Prime Minister's Literary Awards
When
Friday 26 September to Friday 3 October 2025Where
National Library of Australia in CanberraPrime Minister's Literary Awards
On Thursday 12 September, 2024, we announced the winners of the 2024 Prime Minister’s Literary Awards at a special event at the National Library of Australia in Canberra.
Offering the most substantial literary prize in the nation, with a tax-free prize pool of $600,000, the Prime Minister’s Literary Awards recognise the outstanding literary talents of established and emerging Australian writers, illustrators, poets, and historians.
This year’s winning titles span genre and form, illuminating the complexities of our nation’s past, present and paving the way for future Australian stories.
Across six categories, the Prime Minister’s Literary Awards celebrate debut authors and seasoned professionals. From cultural journeys through Gurindji Country, to post-World War II history, and from a reappraisal of the goddess of love, to discussions with some of Australia’s most accomplished media personalities – themes of culture, country, belonging and resilience cut through. The Awards are a testament to the strength and breadth of our nation’s rich literary life.
The National Library of Australia is the custodian and keeper of Australia’s literary achievements and as presenting partner of the Prime Minister’s Literary Awards, it celebrates outstanding Australian literary work and culture.
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History of the awards
The Prime Minister’s Literary Awards began in 2008. The Awards recognise individual excellence and the contribution Australian authors make to the nation’s cultural and intellectual life.
In 2008 and 2009, awards were given in fiction and non-fiction categories. In 2010, categories were introduced for young adult and children’s fiction. In 2012 the poetry category was added and the Prime Minister’s Prize for Australian History was incorporated into the Awards. Previous winners of the award include Michelle de Kretser, Tara June Winch, Omar Sakr, Gerald Murnane, Nam Le, and Judith Brett.
On 30 January 2023 the Australian Government released its landmark National Cultural Policy—Revive: a place for every story, a story for every place. ‘Revive’ is a five-year plan to renew and revive Australia’s arts, entertainment and cultural sector, following the most difficult period for the sector in generations. ‘Revive’ is available at www.arts.gov.au/culturalpolicy.
One of the announcements in ‘Revive’ was the transfer of the Prime Minister’s Literary Awards (the Awards) to Creative Australia from July 2023 until Writers Australia is established in 2025. This move will ensure that the future delivery of the Awards aligns with the principles established under ‘Revive’ including that funding for the artists should be at arm’s length from the Government of the day.
Previous shortlist & recipients: 2008 to 2024
2024
Young adult literature
[Winner] We Could be Something – Will Kostakis
Grace Notes – Karen Comer
We Didn’t Think It Through – Gary Lonesborough
A Hunger of Thorns – Lili Wilkinson
Welcome to Sex – Yumi Stynes & Melissa Kang
Poetry
In the Photograph – Luke Beesley
She is the Earth – Ali Cobby Eckermann
[Winner] The Cyprian – Amy Crutchfield
Golden Bridge: New Poems – Jennifer Maiden
The Drama Student – Autumn Royal
Children’s literature
Etta and the Shadow Taboo – JM Field and Jeremy Worral
Ghost Book – Remy Lai
Two Sparrowhawks in a Lonely Sky – Rebecca Lim
Millie Mak the Maker – Alice Pung & Sher Rill Ng
[Winner] Tamarra: A Story of Termites on Gurindji Country – Violet Wadrill and co-creators Topsy Dodd Ngarnjal, Leah Leaman, Cecelia Edwards, Cassandra Algy, Briony Barr, Felicity Meakins, Gregory Crocetti
