South Australian Literary Awards

The South Australian Literary Awards celebrate outstanding writers and literary achievement across Australia while championing South Australian voices and stories. Through a range of prizes and fellowships, the Awards recognise emerging and established writers across multiple genres and contribute to a vibrant literary culture.

Presented biennially by the State Library of South Australia, the Awards include three fellowships for South Australian writers, helping to nurture local talent and strengthen the state's literary community.

The Awards are made possible through the support of the Government of South Australia through CreateSA, together with valued partners Writers SA, Wakefield Press, Carclew and State Theatre South Australia.

Winners of the 2026 South Australian Literary Awards will be announced on Thursday 5 November 2026.

Celebrating the 2024 winners

As we announce the shortlist for the 2026 South Australian Literary Awards, we reflect on the exceptional writers and works recognised in 2024, a year that marked an exciting new chapter for the Awards.

Premier's Award

National award offered from 1996

• 2024 - Childhood, Shannon Burns (Text Publishing)
• 2022 - The Yield, Tara June Winch (Penguin Random House)
• 2020 - Nevermoor: The Trials of Morrigan Crow, Jessica Townsend (Hachette Australia)
• 2018 - The Last Garden by Eva Hornung (SA) (Text Publishing)
• 2016 - Figgy in the World by Tamsin Janu (Omnibus Books)
• 2014 - Cold Light by Frank Moorhouse (Vintage Books)
• 2012 - That Deadman Dance by Kim Scott (Picador)
• 2010 - Tales from Outer Suburbia by Shaun Tan (Allen and Unwin)
• 2008 - Urban Myths: 210 Poems by John Tranter (University of Queensland Press)
• 2006 - Sixty Lights by Gail Jones (Vintage Books)
• 2004 - Wild Surmise by Dorothy Porter (Picador)
• 2002 - True History of the Kelly Gang by Peter Carey (University of Queensland Press)
• 2000 - Mr Darwin’s Shooter by Roger McDonald (Vintage Books)
• 1998 - The Drowner by Robert Drewe (Pan MacMillan)
• 1996 - The Future Eaters by Tim Flannery (Reed Books)

Fiction Award

National award offered from 1986

• 2024 - Permafrost, SJ Norman (University of Queensland Press)
• 2022 - The Yield, Tara June Winch (Penguin Random House)
• 2020 - The Death of Noah Glass, Gail Jones (The Text Publishing Company)
• 2018 - The Last Garden by Eva Hornung (SA) (Text Publishing)
• 2016 - To Name Those Lost by Rohan Wilson (Allen & Unwin)
• 2014 - Cold Light by Frank Moorhouse (Vintage Books)
• 2012  - That Deadman Dance by Kim Scott (Picador)
• 2010 - Ransom by David Malouf (Knopf/Random House)
• 2008 - The Ballad of Desmond Kale by Roger McDonald (Vintage)
• 2006 - Sixty Lights by Gail Jones (Vintage Books)
• 2004 - Moral Hazard by Kate Jennings (Picador)
• 2002 - True History of the Kelly Gang by Peter Carey (University of Queensland Press)
• 2000 - Mr Darwin’s Shooter by Roger McDonald (Vintage Books)
• 1998 - The Drowner by Robert Drewe (Pan MacMillan)
• 1996 - Death of a River Guide by Richard Flanagan (McPhee Gribble/Penguin)
• 1994 - Grand Days by Frank Moorhouse (William Heinemann Australia)
• 1992 - The Great World by David Malouf (Chatto & Windus)
• 1990 - Oscar and Lucinda by Peter Carey (UQP)
• 1988 - Julia Paradise by Rod Jones (McPhee Gribble)
• 1986 - The Children’s Bach by Helen Garner (McPhee Gribble)

Non-Fiction Award

National award offered from 1986

• 2024 - Childhood, Shannon Burns (Text Publishing)
• 2022 - Olive Cotton: A Life of Photography, Helen Ennis (HarperCollins Publishers)
• 2020 - The Bible in Australia: A cultural history, Meredith Lake (NewSouth Publishing)
• 2018 - The Boy Behind the Curtain by Tim Winton (WA) (Penguin Books Australia)
• 2016 - What Days Are For by Robert Dessaix (Random House Australia)
• 2014 - Madness: A Memoir by Kate Richards (Viking/Penguin)
• 2012 - An Eye for Eternity: The Life of Manning Clark by Mark McKenna (The Miegunyah Press)
• 2010 - Stella Miles Franklin by Jill Roe (Fourth Estate/Harper Collins)
• 2008 - Sunrise West by Jacob G Rosenberg (Brandl & Schlesinger)
• 2006 - Velocity by Mandy Sayer (Vintage)
• 2004 - Unearthed: The Aboriginal Tasmanians of Kangaroo Island by Rebe Taylor (Wakefield Press)
• 2002 - Leviathan: the unauthorised biography of Sydney by John Birmingham (Random House)
• 2000 - Joint winners:Throwim Way Leg: An Adventure by Tim Flannery (Text Publishing Company)The Devil and James McAuley by Cassandra Pybus (University of  Queensland Press)
• 1998 - Claiming a Continent: A History of Australia by David Day (HarperCollins)
• 1996 - The Future Eaters by Tim Flannery (Reed Books)
• 1994 - Sort of a Place Like Home: Remembering the Moore River Native Settlement by Susan Maushart (Fremantle Arts Centre Press)
• 1992 - Patrick White – A Life by David Marr (Random House Australia)
• 1990 - Satura by John Bray (Wakefield Press)
• 1988 - The Myriad Faces of War by Trevor Wilson (Polity/Blackwells)
• 1986 - A History of Prince Alfred College by R M Gibbs (Peacock Publications)

