Previous Winners

Winner
- Black Witness by Amy McQuire (University of Queensland Press)

Finalists
- Australian Gospel: A Family Saga by Lech Blaine (Black Inc.)
- Everything is Water by Simon Cleary (University of Queensland Press)
- Yanga Mother by Cheryl Leavy and Christopher Bassi (University of Queensland Press)
- Warra Warra Wai: How Indigenous Australians discovered Captain Cook, and what they tell about the coming of the Ghost People by Darren Rix and Craig Cormick (Scribner Australia, an imprint of Simon and Schuster Australia)

Winners
- Alex Philp
- Sean West

Finalists
- Olivia J. Bennett
- Svetlana Sterlin

Winners
- Vuong Pham, “Reborn”
- Mykaela Saunders, “Dear Uncle”

Highly Commended
- Cass Moriarty, ”YOU BESIDE ME: My Year of Grief and Gratitude”
- Svetlana Sterlin, “Undertow”

Winner
- Rapture by Emily Maguire (Allen and Unwin)

Finalists
- Little World: A Novel by Josephine Rowe (Black Inc.)
- Out of the Woods by Gretchen Shirm (Transit Lounge)

Winner
- Näku Dhäruk The Bark Petitions: How the People of Yirrkala Changed the Course of Australian Democracy by Clare Wright (Text Publishing)

Finalists
- Black Convicts: How slavery shaped Australia by Santilla Chingaipe (Scribner Australia, an imprint of Simon and Schuster Australia)
- The Season by Helen Garner (Text Publishing)
- Murriyang: Song of Time by Stan Grant (Bundyi, an imprint of Simon and Schuster Australia)
- Warra Warra Wai: How Indigenous Australians discovered Captain Cook, and what they tell about the coming of the Ghost People by Darren Rix and Craig Cormick (Scribner Australia, an imprint of Simon and Schuster Australia)

Winner
- Little Bones by Sandy Bigna (University of Queensland Press)

Finalists
- Thunderhead by Sophie Beer (Allen and Unwin)
- Spirit of the Crocodile by Aaron Fa’Aoso and Michelle Scott Tucker with Lyn White (Allen and Unwin)
- All the Beautiful Things by Katrina Nannestad (HarperCollins Publishers)
- Summer of Shipwrecks by Shivaun Plozza (University of Queensland Press)

Winner
- Don’t Let the Forest In by CG Drews (Hachette Australia)

Finalists
- Return to Sender by Lauren Draper (Pan Macmillan Australia)
- My Brother, Finch by Kate Gordon (Riveted Press)
- Into the Mouth of the Wolf by Erin Gough (Hardie Grant Children’s Publishing)
- Liar’s Test by Ambelin Kwaymullina (Text Publishing)

Winner
- The Oblong Plot by Chris Andrews (Puncher and Wattmann)

Finalists
- Tintinnabulum by Judith Beveridge (Giramondo Publishing)
- Kangaroo Unbound by Luke Johnson (Puncher and Wattmann)
- The Infant Vine by Isabella G. Mead (UWA Publishing)
- Mixed Business by Alan Wearne (Puncher and Wattmann)

Winner
- “Finding Billy Brown” by E.M. Crismani

Finalists
- “Eskos” by Vika Mana
- “Neurodiverging Into [He]ARTS” by BS Windon

Highly Commended
- “Embodied Knowledges” by Nathan mudy Sentance

Winner
- “Commonplaces” by Gillian Hagenus

Finalists
- “The Curse” by Bronte Coates
- “Easy Living” by Mindy Gill
- “The Burning Season” by Karen Lee
- “The Lyrebirds” by Dani Ringrose

Winner
- Nightingale by Laura Elvery (University of Queensland Press)

Finalists
- Everything is Water by Simon Cleary (University of Queensland Press)
- Dirrayawadha by Anita Heiss (Simon and Schuster Australia)
- Annette Kellerman, Australian Mermaid by Grantlee Kieza (HarperCollins Publishers)
- Black Witness by Amy McQuire (University of Queensland Press)
- Red Dirt Blue Lights by Tess Merlin (AndAlso Books)
- First Name Second Name by Steve MinOn (University of Queensland Press)
- Bina: First Nations Languages, Old and New by Gari Tudor-Smith, Paul Williams, Felicity Meakins (La Trobe University Press in conjunction with Black Inc.)