Fiction
[Winner] Anam – André Dao
Restless Dolly Maunder – Kate Grenville
Edenglassie – Melissa Lucashenko
The Carnal Fugues – Catherine McNamara
Stone Yard Devotional – Charlotte Wood
Non-fiction
[Winner] Close to the Subject: Selected Works – Daniel Browning
Eventually Everything Connects – Sarah Firth
Graft: Motherhood, Family and a Year on the Land – Maggie MacKellar
A Kind of Confession – Alex Miller
A Clear Flowing Yarrar – Harry Saddle
Australian history
[Winner] Donald Horne: A Life in the Lucky Country – Ryan Cropp
Bee Miles – Rose Ellis
Bennelong and Phillip: A History Unravelled – Kate Fullagar
Killing for Country: A Family Story – David Marr
Courting: An Intimate History of Love and the Law – Alecia Simmonds
2023
Young adult literature
[Winner] The Greatest Thing – Sarah Winifred Searle
Sugar – Carly Nugent
Ask No Questions – Eva Collins
The Upwelling – Lystra Rose
What We All Saw – Mike Lucas
Poetry
[Winner] At The Altar of Touch – Gavin Yuan Gao
Harvest Lingo – Lionel Fogerty
Exactly As I Am – Rae White
The Jaguar – Sarah Holland-Batt
Clean – Scott-Patrick Mitchell
Children’s literature
[Winner] Open Your Heart to Country – Jasmine Seymour
The Dunggiirr Brother and the Caring Song of the Whale – Aunty Shaa Smith
Zadie Ma and the Dog Who Chased the Moon – Gabrielle Wang
11 Words for Love – Randa Abdel-Fattah, Maxine Beneba Clarke
My Strange, Shrinking Parents – Zeno Sworder
Fiction
[Winner] Cold Enough for Snow – Jessica Au
The Sun Walks Down – Fiona McFarlane
Losing Face – George Haddad
Other Houses – Paddy O’Rielly
The Lovers – Yumna Kassab
Non-fiction
[Winner] My Father and Other Animals – Sam Vincent
Shirley Hazzard: A Writing Life – Brigitta Olubus
We Come With This Place – Debra Dank
Indelible City – Louisa Lim
A World in a Shell – Thom Van Dooren
Australian history
[Winner] Unmasking Angus Downs – Shannyn Palmer
Elizabeth and John – Alan Atkinson
Justice in Kelly Country – Lachlan Strahan
Saving the Reef – Rohan Lloyd
Black Lives, White Laws – Russell Marks
2022
Young adult literature
[Winner] The Gaps – Leanne Hall
‘Still Alive: Notes from Australia’s immigration detention system’ – Safdar Ahmed
100 Remarkable Feats of Xander Maze – Clayton Zane Comber
Previous judging panels 2008-2024
2024
Fiction
Dr Debra Adelaide
Melinda Harvey
Nam Le
Tara June Winch
Poetry
Dan Disney
Lucy Dougan
Sarah Holland-Batt
James Jiang
Non-fiction
Debra Dank
Eda Gunaydin
Rick Morton
Jane Rawson
Children’s literature
Melissa-Jane Fogarty
Shirley Marr
Kirrin Sampson
Fiona Stager, OAM
Young adult literature
Kate Eltham
Pip Harry
Erin Wamala
Sean Williams
Australian history
Anna Clark
Dr Peter Hobbins
Tony Hughes-d’Aeth
Professor Lynette Russell AM FASSA FAHA
2023
Fiction
Helen Elliott
Jennifer Down
Roanna Gonsalves
Poetry
Andy Jackson
Jazz Money
Judith Beveridge
Non-fiction
Catherine Noske
Paul Cleary
Anna Krien
Children’s literature
Johanna Bell
Ambelin Kwaymullina
Özge Sevindik
Young adult literature
Isobelle Carmody
Rebecca Lim
Sean Williams
Australian history
Penny Russell FAHA
Professor Jane Lydon
Professor Clare Wright OAM
Michael Aird
2022
Non-fiction and Australian history panel
Professor Chris Dixon (Chair)
Chris Mitchell AO
Troy Bramston
Dr Deborah Hope
Professor Gail Pearson
Fiction and poetry panel
Geoffrey Lehmann (Chair)
Peter Craven
Stephen Romei
Associate Professor Sandra Phillips
Caroline Overington
Children’s and young adult literature panel
James Roy (Chair)
Demet Divaroren
Erica Wagner
Paula Kelly Paull
Dr Anthony Eaton
2021
Nonfiction and Australian history panel
Andrew Tink AM (Chair)
Chris Mitchell AO
Troy Bramston
Dr Deborah Hope
Professor Gail Pearson
Fiction and poetry panel
Professor Peter Holbrook FAHA (Chair)
Geoffrey Lehmann
Dr Roslyn Jolly
Peter Craven
