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Shortlist

2022 Winners and shortlists

2022: Fiction
Red Heaven by Nicolas Rothwell, Text Publishing
1
winner - Red Heaven
Author:
Nicolas
Rothwell
Illustrator:
Dark as Last Night by Tony Birch, University of Queensland Press
Dark as Last Night
Author:
Tony
Birch
Illustrator:
The Hands of Pianists by Stephen Downes, Fomite
The Hands of Pianists
Author:
Stephen
Downes
Illustrator:
Devotion by Hannah Kent, Pan Macmillan Australia: Picador
Devotion
Author:
Hannah
Kent
Illustrator:
Night Blue by Angela O'Keeffe, Transit Lounge.
Night Blue
Author:
Angela
O'Keeffe
Illustrator:
2022: Poetry
Human Looking by Andy Jackson, Giramondo Publishing Company
1
winner - Human Looking
Author:
Andy
Jackson
Illustrator:
Fifteeners by Jordie Albiston, Puncher & Wattmann
Fifteeners
Author:
Jordie
Albiston
Illustrator:
Dancing with Stephen Hawking by John Foulcher, Pitt Street Poetry
Dancing with Stephen Hawking
Author:
John
Foulcher
Illustrator:
Fish Work by Caitlin Maling, UWA Publishing
Fish Work
Author:
Caitlin
Maling
Illustrator:
Homecoming by Elfie Shiosaki, Magabala Books
Homecoming
Author:
Elfie
Shiosaki
Illustrator:
2022: Non-fiction
Rogue Forces: An explosive insiders' account of Australian SAS war crimes in Afghanistan by Mark Willacy, Simon & Schuster Australia
1
winner - Rogue Forces: An explosive insiders' account of Australian SAS war crimes in Afghanistan
Author:
Mark
Willacy
Illustrator:
Title Fight: How the Yindjibarndi battled and defeated a mining giant by Paul Cleary, Schwartz Books: Black Inc.
Title Fight: How the Yindjibarndi battled and defeated a mining giant
Author:
Paul
Cleary
Illustrator:
The Case that Stopped a Nation: The Archibald Prize controversy of 1944 by Peter Edwell, Halstead Press
The Case that Stopped a Nation: The Archibald Prize controversy of 1944
Author:
Peter
Edwell
Illustrator:
Puff Piece by John Safran, Penguin Random House Australia: Hamish Hamilton
Puff Piece
Author:
John
Safran
Illustrator:
Another Day in the Colony by Chelsea Watego, University of Queensland Press
Another Day in the Colony
Author:
Chelsea
Watego
Illustrator:
2022: Australian history
Semut: The untold story of a secret Australian operation in WWII Borneo by Christine Helliwell, Penguin Random House Australia: Michael Joseph
1
winner - Semut: The untold story of a secret Australian operation in WWII Borneo
Author:
Christine
Helliwell
Illustrator:
White Russians, Red Peril: A Cold War history of migration to Australia by Sheila Fitzpatrick, La Trobe University Press in conjunction with Black Inc.
White Russians, Red Peril: A Cold War history of migration to Australia
Author:
Sheila
Fitzpatrick
Illustrator:
Return to Uluru by Mark McKenna, Schwartz Books: Black Inc.
Return to Uluru
Author:
Mark
McKenna
Illustrator:
Harlem Nights: The secret history of Australia's Jazz Age by Deirdre O'Connell, Melbourne University Press
Harlem Nights: The secret history of Australia's Jazz Age
Author:
Deirdre
O'Connell
Illustrator:
Farmers or Hunter-gatherers? The Dark Emu debate by Peter Sutton and Keryn Walshe, Melbourne University Press
Farmers or Hunter-gatherers? The Dark Emu debate
Author:
Professor Peter
Sutton FASSA
Dr Keryn
Walshe
Illustrator:
2022: Young adult literature
The Gaps by Leanne Hall, Text Publishing
1
winner - The Gaps by Leanne Hall
Author:
Leanne
Hall
Illustrator:
Still Alive: Notes from Australia's immigration detention system by Safdar Ahmed, Twelve Panels Press
Still Alive: Notes from Australia's immigration detention system
Author:
Safdar
Ahmed
Illustrator:
100 Remarkable Feats of Xander Maze by Clayton Zane Comber, HarperCollins Publishers
100 Remarkable Feats of Xander Maze
Author:
Clayton Zane
Comber
Illustrator:
Tiger Daughter by Rebecca Lim, Allen & Unwin
Tiger Daughter
Author:
Rebecca
Lim
Illustrator:
Tell Me Why for Young Adults by Archie Roach, Simon & Schuster Australia
Tell Me Why for Young Adults
Author:
Archie
Roach
Illustrator:
2022: Children's literature
Mina and the Whole Wide World by Sherryl Clark, illustrated by Briony Stewart, University of Queensland Press
1
winner - Mina and the Whole Wide World
Author:
Sherryl
Clark
Illustrator:
Briony
Stewart
The Boy and the Elephant by Freya Blackwood, HarperCollins Publishers: Angus & Robertson
The Boy and the Elephant
Author:
Freya
Blackwood
Illustrator:
Common Wealth by Gregg Dreise, Scholastic Australia
Common Wealth
Author:
Gregg
Dreise
Illustrator:
Dragon Skin by Karen Foxlee, Allen & Unwin
Dragon Skin
Author:
Karen
Foxlee
Illustrator:
Exit Through the Gift Shop by Maryam Master, illustrated by Astred Hicks, Pan Macmillan Australia
Exit Through the Gift Shop
Author:
Maryam
Master
Illustrator:
Astred
Hicks