Winner
- Edenglassie by Melissa Lucashenko (University of Queensland Press)

Finalists
- Borderland by Graham Akhurst (UWA Publishing)
- Fat Girl Dancing by Kris Kneen (Text Publishing)
- Poof by J.M. Tolcher (James Tolcher)
- Personal Score: Sport, Culture, Identity by Ellen van Neerven (University of Queensland Press)

Winners
- Gavin Yuan Gao
- Myles McGuire

Finalists
- Wallea Eaglehawk
- Alex Philp
- Sean West

Winners
- Jarad Bruinstroop, “For the Duration”
- Sarah Kanake, “Lazarus; Or, the Whale”
- Cheryl Leavy, “Mudhunda – Song Country”

Highly Commended
- Melanie Myers, “Obsessions and Collectibles”
- Maxine Mellor, “The Styx”

Winner
- The Great Undoing by Sharlene Allsopp (Ultimo Press)

Finalists
- Body Friend by Katherine Brabon (Ultimo Press)
- Politica by Yumna Kassab (Ultimo Press)
- Ghost Cities by Siang Lu (University of Queensland Press)
- Edenglassie by Melissa Lucashenko (University of Queensland Press)

Winner
- Bullet, Paper, Rock: A Memoir of Words and Wars by Abbas El-Zein (Upswell Publishing)

Finalists
- Deep Water: The World in the Oceans by James Bradley (Hamish Hamilton Penguin Random House)
- Monument by Bonny Cassidy (Giramondo Publishing)
- The Palestine Laboratory: How Israel Exports the Technology of Occupation Around the World by Antony Loewenstein (Scribe Publications)
- Personal Score: Sport, Culture, Identity by Ellen van Neerven (University of Queensland Press)

Winner
- Sunshine on Vinegar Street by Karen Comer (Allen and Unwin)

Finalists
- Leaf-light by Trace Balla (Allen and Unwin)
- Leo and Ralph by Peter Carnavas (University of Queensland Press)
- The Impossible Secret of Lillian Velvet written by Jaclyn Moriarty and illustrated by Kelly Canby (Allen and Unwin)
- When You're a Boy by Blake Nuto (Affirm Press)

Winner
- The Spider and Her Demons by sydney khoo (Penguin Random House Australia)

Finalists
- Borderland by Graham Akhurst (UWA Publishing
- Smoke and Mirrors by Barry Jonsberg (Allen and Unwin)
- We Could Be Something by Will Kostakis (Allen and Unwin)
- I Hope This Doesn’t Find You by Ann Liang (Penguin Random House Australia)

Winner
- Firelight by John Morrissey (Text Publishing)

Finalists
- The Terrible Event by David Cohen (Transit Lounge)
- Born For You by Magdalena McGuire (Ultimo Press)
- Gunflower by Laura Jean McKay (Scribe Publications)
- The Gorgon Flower by John Richards (University of Queensland Press)

Winner
- Three Books by LK Holt (Vagabond Press)

Finalists
- Naag Mountain by Manisha Anjali (Giramondo Publishing)
- Reliefs by Jarad Bruinstroop (University of Queensland Press)
- Vehicular Man by Mitchell Welch (Rabbit Poetry)
- That Galloping Horse by Petra White (Shearsman Books)

Winner
- “Native Rage” by Dominic Guerrera

Finalists
- “Politics” by Chella Goldwin
- “River Page” by Lulu Houdini

Highly Commended
- "UNAIPON" by Kym Harold Kropinyeri

Winner
- “Life Drawing” by Emily Lighezzolo

Finalists
- “Tender Age” by Myles McGuire
- “EndGain” by Nicky Peelgrane
- “Lovesick” by Lillian Telford

Winner
- Breath by Carly-Jay Metcalfe (University of Queensland Press)

Finalists
- The Great Undoing by Sharlene Allsopp (Ultimo Press)
- The Naturalist of Amsterdam by Melissa Ashley (Affirm Press)
- The Bird Art of William T Cooper by Wendy Cooper (NLA Publishing)
- How to Knit a Human: A Memoir by Anna Jacobson (NewSouth Publishing)
- The Remarkable Mrs Reibey by Grantlee Kieza (ABC Books)
- Ghost Cities by Siang Lu (University of Queensland Press)
- Immaculate by Anna McGahan (Allen and Unwin)

