2025-2026 Australian Literary Awards Season Concludes

The 2025-2026 Australian literary awards season has concluded with multiple prize announcements, including the Victorian Premier's Literary Awards, the Stella Prize shortlist, the New South Wales Literary Awards, and the Australian Book Industry Awards. Several authors received recognition across multiple ceremonies, with some awards also drawing attention to ongoing debates regarding free speech, arts funding, and political influence.

Victorian Premier's Literary Awards

Evelyn Araluen received both the $100,000 Victorian Prize for Literature and the $25,000 Victorian Premier's Prize for Indigenous Writing for her second poetry collection, "The Rot." The collection was selected from nearly 700 entries and was also shortlisted in the poetry category.

Araluen, a Goorie and Koori poet, previously won the 2022 Stella Prize for her debut collection, "Dropbear." Following that win, she experienced burnout and initially did not plan to write poetry again. She later took a full-time academic position, which she stated provided her with the financial security to write more. She worked on "The Rot" over several months in 2025.

The judges' report described "The Rot" as "formally inventive and ethically rigorous." Araluen stated that the collection explores multiple meanings of 'rot', including housing challenges, internet link rot, personal grief following the death of community Elders, and perceived moral corruption linked to government investments. She also described the book as an "ode to girlhood," addressing gender and institutionalized violence.

"The collection explores multiple meanings of 'rot'... including housing challenges, internet link rot, personal grief, and perceived moral corruption linked to government investments."

Araluen cited an incident at Adelaide Writers' Week in 2024 as a catalyst for the collection. She stated that a reading from "The Rot" provoked a strong audience reaction after she referred to Israel's actions in Gaza as a genocide. She said the poems address "witnessing a genocide and the feeling of inertia and grief and rage and passivity."

Araluen stated she plans to donate a portion of her prize money to Sisters Inside, an Aboriginal-led organization supporting incarcerated women, and to organizations providing relief in Gaza. She also called on the Australian government to reform the taxation of arts prizes, noting that some awards are tax-free while others, including premier's literary awards, are taxed as income.

Other Victorian Premier's Literary Award Winners

Randa Abdel-Fattah and the People's Choice Award

Dr. Randa Abdel-Fattah's 2025 novel "Discipline" received the People's Choice award at the Victorian Premier's Literary Awards, determined by public vote between December 10 and January 18. In her acceptance speech, Abdel-Fattah referenced the cancellation of Adelaide Writers' Week and stated the award represented a "rejection by readers of the ongoing assault" on the arts.

Abdel-Fattah had been scheduled to discuss "Discipline" at Adelaide Writers' Week. South Australian Premier Peter Malinauskas stated he provided his opinion to the Adelaide Festival board regarding Abdel-Fattah's participation but denied directing them to cancel her or being involved in the festival's cancellation. Following her removal from the program on January 8, the festival was cancelled, leading to a writer boycott and board resignations. Abdel-Fattah later received an apology from the new board and an invitation to attend Adelaide Writers' Week in 2027.

Malinauskas' comments regarding Abdel-Fattah's appearance prompted Abdel-Fattah to issue two concerns notices for defamation against the Premier. In February, Malinauskas stated he stood by his comments and was not concerned about defamation proceedings.

Australian musician Nick Cave commented on the incident, describing the cancellation as "a cosmic display of stupidity" due to "cowardice, performative outrage, self-righteous posturing, cancellations, counter-cancellations, mob trots and general narcissistic silliness."

Stella Prize 2026 Shortlist

Evelyn Araluen has been shortlisted for the Stella Prize for "The Rot." This marks her second shortlisting for the prize. The 2026 Stella Prize, valued at $60,000, winner is scheduled to be announced on May 13.

The six shortlisted books, selected from 212 entries, are:

Each shortlisted author will receive $5,000 in prize money. Sophie Gee, chair of judges, stated that the shortlisted books "reflect the creative vitality, literary rigor, and expressive richness of Australian women's and non-binary writing." Michelle de Kretser won the 2025 prize for her novel "Theory and Practice."

"The shortlisted books reflect the creative vitality, literary rigor, and expressive richness of Australian women's and non-binary writing." — Sophie Gee, Chair of Judges

Descriptions of Shortlisted Works

• "The Rot": The collection explores themes of grief and solidarity. Araluen stated the book reflects "a really panicked, distressed window of a time" and aims to document awareness of events. She expressed hope the book would become dated, indicating positive future political change.

• "Memorial Days": Brooks' memoir addresses grief following the death of her partner, Tony Horwitz.

• "Fireweather": The novel follows a woman navigating marital and societal challenges.

• "Cannon": A graphic novel about a queer Chinese woman's emotional suppression.

• "58 Facets": A hybrid memoir and investigative nonfiction examining individuals as beneficiaries and victims of history.

• "I Am Nannertgarrook": A fictionalized retelling of Walton's ancestor, who was abducted from Boonwurrung Country and subjected to slave labor in Tasmania.

New South Wales Literary Awards

Clare Wright's nonfiction book "Näku Dhäruk: The Bark Petitions" won Book of the Year at the New South Wales literary awards, receiving the top $10,000 prize and the $40,000 Douglas Stewart prize for nonfiction. The awards ceremony took place at the State Library of New South Wales in Sydney.

The book details the creation of the Yirrkala Bark Petitions, presented by Yolŋu elders to the Australian parliament in 1963. The petitions sought government intervention after a portion of Arnhem Land Reserve was licensed to a French mining company. While mining continued, the petitions led to the Aboriginal Land Rights (Northern Territory) Act 1976.

Wright, a historian at La Trobe University, moved to Arnhem Land in 2010 and was culturally adopted by the late Dr. Galarrwuy Yunupiŋu. The book is the third in her "democracy trilogy."

Other NSW Literary Award Winners

Australian Book Industry Awards (ABIAs)

The 2026 Australian Book Industry Awards ceremony took place in Sydney. Zeno Sworder's picture book "Once I Was a Giant" won Book of the Year. The book, which tells the story of a tree transformed into a pencil, also won the Victorian Premier's Literary Award for children's literature.

ABIA Category Winners

The Mushroom Tapes

"The Mushroom Tapes" documents conversations between authors Helen Garner, Chloe Hooper, and Sarah Krasnostein while they attended the trial of Erin Patterson, who was convicted in September 2025 of murdering three relatives using death cap mushrooms. The book explores evidence, possible motivations, and the authors' observations of court proceedings.

Hall of Fame Inductees

Mem Fox was inducted into the hall of fame for outstanding service to the Australian book industry. Author and former bookseller Paul Macdonald was also honored.