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)

Winner
- Biting the Clouds by Fiona Foley (University of Queensland Press)

Finalists
- Car Crash by Lech Blaine (Black Inc.)
- Ordinary Matter by Laura Elvery (University of Queensland Press)
- A Question of Colour by Pattie Lees with Adam C Lees (Magabala Books)
- Change Machine by Jaya Savige (University of Queensland Press)

Winners
- Allanah Hunt
- Ellen Wengert

Finalists
- Rebecca Cheers
- Jonathan O'Brien

Winners
- Tabitha Bird, ‘The Healing Giggle of Wonder’
- Ella Jeffery, ‘Split Level’
- Kali Napier, ‘Preserving: Stories’

Winner
- Song of the Crocodile by Nardi Simpson (Hachette Australia)

Finalists
- Friends and Dark Shapes by Kavita Bedford (Text Publishing)
- Revenge: Murder in Three Parts by S.L. Lim (Transit Lounge)
- The Labyrinth by Amanda Lohrey (Text Publishing)
- The Last Migration by Charlotte McConaghy (Penguin Random House)

Winner
- Amnesia Road by Luke Stegemann (NewSouth)

Finalists
- Car Crash: A Memoir by Lech Blaine (Black Inc. Books)
- Into the Loneliness – The Unholy Alliance of Ernestine Hill and Daisy Bates by Eleanor Hogan (NewSouth)
- Truth Telling – History, Sovereignty and the Uluru Statement by Henry Reynolds (NewSouth)
- The Carbon Club by Marian Wilkinson (Allen and Unwin)

Winner
- Bindi by Kirli Saunders and illustrated by Dub Leffler (Magabala Books)

Finalists
- The Illustrated Encyclopaedia of Dangerous Animals by Sami Bayly (Hachette Australia)
- How to Make a Bird by Meg McKinlay illustrated by Matt Ottley (Walker Books)
- The Stolen Prince of Cloudburst by Jaclyn Moriarty illustrated by Kelly Canby (Allen and Unwin)
- We are Wolves by Katrina Nannestad illustrated by Martina Heiduczek (ABC Books)

Winner
- Metal Fish, Falling Snow by Cath Moore (Text Publishing)

Finalists
- The End of the World is Bigger than Love by Davina Bell (Text Publishing)
- Tiger Daughter by Rebecca Lim (Allen and Unwin)
- The Boy from the Mish by Gary Lonesborough (Allen and Unwin)
- The Erasure Initiative by Lili Wilkinson (Allen and Unwin)

Winner
- Ordinary Matter by Laura Elvery (University of Queensland Press)

Finalists
- Smokehouse by Melissa Manning (University of Queensland Press)
- Smart Ovens for Lonely People by Elizabeth Tan (Brio Books)
- Born Into This by Adam Thompson (University of Queensland Press)
- Broken Rules and Other Stories by Barry Lee Thompson (Transit Lounge)

Winner
- Terminally Poetic by Ouyang Yu (Ginninderra Press)

Finalists
- Dropbear by Evelyn Araluen (University of Queensland Press)
- Airplane Baby Banana Blanket by Benjamin Dodds (Recent Work Press)
- Change Machine by Jaya Savige (University of Queensland Press)
- Homecoming by Elfie Shiosaki (Magabala Books)

Winner
- ‘Mekauwe = Tears Volume #1 (Notes For Song) 1970-2020’ by Ngankiburka-mekauwe (Senior Woman-of Water) Georgina Williams

Finalists
- ‘Politiks’ by Chella Goldwin

Winner
- ‘The Whitewash’ by Siang Lu

Finalists
- ‘On the Exhale’ by Jason Gent
- ‘The Luminous Heart’ by Natalie Sprite
- ‘It’s Chemical’ by Lillian Telford

Winner
- Mary’s Last Dance by Mary Li (Penguin Random House Australia)

