2023 in Australian literature

This is a list of historical events and publications of Australian literature during 2023.

Events

  • July: Publisher Hachette Australia withdraws from publication the book titled Special Operations Group by Christophe Glasl after Victoria Police expressed concerns about the accuracy of the book[1]
  • December: Yumna Kassab is announced as inaugural Parramatta Laureate of Literature for 2024[2]

Major publications

Literary fiction

Children's and Young Adult fiction

Short story collections

Crime and mystery

Science fiction and fantasy

Poetry

Non-Fiction

Drama

Awards and honours

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

Lifetime achievement

Award Author
Patrick White Award[59] Alex Skovron

Literary

Award Author Title Publisher
ALS Gold Medal[60] Debra Dank We Come With This Place Echo Publishing
Colin Roderick Award[61] Sarah Holland-Batt The Jaguar University of Queensland Press
Indie Book Awards Book of the Year[62] Craig Silvey Runt Allen & Unwin
New South Wales Premier's Literary Awards[63] Debra Dank We Come With This Place Echo Publishing
Stella Prize[64] Sarah Holland-Batt The Jaguar University of Queensland Press
Victorian Premier's Literary Awards[65][66] Jessica Au Cold Enough for Snow Giramondo Publishing

Fiction

Award Author Title Publisher
Adelaide Festival Awards for Literature[67] Not awarded
The Age Book of the Year[68] Robbie Arnott Limberlost Text Publishing
ARA Historical Novel Prize[69] Gail Jones Salonika Burning Text Publishing
The Australian/Vogel Literary Award[70] Anna McGahan Immaculate Allen & Unwin
Barbara Jefferis Award[71] Not awarded
Indie Book Awards Book of the Year – Fiction[62] Geraldine Brooks Horse Viking Books
Indie Book Awards Book of the Year – Debut Fiction[62] Tracey Lien All That's Left Unsaid HQ Fiction
Miles Franklin Award[72] Shankari Chandran Chai Time at Cinnamon Gardens Ultimo Press
Prime Minister's Literary Awards[73] Jessica Au Cold Enough for Snow Giramondo
New South Wales Premier's Literary Awards[74] Katerina GIbson Women I Know Scribner
Queensland Literary Awards[75] Alexis Wright Praiseworthy Giramondo
Victorian Premier's Literary Awards[65][66] Jessica Au Cold Enough for Snow Giramondo
Voss Literary Prize[76] Robbie Arnott Limberlost Text Publishing

Children and Young Adult

Award Category Author Title Publisher
ARA Historical Novel Prize[69] Children and Young Adult Amelia Mellor The Bookseller’s Apprentice Affirm Press
Children's Book of the Year Award[77] Older Readers Tom Taylor Neverlanders Penguin Random House
Younger Readers Craig Silvey Runt Allen & Unwin
Picture Book Zeno Sworder My Strange Shrinking Parents Thames & Hudson
Early Childhood Vikki Conley, illus. Max Hamilton Where the Lyrebird Lives Windy Hollow
Eve Pownall Award for Information Books Jess McGeachin DEEP: Delve into hidden words Welbeck Publishing
Indie Book Awards Book of the Year[62] Children's Craig Silvey Runt Allen & Unwin
Young Adult Holden Shepherd The Brink Text Publishing
Prime Minister's Literary Awards[73] Children's Jasmine Seymour Open Your Heart to Country Magabala Books
Young Adult Sarah Winifred Searle The Greatest Thing Allen & Unwin
New South Wales Premier's Literary Awards[74] Children's Corey Tutt and Blak Douglas The First Scientists Hardie Grant
Young People's Lystra Rose The Upwelling Hachette
Queensland Literary Awards[75] Children's Katrina Nannestad Waiting for the Storks ABC Books
Young Adult Biffy James Completely Normal (and Other Lies) Hardie Grant
Victorian Premier's Literary Awards[65][66] Young Adult Fiction Kate Murray We Who Hunt the Hollow Hardie Grant

