Press)
• The Dreams of Summer Dartson (Peter Purchase, Dune Publishing).

Poetry Book of the Year ($15,000)

• Gold Digger (Lisa Collyer, NewSouth)
• The Twilight Observatory (Jennifer Kornberger, 5 Islands Press)
• The Hum Hearers (Shey Marque, UWA Publishing)
• Past & Parallel Lives (Kaya Ortiz, UWA Publishing).

State Library CEO and state librarian Catherine Clark said the awards are about championing Western Australian writers while also galvanising the community to read more. “The State Library of Western Australia has a mission to connect people with our state’s stories, and the 2026 shortlist makes this easy. It is an invitation to readers to discover a curated collection of contemporary writing across many genres and styles.”

Judging chair Gerard McCann said this year’s shortlist reflects the range and resonance of contemporary writing. “It is an absolute privilege to celebrate the extraordinary talent and creativity of Western Australian writers and to share their work with readers across our state and beyond.”

The winners of the awards, including Book of the Year, will be announced at a ceremony held at the State Library in September. In the lead-up to the awards, the library will host Stories from the West, a one-day literary festival on 8 August, featuring author talks, panel discussions and opportunities for readers to meet shortlisted writers.

More information about the awards is available on the State Library of Western Australia website.

Category: Local news