Finalists
- All Our Shimmering Skies by Trent Dalton (HarperCollins)
- With My Little Eye by Sandra Hogan (Allen and Unwin)
- Flyaway by Kathleen Jennings (Picador Australia)
- From Where I Fell by Susan Johnson (Allen and Unwin)
- Banks by Grantlee Kieza (ABC Books)
- A Question of Colour by Pattie Lees with Adam C Lees (Magabala Books)
- All the Murmuring Bones by A.G. Slatter (Titan Books)

Winner
- Heartland: How Rugby League Explains Queensland by Joe Gorman (University of Queensland Press)

Finalists
- Meet Me at Lennon’s by Melanie Myers (University of Queensland Press)
- Stone Sky Gold Mountain by Mirandi Riwoe (University of Queensland Press)
- Hearing Maud by Jessica White (UWA Publishing)

Winners
- Zenobia Frost
- Yen-Rong Wong

Finalists
- Sara El Sayed
- Ellen Wenger

Winners
- Sara El Sayed, ‘The Blind Pussy Cat’
- Anna Jacobson, ‘Anxious in a Sweet Store’
- Amanda Niehaus, ‘Relativity’

Winner
- Stone Sky Gold Mountain by Mirandi Riwoe (University of Queensland Press)

Finalists
- Act of Grace by Anna Krien (Black Inc. Books)
- The Returns by Philip Salom (Transit Lounge)
- The Adversary by Ronnie Scott (Penguin Random House)
- The Yield by Tara June Winch (Penguin Random House)

Winner
- Olive Cotton: A Life in Photography by Helen Ennis (HarperCollins)

Finalists
- Bedlam at Botany Bay by James Dunk (NewSouth Publishing)
- Friends and Rivals by Brenda Niall (Text Publishing)
- Truganini by Cassandra Pybus (Allen and Unwin)
- The Watermill by Arnold Zable (Text Publishing)

Winner
- As Fast As I Can by Penny Tangey (University of Queensland Press)

Finalists
- Detention by Tristan Bancks (Penguin Random House)
- Winston and the Wondrous Wooba Gymnastics Club by Tamsin Janu (Omnibus Books)
- Fly by Jess McGeachin (Penguin Random House)
- Nop by Caroline Magerl (Walker Books)

Winner
- Ghost Bird by Lisa Fuller (University of Queensland Press)

Finalists
- Deep Water by Sarah Epstein (Allen and Unwin)
- How to Grow a Family Tree by Eliza Henry-Jones (HarperCollins)
- It Sounded Better in My Head by Nina Kenwood (Text Publishing)
- This is How We Change the Ending by Vikki Wakefield (Text Publishing)

Winner
- Lucky Ticket by Joey Bui (Text Publishing)

Finalists
- A Constant Hum by Alice Bishop (Text Publishing)
- The House of Youssef by Yumna Kassab (Giramondo Publishing)
- A Couple of Things Before the End by Sean O’Beirne (Black Inc. Books)
- Here Until August by Josephine Rowe (Black Inc. Books)

Winner
- Heide by Pi.O (Giramondo Publishing)

Finalists
- Enfolded in the Wings of a Great Darkness by Peter Boyle (Vagabond Press)
- Lyre by Stuart Cooke (UWA Publishing)
- Nganajungu Yagu by Charmaine Papertalk Green (Cordite Books)
- Throat by Ellen van Neerven (University of Queensland Press)

Winner
- ‘The Space Between the Paperbark’ by Jazz Money

Finalists
- ‘Valley of Cane and Crows’ by Boyd Quakawoot
- ‘Last Rites of Spring’ by Mykaela Saunders
- ‘Burn’ by Melanie Saward

Winner
- ‘If You’re Happy’ by Fiona Robertson

Finalists
- ‘The Solitary Light’ by Bianca Millroy
- ‘Daddy and Other Father Figures’ by Jonathan O’Brien
- ‘Without a Word’ by Jenny Ruge
- ‘As We Knew It’ by Siall Waterbright

Winner
- A Lifetime of Impossible Day by Tabitha Bird (Penguin Random House)