Crime and Mystery

National

Award Category Author Title Publisher
Davitt Award[78] Novel Tracey Lien All That’s Left Unsaid HQ Fiction
Young adult novel Fleur Ferris Seven Days Puffin
Children's novel Charlie Archbold The Sugarcane Kids and the Red-Bottomed Boat Text Publishing
Non-fiction Megan Norris Out of the Ashes Simon and Schuster Australia
Debut Hayley Scrivenor Dirt Town Pan Macmillan
Readers' choice Vikki Petraitis The Unbelieved Allen & Unwin
Ned Kelly Award[79] Novel Jane Harper Exiles Pan Macmillan
First novel Shelley Burr Wake Hachette Australia
True crime Sandi Logan Betrayed Hachette Australia

Poetry

Award Author Title Publisher
Adelaide Festival Awards for Literature[67] Not awarded
Anne Elder Award[80](joint winners) Harry Reid Leave Me Alone Cordite
Theodore Ell Beginning In Sight RWP
Mary Gilmore Award[81] Harry Reid Leave Me Alone Cordite
Prime Minister's Literary Awards[73] Gavin Yuan Gao At the Altar of Touch UQP
New South Wales Premier's Literary Awards[74] Kim Cheng Boey The Singer and Other Poems Cordite
Judith Wright Calanthe Award for a Poetry Collection[75] Lionel Fogarty Harvest Lingo Giramondo
Victorian Premier's Literary Awards[65] Gavin Yuan Gao At the Altar of Touch UQP

Drama

Award Category Author Title Publisher
New South Wales Premier's Literary Awards[74] Script Del Kathryn Barton and Huna Amweero Blaze Causeway Films
Play Dylan Van Den Berg Whitefella Yella Tree Griffin Theatre Company & Currency Press
Victorian Premier's Literary Awards[65][66] John Harvey The Return Malthouse Theatre
Patrick White Playwrights' Award[82] Award Wendy Mocke Realish Melbourne Theatre Company
Fellowship Wesley Enoch

Non-Fiction

Award Category Author Title Publisher
Adelaide Festival Awards for Literature[67] Non-Fiction Not awarded
The Age Book of the Year[68] Non-Fiction Kim Mahood Wandering With Intent Scribe
Indie Book Awards Book of the Year[62] Non-Fiction Richard Fidler The Book of Roads And Kingdoms ABC Books
Illustrated Non-Fiction Damien Coulthard and Rebecca Sullivan First Nations Food Companion Murdoch Books
National Biography Award[83] Biography Ann-Marie Priest My Tongue Is My Own: A Life of Gwen Harwood La Trobe University Press / Black Inc.
Prime Minister's Literary Awards[73] Non-Fiction Sam Vincent My Father and Other Animals Black Inc.
New South Wales Premier's Literary Awards[74] Non-Fiction Debra Dank We Come With This Place Echo Publishing
New South Wales Premier's History Awards[84] Australian History Alan Atkinson Elizabeth and John: The Macarthurs of Elizabeth Farm NewSouth
Community and Regional History Ian Hodges He Belonged to Wagga: The Great War, the AIF and returned soldiers in an Australian country town ASP
General History Michael Laffan Under Empire: Muslim lives and loyalties across the Indian Ocean world, 1775–1945 Columbia University
Queensland Literary Awards[75] Non-Fiction Debra Dank We Come With This Place Echo Publishing
Victorian Premier's Literary Awards[65][66] Non-Fiction Eda Gunaydin Root & Branch: Essays on inheritance NewSouth