2021 Winners and shortlists

2021: Fiction
The Labyrinth by Amanda Lohrey.
1
winner - The Labyrinth by Amanda Lohrey
Author:
Amanda
Lohrey
Illustrator:
A Treacherous Country by K.M. Kruimink
A Treacherous Country
Author:
K.M.
Kruimink
Illustrator:
In the Time of Foxes by Jo Lennan.
In the Time of Foxes
Author:
Jo
Lennan
Illustrator:
Lucky's by Andrew Pippos
Lucky's
Author:
Andrew
Pippos
Illustrator:
The Bass Rock by Evie Wyld.
The Bass Rock
Author:
Evie
Wyld
Illustrator:
2021: Poetry
The Strangest Place, New and Selected Poems by Stephen Edgar.
1
winner - The Strangest Place, New and Selected Poems
Author:
Stephen
Edgar
Illustrator:
Homer Street by Laurie Duggan.
Homer Street
Author:
Laurie
Duggan
Illustrator:
Change Machine by Jaya Savige.
Change Machine
Author:
Jaya
Savige
Illustrator:
Shorter Lives by John A. Scott.
Shorter Lives
Author:
John A
Scott
Illustrator:
Nothing to Declare by Mags Webster.
Nothing to Declare
Author:
Mags
Webster
Illustrator:
2021: Non-fiction
The Stranger Artist: Life at the Edge of Kimberley Painting by Quentin Sprague.
1
winner - The Stranger Artist: Life at the Edge of Kimberley Painting
Author:
Quentin
Sprague
Illustrator:
Flight Lines: Across the Globe on a Journey with the Astonishing Ultramarathon Birds by Andrew Darby.
Flight Lines: Across the Globe on a Journey with the Astonishing Ultramarathon Birds
Author:
Andrew
Darby
Illustrator:
The Details: On Love, Death and Reading by Tegan Bennett Daylight
The Details: On Love, Death and Reading
Author:
Tegan Bennett
Daylight
Illustrator:
Truganini: Journey Through the Apocalypse by Cassandra Pybus.
Truganini: Journey Through the Apocalypse
Author:
Cassandra
Pybus
Illustrator:
The Altar Boys by Suzanne Smith.
The Altar Boys
Author:
Suzanne
Smith
Illustrator:
2021: Australian history
People of the River: Lost Worlds of Early Australia by Grace Karskens.
1
winner - People of the River: Lost Worlds of Early Australia
Author:
Grace
Karskens
Illustrator:
Pathfinders: A History of Aboriginal Trackers in NSW by Michael Bennett.
Pathfinders: A History of Aboriginal Trackers in NSW
Author:
Michael
Bennett
Illustrator:
The Convict Valley: The Bloody Struggle on Australia's Early Frontier by Mark Dunn.
The Convict Valley: The Bloody Struggle on Australia's Early Frontier
Author:
Mark
Dunn
Illustrator:
Ceremony Men: Making Ethnography and the Return of the Strehlow Collection by Jason M. Gibson.
Ceremony Men: Making Ethnography and the Return of the Strehlow Collection
Author:
Jason M
Gibson
Illustrator:
Representing Australian Aboriginal Music and Dance 1930–1970 by Amanda Harris.
Representing Australian Aboriginal Music and Dance 1930–1970
Author:
Amanda
Harris
Illustrator:

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More past winners and shortlists

Check out more of our past winners and shortlisted authors.
Learn more

2022 Prime Minister's...

Fifteen experts make up the judging panels for the 2022 Prime Minister's Literary Awards....
Learn more

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