2024 in Australian literature

This is a list of historical events and publications of Australian literature during 2024.

Events

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  • Both the chief executive and deputy chairman quit over promotional material released for the 2024 Melbourne Writers Festival[1]
  • Major Australian online bookseller Booktopia enters voluntary administration as it explores options for "sale and/or recapitalisation."[2]

Major publications

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Literary fiction

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Crime and mystery

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Science fiction and Fantasy

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Children's and young adult

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Poetry

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Plays

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Non-Fiction

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Awards and honours

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Note: these awards were presented in the year in question.

Lifetime achievement

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Award Author
Melbourne Prize for Literature[25] Alexis Wright
Patrick White Award[26] Pi O

Literary

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Award Author Title Publisher
ALS Gold Medal[27] Alexis Wright Praiseworthy Giramondo Publishing
Colin Roderick Award[28] Melissa Lucashenko Edenglassie University of Queensland Press
Indie Book Awards Book of the Year[29] David Marr Killing for Country: A Family Story Black Inc
New South Wales Premier's Literary Awards[30] Ali Cobby Eckermann She Is the Earth Magabala Books
Stella Prize[31] Alexis Wright Praiseworthy Giramondo Publishing
Victorian Premier's Literary Awards[32] Grace Yee Chinese Fish Giramondo Publishing

Fiction

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Award Author Title Publisher
The Age Book of the Year[33] Tony Birch Women & Children University of Queensland Press
ARA Historical Novel Prize[34] Melissa Lucashenko Edenglassie University of Queensland Press
The Australian/Vogel Literary Award[35] Kristina Ross First Year Allen and Unwin
Barbara Jefferis Award Not yet awarded
Indie Book Awards Book of the Year – Fiction[29] Melissa Lucashenko Edenglassie University of Queensland Press
Indie Book Awards Book of the Year – Debut Fiction[29] Jane Harrison The Visitors Fourth Estate
Miles Franklin Award[36] Alexis Wright Praiseworthy Giramondo Publishing
Prime Minister's Literary Awards[37] Andre Dao Anam Hamish Hamilton
New South Wales Premier's Literary Awards[38] Angela O'Keeffe The Sitter University of Queensland Press
Queensland Literary Awards[39] Sharlene Allsopp The Great Undoing Ultimo
Victorian Premier's Literary Awards[32] Melissa Lucashenko Edenglassie University of Queensland Press

Children and Young Adult

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Award Category Author Title Publisher
ARA Historical Novel Prize Children and Young Adult Beverley McWilliams Spies in the Sky Pantera Press
Children's Book of the Year Award[40] Older Readers Karen Comer Grace Notes Lothian
Younger Readers Tristan Bancks Scar Town Puffin
Picture Book Kelly Canby Timeless Fremantle Press
Early Childhood Briony Stewart Gymnastica Fantastica! Lothian
Eve Pownall Award for Information Books Isolde Martyn & Robyn Ridgeway, illus by Louise Hogan Country Town Fremantle Press
Indie Book Awards Book of the Year[29] Children's Jaclyn Moriarty The Impossible Secret of Lillian Velvet Allen & Unwin
Young Adult Melissa Kang & Yumi Stynes Welcome to Sex Hardie Grant
Prime Minister's Literary Awards[37] Children's Violet Wadrill, Topsy Dodd Ngarnjal, Leah Leaman, Cecelia Edwards, Cassandra Algy, Felicity Meakins, Briony Barr & Gregory Crocetti Tamarra: A Story of Termites on Gurindji Country Hardie Grant
Young Adult Will Kostakis We Could Be Something Allen & Unwin
New South Wales Premier's Literary Awards[41] Children's Levi Pinfold Paradise Sands: A story of enchantment Walker Books
Young People's Helena Fox The Quiet and the Loud Pan Macmillan Australia
Queensland Literary Awards[39] Children's Karen Comer Sunshine on Vinegar Street Allen & Unwin
Young Adult sydney knoo The Spider and Her Demons Penguin
Victorian Premier's Literary Awards[32] Young Adult Fiction Lili Wilkinson A Hunger of Thorns Allen & Unwin
Western Australian Premier's Book Awards[42] Children's Dianne Wolfer Scout and the Rescue Dogs Walker Books