Finalists
- The Kowloon Kid by Phil Brown (Transit Lounge)
- A River with a City Problem by Margaret Cook (University of Queensland Press)
- Feeding the Birds at Your Table by Darryl Jones (NewSouth)
- Meet Me at Lennon’s by Melanie Myers (University of Queensland Press)
- The Breeding Season by Amanda Niehaus (Allen and Unwin)
- Stone Sky Gold Mountain by Mirandi Riwoe (University of Queensland Press)
- Hearing Maud by Jessica White (UWA Publishing)

Winner
- Too Much Lip by Melissa Lucashenko (University of Queensland Press)

Finalists
- The Night Dragon by Matthew Condon (University of Queensland Press)
- Boy Swallows Universe by Trent Dalton (Fourth Estate)
- meditations with passing water by Jake Goetz (Rabbit)
- Wintering by Krissy Kneen (Text Publishing)

Winners
- Ella Jeffery
- Ellen van Neerven

Finalists
- Emily O’Grady
- Yen-Rong Wong

Winners
- Claire Christian, ‘The Invisibles’
- Sarah Holland-Batt, ‘Spiral Separator’
- Emily O’Grady, ‘Feast’

Winner
- Exploded View by Carrie Tiffany (Text Publishing)

Finalists
- Bodies of Men by Nigel Featherstone (Hachette Australia)
- Too Much Lip by Melissa Lucashenko (University of Queensland Press)
- Shell by Kristina Olsson (Scribner)
- Daughter of Bad Times by Rohan Wilson (Allen and Unwin)

Winner
- An Unconventional Wife: The Life of Julia Sorell Arnold by Mary Hoban (Scribe)

Finalists
- Dr Space Junk vs The Universe: Archaeology and the future by Alice Gorman (NewSouth)
- Shakespeare’s Library: Unlocking the greatest mystery in literature by Stuart Kells (Text Publishing)
- The Eastern Curlew by Harry Saddler (Affirm)
- Sea People: The puzzle of Polynesia by Christina Thompson (HarperCollins)

Winner
- The Slightly Alarming Tale of the Whispering Wars by Jaclyn Moriarty (Allen and Unwin)

Finalists
- Leave Taking by Lorraine Marwood (University of Queensland Press)
- Black Cockatoo by Carl Merrison and Hakea Hustler (Magabala Books)
- His Name was Walter by Emily Rodda (HarperCollins)
- Chalk Boy by Margaret Wild and Mandy Ord (Allen and Unwin)

Winner
- Lenny’s Book of Everything by Karen Foxlee (Allen and Unwin)

Finalists
- Small Spaces by Sarah Epstein (Walker Books)
- How it Feels to Float by Helena Fox (Pan Macmillan)
- The Bogan Mondrian by Steven Herrick (University of Queensland Press)
- Catching Teller Crow by Ambelin Kwaymullina and Ezekiel Kwaymullina (Allen and Unwin)

Winner
- Zebra: And Other Stories by Debra Adelaide (Pan Macmillan)

Finalists
- The True Colour of the Sea by Robert Drewe (Hamish Hamilton)
- The Drover’s Wives by Ryan O’Neill (Brio Books)

Winner
- An Unconventional Wife: The Life of Julia Sorell Arnold by Mary Hoban (Scribe)

Finalists
- From Secret Ballot to Democracy Sausage: How Australia got compulsory voting by Judith Brett (Text Publishing)
- Kindred: A Cradle Mountain love story by Kate Legge (Melbourne University Publishing)
- A New History of the Irish in Australia by Elizabeth Malcolm and Dianne Hall (NewSouth)
- You Daughters of Freedom: The Australians who won the vote and inspired the world by Clare Wright (Text Publishing)

Winner
- Blakwork by Alison Whittaker (Magabala Books)

Finalists
- Hot Take by Liam Ferney (Hunter Publishers)
- Newcastle Sonnets by Keri Glastonbury (Giramondo)
- That Sight by Marjon Mossammaparast (Cordite)
- The Lost Arabs by Omar Sakr (University of Queensland Press)

Not awarded in 2019. Entrants were offered individualised author development packages with the blackandwrite! editing team.