Deaths

See also

References

  1. ↑ Steger, Jason (10 July 2023). "Publisher pulls former cop's memoir after police raise doubts over accuracy". The Age. Retrieved 10 July 2023.
  2. ↑ Badger, Rosemary (9 December 2023). "Football, ice-cream and the best cafes for writing in to feature in author Yumna Kassab's 'dictionary of Parramatta'". ABC News. Retrieved 16 April 2024.
  3. ↑ "Only Sound Remains by Hossein Asgari". National Library of Australia. Retrieved 5 July 2024.
  4. ↑ "Wall by Jen Craig". National Library of Australia. Retrieved 5 July 2024.
  5. ↑ Curtis, Lauren Aimee (2023), Strangers at the port, Weidenfeld & Nicolson, ISBN 978-1-399-60817-6
  6. ↑ "Austlit — Lola in the Mirror by Trent Dalton". Austlit. Retrieved 14 March 2024.
  7. ↑ "The Bell of the World by Gregory Day". National Library of Australia. Retrieved 14 March 2024.
  8. ↑ Eckermann, Ali Cobby. "She is the earth : a verse novel". National Library of Australia. Retrieved 20 May 2024.
  9. ↑ "Austlit — Cellnight by John Kinsella". Austlit. Retrieved 14 March 2024.
  10. ↑ "Homecoming by Kate Morton". National Library of Australia. Retrieved 14 March 2024.
  11. ↑ "Sunbirds by Mirandi Riwoe". National Library of Australia. Retrieved 14 March 2024.
  12. ↑ "Hospital by Sanya Rushdi". National Library of Australia. Retrieved 5 July 2024.
  13. ↑ "The Vitals by Tracy Sorensen". National Library of Australia. Retrieved 14 March 2024.
  14. ↑ "Days of Innocence and Wonder". AustLit: Discover Australian Stories. The University of Queensland. Retrieved 19 May 2025.
  15. ↑ "The In-Between by Christos Tsiolkas". National Library of Australia. Retrieved 14 March 2024.
  16. ↑ "Prime Minister's Literary Awards 2024 shortlists announced". Books+Publishing. 15 August 2024. Retrieved 15 August 2024.
  17. ↑ "Prime Minister's Literary Awards 2024 shortlists announced". Books+Publishing. 15 August 2024. Retrieved 15 August 2024.
  18. 1 2 "Prime Minister's Literary Awards 2024 shortlists announced". Books+Publishing. 15 August 2024. Retrieved 15 August 2024.
  19. ↑ "Prime Minister's Literary Awards 2024 shortlists announced". Books+Publishing. 15 August 2024. Retrieved 15 August 2024.
  20. ↑ Wolfer, Dianne. "Scout and the rescue dogs". National Library of Australia. Retrieved 24 June 2024.
  21. ↑ "Gunflower by Laura Jean McKay". National Library of Australia. Retrieved 2 April 2024.
  22. ↑ "Creative Differences: And Other Stories by Graeme Simsion". National Library of Australia. Retrieved 2 April 2024.
  23. ↑ "Killer Traitor Spy by Tim Ayliffe". National Library of Australia. Retrieved 13 September 2024.
  24. ↑ "Dark Mode by Ashley Kalagian Blunt". National Library of Australia. Retrieved 13 September 2024.
  25. ↑ "Ripper by Shelley Burr". National Library of Australia. Retrieved 13 September 2024.
  26. ↑ "Fire With Fire by Candice Fox". National Library of Australia. Retrieved 22 March 2024.
  27. ↑ "Dark Corners by Megan Goldin". National Library of Australia. Retrieved 13 September 2024.
  28. ↑ "The Seven by Chris Hammer". National Library of Australia. Retrieved 21 March 2025.
  29. ↑ "The Tea Ladies by Amanda Hampson". National Library of Australia. Retrieved 13 September 2024.
  30. ↑ "Dead Tide by Fiona McIntosh". National Library of Australia. Retrieved 14 March 2024.
  31. ↑ "Everyone on This Train is a Suspect by Benjamin Stevenson". National Library of Australia. Retrieved 13 September 2024.
  32. ↑ "Ordinary Gods and Monsters by Chris Womersley". National Library of Australia. Retrieved 22 March 2024.
  33. ↑ "Like to the Lark by Stuart Barnes". National Library of Australia. Retrieved 22 March 2024.
  34. ↑ "Secret Third Thing by Dan Hogan". National Library of Australia. Retrieved 18 July 2024.