Crime and Mystery

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National

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Award Category Author Title Publisher
Davitt Award[43] Novel Monica Vuu When One of Us Hurts Pan Macmillan
Young adult novel Amy Doak Eleanor Jones Is Not a Murderer Penguin Books
Children's novel Lucinda Gifford The Wolves of Greycoat Hall Walker Books
Non-fiction Rebecca Hazel The Schoolgirl, Her Teacher and His Wife Vintage Books
Debut Christine Keighery The Half Brother Ultimo
Readers' choice Alison Goodman The Benevolent Society of Ill-Mannered Ladies HarperCollins
Ned Kelly Award[44] Novel Sally Hepworth Darling Girls Pan Macmillan
First novel Matt Francis Murder in the Pacific: Ifira Point Big Sky Publishing
True crime Nick McKenzie Crossing the Line Hachette Australia

Non-Fiction

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Award Category Author Title Publisher
The Age Book of the Year[33] Non-Fiction Ross McMullin Life So Full of Promise Scribe
Indie Book Awards Book of the Year[29] Non-Fiction David Marr Killing for Country: A Family Story Black Inc
Illustrated Non-Fiction Wendy Cooper The Bird Art of William T. Cooper National Library of Australia
National Biography Award[45] Biography Lamisse Hamouda The Shape of Dust: a father wrongly imprisoned. A daughter's quest to free him Pantera Press
Prime Minister's Literary Awards[37] Non-Fiction Daniel Browning Close to the Subject: Selected Works Magabala Books
Australian History Ryan Cropp Donald Horne: A Life in the Lucky Country La Trobe University Press
New South Wales Premier's Literary Awards[41] Non-Fiction Christine Kenneally Ghosts of the Orphanage Hachette Australia
New South Wales Premier's History Awards[46] Australian History Alecia Simmonds Courting: An Intimate History of Love and the Law La Trobe University Press, with Black Inc[47]
Community and Regional History Shauna Bostock Reaching Through Time: Finding my family's stories Allen & Unwin
General History Katharine E. McGregor Systemic Silencing: Activism, Memory, and Sexual Violence in Indonesia University of Wisconsin Press
Queensland Literary Awards[39] Non-Fiction Abbas El-Zein Bullet, Paper, Rock: A Memoir of Words and Wars Upswell
Victorian Premier's Literary Awards[32] Non-Fiction Ellen van Neerven Personal Score: Sport, Culture, Identity University of Queensland Press

Poetry

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Award Author Title Publisher
Anne Elder Award[48] Sara M. Saleh The Flirtation of Girls/Ghazal el-Banat University of Queensland Press
Mary Gilmore Award[49] Dan Hogan Secret Third Thing Cordite Books
Prime Minister's Literary Awards[37] Amy Crutchfield Aphrodite Giramondo Publishing
New South Wales Premier's Literary Awards[41] Tais Rose Wae Riverbed Sky Songs Vagabond Press
Judith Wright Calanthe Award for a Poetry Collection[39] L. K. Holt Three Books Vagabond Press
Victorian Premier's Literary Awards[32] Grace Yee Chinese Fish Giramondo Publishing

Drama

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Award Category Author Title Publisher
New South Wales Premier's Literary Awards[41] Script Anna Barnes Safe Home, Episode 1 Kindling Pictures
Play Nicholas Brown Sex Magick Griffin Theatre Company & Currency Press
Victorian Premier's Literary Awards[32] S. Shakthidharan and Eamon Flack The Jungle and the Sea Belvoir St Theatre & Currency Press