Winner
- The Jaguar by Sarah Holland-Batt (University of Queensland Press)

Finalists
- We Come with This Place by Debra Dank (Echo Publishing)
- The Bravest Word by Kate Foster (Walker Books Australia)
- Bone Memories by Sally Piper (University of Queensland Press)
- Praiseworthy by Alexis Wright (Giramondo Publishing)

Winners
- Jasmin McGaughey
- Jonathan O'Brien

Finalists
- Myles McGuire
- Alex Philp
- Sean West

Winners
- Al Campbell, “Door 64”
- B. R. Dionysius, “The Eromanga Sea”
- Melanie Saward, “The Next Chapter”

Winner
- Praiseworthy by Alexis Wright (Giramondo Publishing)

Finalists
- Horse by Geraldine Brooks (Hachette Australia)
- The Sun Walks Down by Fiona McFarlane (Allen and Unwin)
- An Ungrateful Instrument by Michael Meehan (Transit Lounge)
- Bon and Lesley by Shaun Prescott (Giramondo Publishing)

Winner
- We Come with This Place by Debra Dank (Echo Publishing)

Finalists
- Humanity’s Moment by Joëlle Gergis (Black Inc.)
- Indelible City by Louisa Lim (Text Publishing)
- A Kind of Magic by Anna Spargo-Ryan (Ultimo Press)
- Our Members Be Unlimited by Sam Wallman (Scribe)

Winner
- Waiting for the Storks by Katrina Nannestad (ABC Books: An imprint of HarperCollins Publishers)

Finalists
- The Way of Dog by Zana Fraillon (University of Queensland Press)
- Jigsaw: A Puzzle in the Post by Bob Graham (Walker Books)
- My Deadly Boots written by Hakea Hustler and Carl Merrison and illustrated by Samantha Campbell (Lothian Children’s Books, Hachette Australia)
- Zadie Ma and the Dog Who Chased the Moon by Gabrielle Wang (Penguin Random House Australia)

Winner
- Completely Normal (and Other Lies) by Biffy James (Hardie Grant Children’s Publishing)

Finalists
- The Quiet and the Loud by Helena Fox (Pan Macmillan Australia)
- Unnecessary Drama by Nina Kenwood (Text Publishing)
- If You Could See the Sun by Ann Liang (HQ Young Adult: An imprint of HarperCollins Publishers)
- My Spare Heart by Jared Thomas (Allen and Unwin)

Winner
- Women I Know by Katerina Gibson (Scribner Australia)

Finalists
- An Exciting and Vivid Inner Life by Paul Dalla Rosa (Allen and Unwin)
- Everything Feels Like the End of the World by Else Fitzgerald (Allen and Unwin)
- Here Be Leviathans by Chris Flynn (University of Queensland Press)

Winner
- Harvest Lingo by Lionel Fogarty (Giramondo Publishing)

Finalists
- Googlecholia by Michael Farrell (Giramondo Publishing)
- The Drama Student by Autumn Royal (Giramondo Publishing)
- Fugitive by Simon Tedeschi (Upswell Publishing)
- Exactly As I Am by Rae White (University of Queensland Press)

Winner
- “To Give Them a Voice” by Maria van Neerven

Finalists
- “guniimara” by Lulu Houdini
- “Always and Again” by Brooke Scobie

Winner
- “First Name Second Name” by Steve MinOn

Finalists
- “The See-Saw” by Fernanda Dahlstrom
- “Treasure” by Sandra Minke
- “Exchange Me” by Margot Shave

Winner
- The God of No Good by Sita Walker (Ultimo Press)

Finalists
- We Come with This Place by Debra Dank (Echo Publishing)
- The Whispering by Veronica Lando (HarperCollins Publishers Australia)
- Homecoming by Kate Morton (Allen and Unwin)
- Bone Memories by Sally Piper (University of Queensland Press)
- The Seven Skins of Esther Wilding by Holly Ringland (HarperCollins Publishers)
- The Bodyline Fix by Marion Stell (University of Queensland Press)
- Cloud Land by Penny van Oosterzee (Allen and Unwin)

Winner
- Wounded Country by Quentin Beresford (NewSouth)