  35. ↑ "Harsh Hakea by John Kinsella". National Library of Australia. Retrieved 22 March 2024.
  36. ↑ "The Book of Falling by David McCooey". National Library of Australia. Retrieved 22 March 2024.
  37. ↑ "Prime Minister's Literary Awards 2024 shortlists announced". Books+Publishing. 15 August 2024. Retrieved 15 August 2024.
  38. ↑ "The Tour by Pi O". National Library of Australia. Retrieved 22 March 2024.
  39. ↑ "The flirtation of girls = Ghazal el-Banat by Sara M Saleh". National Library of Australia. Retrieved 17 May 2026.
  40. ↑ "Riverbed Sky Songs by Tais Rose Wae". National Library of Australia. Retrieved 18 July 2024.
  41. ↑ "Consent Laid Bare by Chanel Contos". National Library of Australia. Retrieved 2 April 2024.
  42. ↑ "Austlit — Unfinished Woman by Robyn Davidson". Austlit. Retrieved 2 April 2024.
  43. ↑ "Reckless by Marele Day". National Library of Australia. Retrieved 2 April 2024.
  44. ↑ "The Empty Honour Board by Martin Flanagan". National Library of Australia. Retrieved 2 April 2024.
  45. ↑ "I Don't by Clementine Ford". National Library of Australia. Retrieved 2 April 2024.
  46. ↑ "My Life as a Jew by Michael Gawenda". National Library of Australia. Retrieved 2 April 2024.
  47. ↑ "The Queen is Dead by Stan Grant". National Library of Australia. Retrieved 2 April 2024.
  48. ↑ "Aphrodite's Breath by Susan Johnson". National Library of Australia. Retrieved 2 April 2024.
  49. ↑ Kenneally, Christine. "Ghosts of the orphanage : a story of murder, a conspiracy of silence and a search for justice". National Library of Australia. Retrieved 20 May 2024.
  50. ↑ "On Peter Carey by Sarah Krasnostein". National Library of Australia. Retrieved 2 April 2024.
  51. ↑ "Killing for Country by David Marr". National Library of Australia. Retrieved 2 April 2024.
  52. ↑ "Life So Full of Promise by Ross McMullin". National Library of Australia. Retrieved 9 May 2024.
  53. ↑ "Big Mouth by Matt Preston". National Library of Australia. Retrieved 2 April 2024.
  54. ↑ "Courting by Alecia Simmonds". Good Reading. November 2023. Retrieved 6 September 2024.
  55. ↑ "Tanya Plibersek: On Her Own Terms by Margaret Simons". National Library of Australia. Retrieved 2 April 2024.
  56. ↑ "Political Lives by Christine Wallace". National Library of Australia. Retrieved 2 April 2024.
  57. ↑ Brown, Nicholas (2023), Sex magick, Currency Press, ISBN 978-1-76062-815-4
  58. ↑ "Julia". AustLit: Discover Australian Stories. The University of Queensland. Retrieved 19 October 2024.
  59. ↑ "Skovron wins 2023 Patrick White Award". Books+Publishing. 23 October 2023. Retrieved 26 October 2023.
  60. ↑ "ALS Gold Medal — Previous Winners". Association for the Study of Australian Literature. Retrieved 12 January 2024.
  61. ↑ "Colin Roderick Award 2023 Long and Short Lists". www.jcu.edu.au. 6 October 2023. Retrieved 13 January 2024.
  62. 1 2 3 4 5 ""Indie Book Awards - Winners 2023"". Australian Independent Booksellers. Retrieved 11 March 2024.
  63. ↑ Dow, Steve (22 May 2023). "'Significantly shocking': debut author Debra Dank breaks records at NSW premier's literary awards". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 22 May 2023.
  64. ↑ "Holland-Batt wins 2023 Stella Prize for 'The Jaguar'". Books+Publishing. 28 April 2023. Retrieved 27 April 2023.
  65. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "Victorian Premier's Literary Awards 2023". The Wheeler Centre. 2023. Retrieved 12 August 2025.
  66. 1 2 3 4 5 "Au wins 2023 Victorian Prize for Literature at VPLAs". Books+Publishing. 2 February 2023. Retrieved 6 February 2023.
  67. 1 2 3 "Adelaide Festival Awards for Literature – Past Literary Award Winners". State Library of South Australia. Retrieved 18 April 2024.
