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Prime Minister’s Literary Awards 2026 winners announced

Thursday, 10 September 2026   Books+Publishing
@booksandpublishing

The winners of the 2026 Prime Minister’s Literary Awards have been announced.

The winners in each category, chosen from shortlists announced in August, are:

Fiction

  • A Piece of Red Cloth (Leonie Norrington, Merrkiyawuy Ganambarr-Stubbs, Djawa Burarrwanga & Djawundil Maymuru, Allen & Unwin)

Nonfiction

  • The Red House (Kate Wild, Allen & Unwin)

Australian history

  • The Southern Frontier (Rohan Howitt, Melbourne University Press)

Poetry

  • Two Hundred Million Musketeers (Ender Başkan, Giramondo)

Children’s

  • Song of a Thousand Seas (Zana Fraillon, University of Queensland Press)

Young Adult

  • Drift (Pip Harry, Lothian Children’s Books).

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese congratulated the winners, saying their work demonstrated “the depth and diversity of Australian literature”.

“Our stories connect us across generations, cultures and communities, and allow the world to see Australia through Australian eyes,” Albanese continued. “My government is proud to support the writers, illustrators, poets and historians whose creativity makes such an important contribution to Australia.”

Writing Australia director Wenona Byrne said: “These remarkable books show Australian storytelling at its finest, illuminating our past, drawing us into lives beyond our own, and helping us imagine the world anew. Writing Australia is proud to celebrate the extraordinary craft and originality of this year’s winners.”

Established in 2008, the Prime Minister’s Literary Awards recognise “individual excellence and the contribution that Australian authors make to the nation’s cultural and intellectual life”. Winners receive $80,000 each, with shortlisted authors receiving $5,000 each. Prize money from the awards is tax-free.

Last year’s winning titles were Theory & Practice (Michelle de Kretser, Text); Mean Streak (Rick Morton, 4th Estate); Critical Care: Nurses on the Frontline of Australia’s AIDS Crisis (Geraldine Fela, UNSW Press); The Other Side of Daylight: New and Selected Poems (David Brooks, UQP); Leo and Ralph (Peter Carnavas, UQP); and The Invocations (Krystal Sutherland, Penguin).

The 2026 Prime Minister’s Literary Awards were presented on Thursday 10 September in Canberra.

 

 

Category: Awards Local news