Children's Literature Award

National award offered from 1986

• 2024 - Scar Town, Tristan Bancks (Penguin Random House Australia)
• 2022 - We are Wolves, Katrina Nannestad (HarperCollins Publishers)
• 2020 - Nevermoor: The Trials of Morrigan Crow, Jessica Townsend (Hachette Australia)
• 2018 - Dragonfly Song by Wendy Orr (NSW) (Allen & Unwin)
• 2012  - Taj and the Great Camel Trek by Rosanne Hawke (University of Queensland)
• 2010 - Tales from Outer Suburbia by Shaun Tan (Allen and Unwin)
• 2008 - Don't Call Me Ishmael! by Michael Gerard Bauer (Omnibus Scholastic)
• 2006 - It’s Not All About You, Calma! by Barry Jonsberg (Allen and Unwin)
• 2004 - Abyssinia by Ursula Dubosarsky (Viking Penguin)
• 2002 - Lirael by Garth Nix (Harper Collins)
• 2000 - Deadly, Unna? by Phillip Gwynne (Puffin Penguin)
• 1998 - The Listmaker by Robin Klein (Viking Penguin)
• 1996 - The Third Day, The Frost by John Marsden (Pan MacMillan Australia)
• 1994 - Angel’s Gate by Gary Crew (William Heinemann Australia)
• 1992 - The House Guest by Eleanor Nilsson (Viking Penguin)
• 1990 - Beyond the Labyrinth by Gillian Rubinstein (Hyland House)
• 1988 - Space Demons by Gillian Rubinstein (Omnibus Books)
• 1986 - The Long Night Watch by Ivan Southall (Methuen)

Young Adult Fiction Award

National award offered from 2012

• 2024 - Completely normal (and other lies), Biffy James (Hardie Grant Publishing)
• 2022 - The Gaps, Leanne Hall (Text Publishing)
• 2020 - Small Spaces, Sarah Epstein (Walker Books Australia)
• 2018 - My Sister Rosa by Justine Larbalestier (NSW) (Allen & Unwin)
• 2016 - Are You Seeing Me? by Darren Groth (Random House Australia)
• 2014 - Friday Brown by Vikki Wakefield (Text Publishing)
• 2012 - All I Ever Wanted by Vikki Wakefield (Text Publishing)

John Bray Poetry Award

National award offered from 1986

• 2024 - At the altar of touch, Gavin Yuan Gao (University of Queensland Press)
• 2022 - Fifteeners, Jodie Albiston (Puncher & Wattmann)
• 2020 - Archival-Poetics, Natalie Harkin (Vagabond Press)
• 2018 - Missing up by Pam Brown (NSW) (Vagabond Press)
• 2016 - Waiting for the Past by Les Murray (Black Inc.)
• 2014 - The Sunlit Zone by Lisa Jacobson (5 Islands Press)
• 2012 - Taller When Prone by Les Murray (Black Inc.)
• 2010 - The Other Way Out by Bronwyn Lea (Giramondo poets)
• 2008 - Urban Myths: 210 Poems by John Tranter (University of Queensland Press)
• 2006 - Totem by Luke Davies (Allen Unwin)
• 2004 - Wild Surmise by Dorothy Porter (Picador)
• 2002 - Around Here by Cath Kenneally (Wakefield Press)
• 2000 - The Harbour by Dimitris Tsaloumas (UQP)
• 1998 - The Blue Cloud of Crying by Peter Boyle (Hale & Ironmonger)
• 1996 - The Silo: A Pastoral Symphony by John Kinsella (Fremantle Arts Centre Press)
• 1994 - Between Glances by Andrew Lansdown (Fremantle Arts Centre Press)
• 1992 - Last Poems by Vincent Buckley (McPhee Gribble)
• 1990 - Bone Scan by Gwen Harwood (Angus & Robertson)
• 1988 - The Daylight Moon by Les A Murray (Angus & Robertson)
• 1986 - Selected Poems - 1963–1983 by Robert Gray (Angus & Robertson)