Finalists
- Muddy People by Sara El Sayed (Black Inc. Books)
- The Burnished Sun by Mirandi Riwoe (University of Queensland Press)
- Operation Jungle by John Shobbrook (University of Queensland Press)
- Another Day in the Colony by Chelsea Watego (University of Queensland Press)

Winners
- Rebecca Cheers
- Marilena Hewitt

Finalists
- Miranda Hine
- Sean West

Winners
- Melissa Ashley, ‘The Celebrated Bodies of Anna Morandi’
- Geneve Flynn, ‘The Red Dowager: All Debts Must be Repaid’
- Mary-Rose MacColl, ‘In These Mountains’

Winner
- The Other Half of You by Michael Mohammed Ahmad (Hachette Australia)

Finalists
- Cold Enough for Snow by Jessica Au (Giramondo Publishing)
- The Furies by Mandy Beaumont (Hachette Australia)
- The Keepers by Al Campbell (University of Queensland Press)
- Australiana by Yumna Kassab (Ultimo Press)

Winner
- Lies, Damned Lies by Claire G. Coleman (Ultimo Press)

Finalists
- Muddy People by Sara El Sayed (Black Inc. Books)
- The Mother Wound by Amani Haydar (Pan Macmillan)
- The Three Burials of Lotty Kneen by Krissy Kneen (Text)
- Another Day in the Colony by Chelsea Watego (University of Queensland Press)

Winner
- Kunyi by Kunyi June Anne McInerney (Magabala Books)

Finalists
- My Brother Ben by Peter Carnavas (University of Queensland Press)
- A Glasshouse of Stars by Shirley Marr (Penguin Random House)
- The Boy Who Tried to Shrink His Name by Sandhya Parappukkaran and illustrated by Michelle Pereira (Hardie Grant Children’s Publishing)
- The First Scientists by Corey Tutt and illustrated by Blak Douglas (Hardie Grant Explore)

Winner
- Girls in Boys’ Cars by Felicity Castagna (Pan Macmillan)

Finalists
- Katipo Joe: Wolf’s Lair by Brian Falkner (Scholastic)
- Morrison and Mr Moore by Michael Hyde (In Case of Emergency Press)
- Social Queue by Kay Kerr (Text Publishing)
- Sugar by Carly Nugent (Text Publishing)

Winner
- Dark as Last Night by Tony Birch (University of Queensland Press)

Finalists
- The Kindness of Birds by Merlinda Bobis (Spinifex Press)
- The Burnished Sun by Mirandi Riwoe (University of Queensland Press)
- If You're Happy by Fiona Robertson (University of Queensland Press)
- Lake Malibu and Other Stories by Su-May Tan (Spineless Wonders)

Winner
- Stasis Shuffle by Pam Brown (Hunter Publishers)

Finalists
- TAKE CARE by Eunice Andrada (Giramondo Publishing)
- accelerations & inertias by Dan Disney (Vagabond Press)
- At the Altar of Touch by Gavin Yuan Gao (University of Queensland Press)
- Bees Do Bother: An Antagonist's Carepack by Ann Vickery (Vagabond Press)

Winner
- ‘Always Will Be – stories of Goori sovereignty, from the future(s) of the Tweed’ by Mykaela Saunders

Finalists
- ‘Finding Billy Brown’ by Edoardo Crismani
- ‘Wawun, Judulu and The Big Storm’ by Julie-Ann ‘Garrimaa’ Moore
- ‘untitled manuscript’ by Rick Slager
- ‘Unplanned Journey: A personal account of one Indigenous woman’s life’ by Aunty Joan Tranter

Winner
- ‘Things Left Unsaid’ by Yen-Rong Wong

Finalists
- ‘Do you like the artist Georgia O’Keeffe?’ by A E Macleod
- ‘The Interventions’ by John Richards
- ‘Sunshowers’ by Emily Winter

Winner
- Another Day in the Colony by Chelsea Watego (University of Queensland Press)

Finalists
- Whole Notes by Ed Ayres (ABC Books)
- The Keepers by Al Campbell (University of Queensland Press)
- Muddy People by Sara El Sayed (Black Inc. Books)
- Bila Yarrudhanggalangdhuray by Anita Heiss (Simon & Schuster)
- The Three Burials of Lotty Kneen by Krissy Kneen (Text Publishing)
- Red Heaven by Nicolas Rothwell (Text Publishing)
- Crime Writer by Dime Sheppard (Ruby Books)