Winner
- ‘Henry Hamlet’s Heart’ by Rhiannon Ratcliffe Wilde

Finalists
- ‘Little Birds’ by Sue Goldstiver
- ‘The Still Point of Being’ by Karen Hollands
- ‘Apparitions’ by Jack Lio

Winner
- V[R]ignettes by Mez Breeze

Finalists
- Gothic Body, in Two Parts by Eda Gunaydin
- Psychometric Researches by Benjamin Laird
- ITERATION – Part 3/Chapter 3 by C B Mako and M J Flamiano
- The Wonders of Lost Trajectories by Jason Nelson

Winner
- Adani, Following Its Dirty Footsteps: A Personal Story by Lindsay Simpson (Spinifex Press)

Finalists
- Brisbane’s Greek Cafes: A Million Malted Milks by Toni Risson (Teacup Books)
- Boy Swallows Universe by Trent Dalton (HarperCollins)
- Requiem with Yellow Butterflies: A Memoir by James Halford (UWA Publishing)
- Wintering by Krissy Kneen (Text Publishing)
- Too Much Lip by Miles Franklin Award-winner Melissa Lucashenko (University of Queensland Press)
- Charles Ulm by Rick Searle (Allen and Unwin)
- Daughter of Bad Times by Rohan Wilson (Allen and Unwin)

Winner
- We’ll Show the World: Expo 88 by Jackie Ryan (University of Queensland Press)

Finalists
- The Saltwater Story by Benjamin Allmon and David Kelly (Cairn Tor Books)
- Please Explain by Anna Broinowski (Penguin Random House)
- White Woman Black Heart: Journey Home to Old Mapoon by Barbara Miller (CreateSpace)
- Brisbane Houses with Gardens by Beth Wilson (Beth Wilson)

Winners
- Anna Jacobson
- Bri Lee

Finalist
- Ella Jeffery

Winners
- Michael Gerard Bauer, ‘Gaps and Silences’
- Laura Elvery, ‘Medallion’
- Jackie Ryan, ‘Alfred Russel Wallace: Optimist and Dissenter’

Winner
- Taboo by Kim Scott (Pan Macmillan)

Finalists
- Flames by Robbie Arnott (Text Publishing)
- The Enlightenment of the Greengage Tree by Shokoofeh Azar (Wild Dingo Press)
- The Fish Girl by Mirandi Riwoe (Brio Books)
- The Shepherd’s Hut by Tim Winton (Penguin Random House)

Winner
- Tracker by Alexis Wright (Giramondo)

Finalists
- The Enigmatic Mr Deakin by Judith Brett (Text Publishing)
- The Year Everything Changed: 2001 by Phillipa McGuinness (Penguin Random House)
- Call of the Reed Warbler: A New Agriculture – A New Earth by Charles Massy (University of Queensland Press)
- Korea: Where the American Century Began by Michael Pembroke (Hardie Grant Books)

Winner
- The Elephant by Peter Carnavas (University of Queensland Press)

Finalists
- The Storm Whale by Sarah Brennan, illustrated by Jane Tanner (Allen and Unwin)
- Go Go and the Silver Shoes by Jane Godwin, illustrated by Anna Walker (Penguin Random House)
- The Shop at Hoopers Bend by Emily Rodda (HarperCollins)
- Swan Lake by Anne Spudvilas (Allen and Unwin)

Winner
- In the Dark Spaces by Cally Black (Hardie Grant Egmont)

Finalists
- The Dream Walker by Victoria Carless (Hachette Australia)
- Sparrow by Scot Gardner (Allen and Unwin)
- Amelia Westlake by Erin Gough (Hardie Grant Egmont)
- Because of You by Pip Harry (University of Queensland Press)

Winner
- Pulse Points by Jennifer Down (Text Publishing)

Finalists
- Bird Country by Claire Aman (Text Publishing)
- Common People by Tony Birch (University of Queensland Press)
- Habits of Silence by Stephanie Buckle (Finlay Lloyd Publishers)
- Trick of the Light by Laura Elvery (University of Queensland Press)