Jill Blewett Playwright's Award

South Australian award offered from 1992

• 2024 - Paradise Lost, Melissa-Kelly Franklin
• 2022 - Calendar Days, Peter Beaglehole 
• 2020 - Forgiveness, Piri Eddy
• 2018 - 19 weeks by Emily Steel
• 2016 - Cut by Duncan Graham AND Blessed by Fleur Kilpatrick (joint winners)
• 2014 - Replay by Philip Kavanagh
• 2012 - A Cathedral by Nicki Bloom
• 2010 - This Place by Nina Pearce
• 2008 - Merger - art, life and the other thing by Duncan Graham
• 2006 - This Uncharted Hour by Finegan Kruckemeyer
• 2004 - Beautiful Words: A Trilogy by Sean Riley
• 2002 - Small Faith by Josh Tyler
• 2000 - Who’s Afraid of the Working Class? by Andrew Bovell, Patricia Cornelius, Melissa Reeves & Christos Tsiolkas
• 1998 - Wolf Lullaby by Hilary Bell
• 1996 - Because You Are Mine by Daniel Keene
• 1994 - Sweetown by Melissa Reeves
• 1992 - Bran Nue Dae by Jimmy Chi 

Arts South Australia Wakefield Press Unpublished Manuscript Award

South Australian award offered from 1998

• 2024 - Salt upon the water, Lyn Dickens
• 2022 - The Comforting Weight of Water, Roanna McClelland
• 2020 - In the Room with the She Wolf, Jelena Dinic
• 2018 - A New Name for the Colour Blue by Annette Marner
• 2016 - Mallee Boys by Charlie Archbold
• 2014 - Here Where We Live by Cassie Flanagan-Willanski
• 2012 - The First Week by Margaret Merilees
• 2010 - End of the Night Girl by Amy T Matthews
• 2008 - The Second Fouling Mark by Stephen Orr
• 2006 - The Quakers by Rachel Hennessy
• 2004 - Goddamn Bus of Happiness by Stefan Laszczuk
• 2002 - The Black Dream by Corrie Hosking
• 2000 - No winner
• 1998 - Counting The Rivers by Pearlie McNeil

Tangkanungku Pintyanthi Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Fellowship

South Australian award offered from 2014

• 2024 - Alexis West for Monologues, poems and ramblings for you, them, us… and me…
• 2022 - Karen Wyld for Lovely's Valley
• 2020 - no applications received
• 2018 - Edoardo Crismani
• 2016 - Ali Cobby Eckermann for Too Afraid to Cry
• 2014 - Ali Cobby Eckermann for Hopes Crossing

Barbara Hanrahan Fellowship

South Australian award offered from 1994

• 2024 - Molly Murn
• 2022 - Rachael Mead
• 2020 - Aidan Coleman
• 2018 - Jude Aquilina
• 2016 - Carol Lefevre
• 2014 - Jennifer Mills
• 2012 - Nicki Bloom
• 2010 - Patrick Allington
• 2008 - Steve Evans
• 2006 - Mike Ladd
• 2004 - Kirsty Brooks
• 2002 - Graham Rowlands
• 2000 - Jan Owen
• 1998 - Cath Kenneally
• 1996 - Moya Costello
• 1994 - Barry Westburg

Max Fatchen Fellowship

South Australian award offered from 1988

• 2024 - James A Cooper
• 2022 - Poppy Nwosu
• 2020 - Sally Heinrich
• 2018 - Danielle Clode
• 2016 - Marianne Musgrove
• 2014 - Helen Dinmore
• 2012 - Janeen Brian
• 2010 - Nicole Plüss
• 2008 - Rosanne Hawke
• 2006 - Christine Harris
• 2004 - Marguerite Hann-Syme
• 2002 - Ruth Starke
• 2000 - Ian Bone
• 1998 - Phil Cummings
• 1996 - Chris Tugwell
• 1994 - Peter McFarlane
• 1992 - Anne Brookman
• 1990 - Anne-Marie Mykyta
• 1988 - Geoff Goodfellow

The Mayne Award for multimedia - formerly the Faulding Award for Multimedia

Award offered from 1998 to 2004

• 2004 - Concatenation by Geniwate
• 2002 - Poems in a Flash @ The Stalking Tongue website Jayne Fenton Keane and David Keane
• 2000 - Carrier by Melinda Rackham
• 1998 - FlightPaths: Writing Journeys by Julie Clarke, Rob Finlayson, Tom Gibson, Denise Higgins, Berni M Janssen, Nazid Kimmie and Adrian Marshall

Innovation Award

Award offered from 2004 to 2010

• 2010 - Barley Patch by Gerald Murnane (Giramondo)
• 2008 - Someone Else: Fictional Essays by John Hughes (Giramondo)
• 2006 - <More or Less> 1-100 by MTC Cronin (Shearsman Books)
• 2004 - The Eastern Slope Chronicle by Ouyang Yu (Brandl and Schlesinger)