Deaths

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See also

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References

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  1. ^ Le Grand, Chip (25 February 2024). "Gaza conflict engulfs Melbourne Writers Festival as leaders quit over program row". The Age. Retrieved 26 February 2024.
  2. ^ ""Booktopia appoints administrators"". Books+Publishing. Retrieved 7 October 2024.
  3. ^ "My Brilliant Sister by Amy brown". National Library of Australia. Retrieved 7 October 2024.
  4. ^ "The End of the Morning by Charmian Clift". Austlit. Retrieved 8 February 2024.
  5. ^ "Theory & Practice (Michelle de Kretser, Text)". Books+Publishing. 10 September 2024. Retrieved 24 October 2024.
  6. ^ "Wing". AustLit: Discover Australian Stories. The University of Queensland. Retrieved 9 October 2024.
  7. ^ "One Another by Gail Jones". Austlit. Retrieved 8 February 2024.
  8. ^ "Austlit — Free by Meg Keneally". Austlit. Retrieved 8 February 2024.
  9. ^ "The Deal". AustLit: Discover Australian Stories. The University of Queensland. Retrieved 9 October 2024.
  10. ^ "Cherrywood". AustLit: Discover Australian Stories. The University of Queensland. Retrieved 9 October 2024.
  11. ^ "The Belburd". AustLit: Discover Australian Stories. The University of Queensland. Retrieved 9 October 2024.
  12. ^ "Juice by Tim Winton". Austlit. Retrieved 5 October 2024.
  13. ^ "Sanctuary by Garry Disher". National Library of Australia. Retrieved 15 May 2024.
  14. ^ "Devil's Kitchen". AustLit: Discover Australian Stories. The University of Queensland. Retrieved 15 April 2024.
  15. ^ "The Mystery Writer by Sulari Gentill". National Library of Australia. Retrieved 13 July 2024.
  16. ^ "Pheasants Nest". AustLit: Discover Australian Stories. The University of Queensland. Retrieved 15 April 2024.
  17. ^ "Morphotrophic by Greg Egan". ISFDB. Retrieved 13 July 2024.
  18. ^ "Psyckhe by Kate Forsyth". Austlit. Retrieved 13 July 2024.
  19. ^ "The Briar Book of the Dead by Angela Slatter". Austlit. Retrieved 13 July 2024.
  20. ^ "Austlit — Deep is the Fen by Lili Wilkinson". Austlit. Retrieved 8 February 2024.
  21. ^ "Tintinnabulum". AustLit: Discover Australian Stories. The University of Queensland. Retrieved 9 October 2024.
  22. ^ "The Queen's Nanny". AustLit: Discover Australian Stories. The University of Queensland. Retrieved 19 October 2024.
  23. ^ "The Great Divide". AustLit: Discover Australian Stories. The University of Queensland. Retrieved 19 October 2024.
  24. ^ Ball, Philip (7 March 2024). "Deep Water by James Bradley review – what lies beneath". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 15 April 2024.
  25. ^ ""Alexis Wright wins $60,000 Melbourne literature prize"". Guardian, 14 November 2024. Retrieved 17 November 2024.
  26. ^ Mem: 7557520. "Pi-O wins 2024 Patrick White Literary Award | Books+Publishing". Retrieved 25 October 2024.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  27. ^ "Wright wins 2024 ALS Gold Medal". Books+Publishing. 8 July 2024. Retrieved 9 July 2024.
  28. ^ ""'Edenglassie' honoured with 2024 Roderick Literary Award"". James Cook University. Retrieved 22 October 2024.
  29. ^ a b c d e ""Indie Book Awards - Winners 2024"". Australian Independent Booksellers. 24 March 2024. Retrieved 2 April 2024.
  30. ^ Story, Hannah (20 May 2024). "Aboriginal poet wins $40,000 at major literary awards with 'profound' verse novel". ABC News. Retrieved 20 May 2024.
  31. ^ "Wright wins 2024 Stella Prize for 'Praiseworthy'". Books+Publishing. 2 May 2024. Retrieved 2 May 2024.
  32. ^ a b c d e f "Victorian Premier's Literary Awards 2024". Wheeler Centre. Retrieved 8 February 2024.