Winner
- We’ll Show the World: Expo 88 by Jackie Ryan (University of Queensland Press)

Finalists
- The Enigmatic Mr Deakin by Judith Brett (Text Publishing)
- Deep Time Dreaming: Uncovering Ancient Australia by Billy Griffiths (Black Inc. Books)
- Beautiful Balts: From displaced persons to new Australians by Jayne Persian (NewSouth)
- The Battle Within: POWs in postwar Australia by Christina Twomey (NewSouth)

Winner
- I Love Poetry by Michael Farrell (Giramondo)

Finalists
- click here for what we do by Pam Brown (Vagabond Press)
- Chatelaine by Bonny Cassidy (Giramondo)
- The Honeymoon Stage by Oscar Schwartz (Giramondo)
- Lost Lake by Bella Li (Vagabod Press)

Winner
- ‘The Making of Ruby Champion’ by Kirstie Parker

Finalists
- ‘Why Worry Now’ by Melanie Saward
- ‘Jilba’s Song’ by Wendy Somerville
- ‘Song – the story of a girl, a bird and a teapot’ by Waiata Telfer
- ‘Destinations Past Present Future: Diving through timelines’ by Teila Watson

Winner
- ‘Garrison Town’ by Melanie Myers

Finalists
- ‘fate, revenge and chipburgers’ by Karen Herschell
- ‘On Either Side’ by Laura Kenny
- ‘Garrison Town’ by Melanie Myers
- ‘Hidebound’ by Christopher Przewloka

Winner
- Little Emperor Syndrome by David Thomas Henry Wright, with Chris Arnold

Finalists
- Our Cupidity Coda by Mez Breeze
- A Place Called Ormalcy by Mez Breeze
- Core Values by Benjamin Laird (Australian Poetry)

Winner
- Brisbane Houses with Gardens by Beth Wilson (Beth Wilson)

Finalists
- Burning Down by Venero Armanno (University of Queensland Press)
- Danger Music by Eddie Ayres (Allen and Unwin)
- To Become a Whale by Ben Hobson (Allen and Unwin)
- The Yellow House by Emily O’Grady (Allen and Unwin)
- The Lost Flowers of Alice Hart by Holly Ringland (HarperCollins)
- We’ll Show the World: Expo 88 by Jackie Ryan (University of Queensland Press)
- A Life Underwater by Charlie Veron (Penguin Random House)
- Brisbane Houses with Gardens by Beth Wilson (Beth Wilson)

Winner
- The Daintree Blockade: The Battle for Australia’s Tropical Rainforests by Bill Wilkie (Four Mile Books)

Finalists
- Little Fish Are Sweet by Matthew Condon (University of Queensland Press)
- For a Girl by Mary-Rose MacColl (Allen and Unwin)
- Saltwater by Cathy McLennan (University of Queensland Press)

Winners
- Lech Blaine
- Mindy Gill

Finalists
- Anna Jacobson
- Emily O’Grady
- Bonnie Stevens

Winners
- Zenobia Frost, ‘Museum of Dwellings’
- Linda Neil, ‘People are Kind’
- Mirandi Riwoe, ‘A Gold Mountain Woman’

Winner
- The Birdman’s Wife by Melissa Ashley (Affirm Press)

Finalists
- Vancouver by Nick Earls (Inkerman and Blunt)
- A Hundred Small Lessons by Ashley Hay (Allen and Unwin)
- The Good People by Hannah Kent (Pan Macmillan)
- The Museum of Modern Love by Heather Rose (Allen and Unwin)

Winner
- Saltwater by Cathy McLennan (University of Queensland Press)

Finalists
- Songs of a War Boy by Deng Adut and Ben Mckelvey (Hachette Australia)
- Ghost Empire by Richard Fidler (HarperCollins)
- For a Girl by Mary-Rose MacColl (Allen and Unwin)
- Position Doubtful by Kim Mahood (Scribe)

Winner
- The Grand, Genius Summer of Henry Hoobler by Lisa Shanahan (Allen and Unwin)