Children’s and young adult literature panel
James Roy (Chair)
Demet Divaroren
Erica Wagner
Paula Kelly Paull
Richard Yaxley OAM
2020
Non-fiction and Australian history panel
Emeritus Professor Richard Waterhouse FRSN FAHA FASSA (Chair)
Dr Sally Warhaft
Emeritus Professor John Fitzgerald AM
Professor John Maynard
Fiction and poetry panel
Suzanne Leal (Chair)
Susan Wyndham
Dr Kerryn Goldsworthy
Professor Philip Mead
Dr Lucy Neave
Children’s and young adult literature panel
Professor Margot Hillel OAM (Chair)
Margrete Lamond
Kirli Saunders
James Roy
Demet Divaroren
2017-2019
Fiction and Poetry panel
Professor Bronwyn Lea (Chair)
Dr James Ley
Susan Wyndham
Associate Professor Sarah Holland-Batt
Kathy Shand (2017 & 2018)
Non-fiction and Australian history panel
Professor Lynette Russell AM (Chair)
Helen Trinca
Emeritus Professor Richard Waterhouse FRSN FAHA FASSA
Professor Greg Melleuish
Dr Sally Warhaft
Children’s and young adult literature panel
Professor Margot Hillel OAM (Chair)
Joy Lawn
Margrete Lamond (2017 & 2019)
Professor Robyn Ewing AM
Sue Whiting
Kerry Neary (2018)
2016
Fiction and Poetry panel
Louise Adler AM (Chair)
Jamie Grant
Dr Robert Gray
Des Cowley
Non-fiction and Australian history panel
Gerard Henderson (Chair)
Dr Ida Lichter MD
Peter Coleman AO
Professor Ross Fitzgerald AM
Children’s and young adult fiction panel
Mike Shuttleworth (Chair)
Dr Irini Savvides
Kate Colley
2015
Fiction and Poetry panel
Ms Louise Adler AM (Chair)
Mr Jamie Grant
Mr Robert Gray
Mr Des Cowley
Non-fiction and History panel
Dr Ida Lichter (Chair)
Mr Peter Coleman AO
Professor Ross Fitzgerald AM
Children’s and young adult fiction panel
Mr Mike Shuttleworth (Chair)
Dr Belle Alderman AM (Emeritus Professor)
Ms Kate Colley
Dr Mark MacLeod
Dr Irini Savvides
2014
Fiction and poetry
Ms Louise Adler AM (Chair)
Ms Margie Bryant
Mr Jamie Grant
Mr Robert Gray
Mr Les Murray AO
Non-fiction and History
Mr Gerard Henderson (Chair)
Mr Peter Coleman
Professor Ross Fitzgerald AM
Dr Ida Lichter
Dr Ann Moyal AM
Children and Young adults
Mr Mike Shuttleworth (Chair)
Emeritus Professor Belle Alderman AM (Emeritus Professor)
Ms Kate Colley
Dr Mark MacLeod
Dr Irini Savvides
2013
Fiction and poetry panel
Mr Joel Becker, (Chair)
Professor Chris Wallace-Crabbe AM
Winthrop Professor Phillip Mead
Ms Jane Sullivan
Non-fiction and history panel
Mr Michael Sexton SC (Chair)
Mr Colin Steele
Ms Susan Hayes
Professor Susan Magarey
Children’s and young adult fiction panel
Ms Judith White (Chair)
Ms Adele Rice
Mr Robert (Bob) Sessions
2012
Fiction and poetry panel
Mr Joel Becker (Chair)
Dr Lyn Gallacher
Professor Chris Wallace-Crabbe AM
Mr Peter Craven
Non-fiction and history panel
Mr Christopher (Chris) Masters PSM (Chair)
Dr Faye Sutherland
Mr Colin Steele
Dr Michelle Arrow
Children’s and young adult fiction panel
Ms Judith White (Chair)
Ms Mary-Ruth Mendel
Mr Robert (Bob) Sessions
2011
Fiction panel
Professor Peter Pierce (Chair)
Professor John A. Hay AC
Dr Lyn Gallacher
Non-fiction panel
Mr Brian Johns AO (Chair)
Mr Colin Steele
Dr Faye Sutherland
Children’s and young adult fiction panel
Dr Robyn Sheahan-Bright (Chair)
Ms Mary-Ruth Mendel
Mr Mike Shuttleworth
2010
Fiction panel
Professor Peter Pierce (Chair)
Professor John A Hay AC
Dr Lyn Gallacher
Non-fiction panel
Mr Brian Johns AO (Chair)
Mr Colin Steele
Dr Faye Sutherland
Children’s and young adult fiction panel
Dr Robyn Sheahan-Bright (Chair)
Ms Mary-Ruth Mendel
Mr Mike Shuttleworth
2009
Fiction panel
Professor Peter Pierce (Chair)
Professor John A. Hay AC
Dr Lyn Gallacher
Non-fiction panel
Phillip Adams AO (Chair)
Peter Rose
Professor Joan Beaumont FASSA
2008
Fiction panel
Professor Peter Pierce (Chair)
John Marsden
Margaret Throsby
Non-fiction panel
Professor Hilary Charlesworth (Chair)
Sally Morgan
John Doyle