  33. ^ a b ""Tony Birch wins Book of the Year for timely novel about one of Australia's great challenges"". The Age, 8 May 2024. 8 May 2024. Retrieved 9 May 2024.
  34. ^ ""Melissa Lucashenko's novel Edenglassie wins $150,000 in book prizes in just 24 hours"". The Guardian, 23 October 2024. Retrieved 24 October 2024.
  35. ^ ""The Australian/Vogel's Award for Young Writers"". Allen & Unwin. Retrieved 14 June 2024.
  36. ^ Burke, Kelly (1 August 2024). "Alexis Wright wins second Miles Franklin prize for Praiseworthy". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 1 August 2024.
  37. ^ a b c d Burke, Kelly (12 September 2024). "Prime Minister's Literary awards 2024: Andre Dao wins $80,000 for debut novel Anam". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 12 September 2024.
  38. ^ Story, Hannah (20 May 2024). "Aboriginal poet wins $40,000 at major literary awards with 'profound' verse novel". ABC News. Retrieved 20 May 2024.
  39. ^ a b c d "Queensland Literary Awards 2024 winners announced". Books+Publishing. 6 September 2024. Retrieved 6 September 2024.
  40. ^ "CBCA Book of the Year 2024 winners announced". Books+Publishing. 16 August 2024. Retrieved 24 August 2024.
  41. ^ a b c d Story, Hannah (20 May 2024). "Aboriginal poet wins $40,000 at major literary awards with 'profound' verse novel". ABC News. Retrieved 20 May 2024.
  42. ^ "WA Premier's Book Awards 2024 winners announced". Books+Publishing. 11 June 2024. Retrieved 24 June 2024.
  43. ^ "Davitt Awards 2024 winners announced". Books+Publishing. 2 September 2024. Retrieved 13 September 2024.
  44. ^ ""Ned Kelly Awards 2024 Winners Announced"". Books+Publishing. Retrieved 29 September 2024.
  45. ^ "National Biography Award". State Library of New South Wales. 21 May 2020.
  46. ^ "NSW Premier's History Awards 2024 winners announced". Books+Publishing. 9 September 2024. Retrieved 12 September 2024.
  47. ^ "Winners announced for 2024 NSW Premier's History Awards". State Library of New South Wales. 6 September 2024.
  48. ^ ""Saleh wins Anne Elder Award 2023"". Books+Publishing, 17 June 2024. Retrieved 18 June 2024.
  49. ^ "Hogan wins Mary Gilmore Award, Priest wins Magarey Medal". Books+Publishing. 11 July 2024. Retrieved 17 July 2024.
  50. ^ "Obituary: David Hansen". AAANZ. 4 March 2024. Retrieved 21 May 2024.
  51. ^ ""Indigenous leader Lowitja O'Donoghue dies aged 91"". The Age, 4 February 2024. 4 February 2024. Retrieved 8 February 2024.
  52. ^ Dooley, Gillian (21 February 2024). "Marion Halligan was a woman of great warmth and generosity, and a consummate novelist". The Conversation. Retrieved 24 February 2024.
  53. ^ "Ian John HEADS Death Notice". The Sydney Morning Herald. 6 April 2024. Retrieved 20 May 2024.
  54. ^ Curthoys, Ann (1 May 2024). "Lyndall Ryan's impact on Australian history research will be felt for many years to come". The Guardian. Retrieved 20 May 2024. She died on Tuesday, aged 81.
  55. ^ "Lyndall Ryan Death Notice". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 20 May 2024.
  56. ^ Quekett, Malcolm (10 May 2024). "Hugh Edwards was a shipwreck hunter, author and maritime history expert". The West Australian. Retrieved 21 May 2024.
  57. ^ Cuthbertson, Debbie (26 July 2024). "Summer of the Seventeenth Doll playwright Ray Lawler dies aged 103". WAtoday. Retrieved 26 July 2024.
  58. ^ Swain, Madeleine (2 September 2024). "Vale Jack Hibberd – great Australian playwright and author of Dimboola". Arts Hub. Retrieved 6 September 2024.
  59. ^ Kennelly, Hannah (5 October 2024). "Australian writer Barbara Blackman, who 'lived the poetry of life', dies at 95". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 5 October 2024. ...died peacefully on Friday