Finalists
- Somewhere Else by Gus Gordon (Penguin Random House)
- A Different Dog by Paul Jennings (Allen and Unwin)
- How to Bee by Bren MacDibble (Allen and Unwin)
- Dragonfly Song by Wendy Orr (Allen and Unwin)

Winner
- Words In Deep Blue by Cath Crowley (Pan Macmillan)

Finalists
- The Hounded by Simon Butters (Wakefield Press)
- The Bone Sparrow by Zana Fraillon (Hachette Australia)
- The Road to Winter by Mark Smith (Text Publishing)
- This is My Song by Richard Yaxley (Scholastic)

Winner
- The Circle and the Equator by Kyra Giorgi (UWA Publishing)

Finalists
- Letter to Pessoa by Michelle Cahill (Giramondo)
- The Circle and the Equator by Kyra Giorgi (UWA Publishing)
- After the Carnage by Tara June Winch (University of Queensland Press)

Winner
- Into the Heart of Tasmania by Rebe Taylor (Melbourne University Publishing)

Finalists
- The Tim Carmody Affair: Australia’s Greatest Judicial Crisis by Rebecca Ananian-Welsh, Gabrielle Appleby by Andrew Lynch (NewSouth)
- Hidden in Plain View: The Aboriginal people of coastal Sydney by Paul Irish (NewSouth)
- Evatt: A life by John Murphy (NewSouth)

Winner
- Fragments by Antigone Kefala (Giramondo)

Finalists
- Euclid’s Dog by Jordie Albiston (GloriaSMH Press)
- Meteorites by Carmen Leigh Keates (Whitmore Press)
- The Blue Decodes by Cassie Lewis (Grand Parade Poets)
- These Wild Houses by Omar Sakr (Cordite)

Winner
- ‘Mirrored Pieces’ by Lisa Fuller

Finalist
- ‘Mai Stori’ by Alicia Farmer

Winner
- ‘The Killing of Louisa’ by Janet Lee

Finalists
- ‘How to Knit a Human’ by Anna Jacobson
- ‘The Gimp’ by Ben Marshall
- ‘The Coming’ by Siall Waterbright

Winner
- Nine Billion Branches by Jason Nelson

Finalists
- Inanimate Alice: Perpetual Nomads (Beta) by Mez Breeze
- Generation Loss by Pascalle Burton
- Paige and Power by David Thomas Henry Wright
- Limerence by Marianna Shek

Winner
- Saltwater by Cathy McLennan (University of Queensland Press)

Finalists
- The Birdman’s Wife by Melissa Ashley (Affirm Press)
- Vancouver by Nick Earls (Inkerman and Blunt)
- Ghost Empire by Richard Fidler (HarperCollins)
- A Hundred Small Lessons by Ashley Hay (Allen and Unwin)
- Barbed Wire and Cherry Blossoms by Anita Heiss (Simon and Schuster)
- To Prey and To Silence by Joan Isaacs (A and A Publishing)
- For a Girl by Mary-Rose MacColl (Allen and Unwin)

Winner
- Not Just Black and White by Lesley and Tammy Williams (University of Queensland Press)

Finalists
- Remotely Fashionable: A Story of Subtropical Style by Nadia Buick and Madeleine King (The Fashion Archives)
- All Fall Down by Matthew Condon (University of Queensland Press)
- Wasted: A Story of Alcohol, Grief and a Death in Brisbane by Elspeth Muir (Text Publishing)
- The Long Goodbye by P.J. Parker (Hardie Grant Books)

Winners
- Emily Craven
- Michelle Law

Finalists
- Sam George-Allen
- Anna Jacobson
- Andrew McMillen

Winners
- Trent Jamieson
- Amanda O’Callaghan
- Pamela Rushby

Winner
- Between a Wolf and A Dog by Georgia Blain (Scribe)

Finalists
- Ghost River by Tony Birch (University of Queensland Press)
- The Midnight Watch by David Dyer (St. Martin’s Press)
- One by Patrick Holland (Transit Lounge)
- The Natural Way of Things by Charlotte Wood (Allen and Unwin)