  68. 1 2 ""'He has produced a gem': An ode to humble Australians wins The Age Book of the Year"". The Age, 4 May 2023. 4 May 2023. Retrieved 31 January 2024.
  69. 1 2 ""The 2023 ARA Historical Novel Prize"". Historical Novel Society Australasia. Retrieved 26 September 2024.
  70. ↑ "'Immaculate' wins 2023 Vogel". Books+Publishing. 16 June 2023. Retrieved 11 January 2024.
  71. ↑ ""Barbara Jefferis Award"". Australian Society of Authors. Retrieved 20 January 2024.
  72. ↑ Burke, Kelly (25 July 2023). "Shankari Chandran wins 2023 Miles Franklin award for Chai Time at Cinnamon Gardens". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 25 July 2023.
  73. 1 2 3 4 Howard, Alexander (16 November 2023). "The revamped Prime Minister's Literary Awards reward 'fresh ways of seeing' in 2023". The Conversation. Retrieved 16 November 2023.
  74. 1 2 3 4 5 Jefferson, Dee (22 May 2023). "One book just won a record four out of 14 prizes at $350,000 NSW literary awards". ABC News. Retrieved 22 May 2023.
  75. 1 2 3 4 "Winners of the 2023 Queensland Literary Awards announced". Media statements. Queensland Government. 5 September 2023. Retrieved 6 September 2023.
  76. ↑ ""Winner 2023"". The Voss Literary Prize. Retrieved 19 May 2025.
  77. ↑ "CBCA Book of the Year Awards 2023 winners announced". Books+Publishing. 18 August 2023. Retrieved 19 August 2023.
  78. ↑ "Davitt Awards 2023 winners announced". Books+Publishing. 4 September 2023. Retrieved 13 January 2024.
  79. ↑ "Ned Kelly Awards 2022 winners announced". Books+Publishing. 29 August 2022. Retrieved 8 January 2023.
  80. ↑ "Reid, Ell win 2022 Anne Elder Award". Books+Publishing. 11 May 2023. Retrieved 11 May 2023.
  81. ↑ "Mary Gilmore Award". Association for the Study of Australian Literature. Retrieved 5 February 2024.
  82. ↑ ""Patrick White Playwrights' Award – Past Winners"". Sydney Theatre Company. Retrieved 25 December 2025.
  83. ↑ "National Biography Award". State Library of NSW. 21 May 2020. Retrieved 9 August 2023.
  84. ↑ "NSW Premier's History Awards 2023 winners announced". Books+Publishing. 8 September 2023. Retrieved 3 October 2023.
  85. ↑ "Vale Gabrielle Williams". Books+Publishing. 25 January 2023. Retrieved 3 March 2023.
  86. ↑ "Portia ROBINSON AM PhD Death Notice - Sydney, New South Wales | Sydney Morning Herald". tributes.smh.com.au.
  87. ↑ "Lee Harding". Austlit. Retrieved 19 June 2023.
  88. ↑ "John Tranter Death Notice - Sydney, New South Wales". tributes.smh.com.au. Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 25 April 2023.
  89. ↑ Runciman, Caleb (22 April 2023). "Barry Humphries: Australian comedic legend dies aged 89". The West Australian. Retrieved 22 April 2023.
  90. ↑ "Probate Notice: Gabrielle Carey". NSW Probate Index. 4 May 2023 – via Ryerson Index.
  91. ↑ "Andrew Burke". AustLit: Discover Australian Stories. The University of Queensland. Retrieved 19 February 2024.
  92. ↑ Roberts, Mark (4 July 2023). "Vale Ron Pretty". Rochford Street Review. Retrieved 6 July 2023.
  93. ↑ "Elizabeth Webby". AustLit: Discover Australian Stories. The University of Queensland. Retrieved 8 August 2023.
  94. ↑ Adelaide former talkback host and poet Nan Witcomb dies aged 95 (subscription required)
  95. ↑ "SPENDER, Dale – Death Notices". My Tributes – The Courier-Mail. 25 November 2023. Retrieved 26 November 2023.
  96. ↑ "Director Michael Blakemore Dies at 95". Playbill. 13 December 2023.
  97. ↑ "Vale Shirley Barber". Books+Publishing. 13 December 2023. Retrieved 13 December 2023.
  98. ↑ "Australian journalist and documentary filmmaker John Pilger dies aged 84". ITVX. 31 December 2023. Retrieved 31 December 2023.
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