Winner
- Small Acts of Disappearance: Essays on Hunger by Fiona Wright (Giramondo)

Finalists
- Offshore: Behind the Wire on Manus and Nauru by Madeline Gleeson (NewSouth)
- Talking to My Country by Stan Grant (HarperCollins)
- Second Half First by Drusilla Modjeska (Random House Books)
- Island Home by Tim Winton (Penguin)

Winner
- Kidglovz by Julie Hunt and Dale Newman (Allen and Unwin)

Finalists
- Suri’s Wall by Lucy Estela and Matt Ottley (Puffin)
- How the Sun Got to Coco’s House by Bob Graham (Candlewick Press)
- Incredibilia by Libby Hathorn and Gaye Chapman (Little Hare Books)
- Me, Teddy by Chris McKimmie (Allen and Unwin)

Winner
- Dreaming the Enemy by David Metzenthen (Allen and Unwin)

Finalists
- The Sidekicks by Will Kostakis (Penguin)
- The Stars at October Bend by Glenda Millard (Allen and Unwin)
- One Thousand Hills by James Roy and Noël Zihabamwe (Omnibus/Scholastic)
- One Would Think the Deep by Claire Zorn (University of Queensland Press)

Winners
- A Few Days in the Country and other stories by Elizabeth Harrower (Text Publishing)
- The High Places by Fiona McFarlane (Farrar, Straus and Giroux)

Finalists
- Six Bedrooms by Tegan Bennett Daylight (Vintage Books Australia)
- An Astronaut’s Life by Sonja Dechian (Text Publishing)
- Portable Curiosities by Julie Koh (University of Queensland Press)

Winner
- The Pearl Frontier: Indonesian Labour and Indigenous Encounters in Australia’s Northern Trading Network by Julia Martinez and Adrian Vickers (University of Hawaii Press)

Finalists
- Armenia, Australia and the Great War by Vicken Babkenien and Peter Stanley (NewSouth)
- Australia’s Boldest Experiment by Stuart Macintyre (NewSouth)
- Unseen Anzac by Jeff Maynard (Scribe)
- The oldest foods on earth by John Newton (NewSouth)
- Gay Sydney by Garry Wotherspoon (NewSouth)

Winner
- The Anatomy of Voice by David Musgrave (Eyewear Publishing)

Finalists
- Year of the Wasp by Joel Deane (Hunter Publishers)
- Content by Liam Ferney (Hunter Publishers)
- The Hazards by Sarah Holland-Batt (University of Queensland Press)
- Not Fox Nor Axe by Chloe Wilson (Hunter Publishers)

Winner
- ‘Dancing Home’ by Paul Collis

Finalists
- ‘67 Days’ by Yvonne Weldon
- ‘Song of Jessica’ by B.A. (Boyd) Quakawoot

Not awarded in 2016. Finalists were provided with a cash prize and professional development.

Finalists
- ‘The Boatman’ by Helen Crampton
- ‘The Elements’ by Laura Elvery

Winner
- Swimming Home by Mary-Rose MacColl (Penguin)

Finalists
- Day Boy by Trent Jamieson (Text Publishing)
- The Landing by Susan Johnson (Allen and Unwin)
- The Promise Seed by Cass Moriarty (University of Queensland Press)
- Remotely Fashionable: A Story of Subtropical Style by Nadia Buick and Madeleine King (The Fashion Archives)
- All Fall Down by Matt Condon (University of Queensland Press)
- Wasted: A Story of Alcohol, Grief and a Death in Brisbane by Elspeth Muir (Text Publishing)
- Dying: A Memoir by Cory Taylor (Text Publishing)

Winner
- Warrior by Libby Connors (Allen and Unwin)

Finalists
- Heat and Light by Ellen van Neerven (University of Queensland Press)
- Joe’s Fruit Shop and Milk Bar by Zoe Boccabella (HarperCollins)
- Queensland: Everything you ever wanted to know but were afraid to ask by Mark Bahnisch (NewSouth)
- Through the Wall: Reflections on Leadership, Love and Survival by Anna Bligh (HarperCollins)

Winners
- Rebecca Jessen
- Megan McGrath

Finalists
- Sam George-Allen
- Michelle Law
- Andrew McMillen

Winners
- Inga Simpson
- Krissy Kneen
- Karen Foxlee

Winner
- The Golden Age by Joan London (Random House Australia)

Finalists
- A Short History of Richard Kline by Amanda Lohrey (Black Inc. Books)
- The Snow Kimono by Mark Henshaw (Text Publishing)
- The Wonder Lover by Malcolm Knox (Allen and Unwin)
- To Name Those Lost by Rohan Wilson (Allen and Unwin)

Winner
- The Bush: Travels in the Heart of Australia by Don Watson (Penguin)

Finalists
- Mannix by Brenda Niall (Text Publishing)
- The Life of I: The New Culture of Narcissism by Anne Manne (Melbourne University Publishing)
- The Wife Drought by Annabel Crabb (Random House)
- Thea Astley: Inventing Her Own Weather by Karen Lamb (University of Queensland Press)

Winner
- A Single Stone by Meg McKinlay (Walker Books)

Finalists
- Figgy in the World by Tasmin Janu (Omnibus Books)
- Lucky by David Mackintosh (HarperCollins)
- New Boy by Nick Earls (Penguin)
- Teacup by Rebecca Young and Matt Ottley (Scholastic)

Winner
- The Pause by John Larkin (Random House)

Finalists
- Are you Seeing Me? by Darren Groth (Random House)
- Razorhurst by Justine Larbalestier (Allen and Unwin)
- The Minnow by Diana Sweeney (Text Publishing)
- Vanishing Point by Jeri Kroll (Puncher and Wattman)

Winner
- Merciless Gods by Christos Tsiolkas (Allen and Unwin)

Finalists
- Arms Race and Other Stories by Nic Low (Text Publishing)
- Bapo by Nick Jose (Giramondo)
- Heat and Light by Ellen van Neerven (University of Queensland Press)
- Three Stories by J.M. Coetzee (Text Publishing)

Winner
- ANZAC: The Unauthorised Biography by Carolyn Holbrook (NewSouth)

Finalists
- Settler Society in the Australian Colonies: Self-Government and Imperial Culture by Angela Woollacott (Oxford University Press)
- The Invisible History of the Human Race by Christine Kenneally (Black Inc. Books)
- Visiting the Neighbours: Australians in Asia by Agnieszka Sobocinska (NewSouth)
- Warning: The Story of Cyclone Tracy by Sophie Cunningham (Text Publishing)

Winner
- Waiting for the Past by Les Murray (Black Inc. Books)

Finalists
- Beds For All Who Come by Susan Bradley Smith (Five Islands Press)
- Net Needle by Robert Adamson (Black Inc. Books)
- Open House by David Brooks (University of Queensland Press)
- The Guardians by Lucy Dougan (Giramondo)

Winner
- ‘The First Octoroon or Report of an Experimental Child’ by Andrew Booth

Finalists
- ‘Social Consciousness Series’ by Mayrah Yarraga Dreise
- ‘A Question of Colour’ by Patricia Lees with Adam C. Lees

Winner
- ‘Aurora’ by Elizabeth Kasmer

Finalists
- ‘Araluen’ by Imogen Smith
- ‘Sargasso’ by K W George
- ‘Wool Spin Burn’ by Kate Elkington

Winner
- On the Road… With Kids by John Ahern (Pan Macmillan)

Finalists
- Analogue Men by Nick Earls (Random House Australia)
- From Convict to Politician by Mary Lou Simpson (Boolarong Press)
- Joe’s Fruit Shop and Milk Bar by Zoe Boccabella (HarperCollins)
- Navigatio by Patrick Holland (Transit Lounge)
- Nest by Inga Simpson (Hachette Australia)
- The Ash Burner by Kari Gislason (University of Queensland Press)
- The Murder of Allison Baden-Clay by David Murray (Random House)