Creative Australia has today announced the 2023 Prime Minister’s Literary Awards shortlists, which recognise and celebrate the outstanding literary talents of established and emerging Australian writers, illustrators, poets and historians.
The Prime Minister’s Literary Awards acknowledge the contribution of Australian literature to the nation’s cultural and intellectual life. This is the first year that the awards have been delivered by Creative Australia, following the release of the Australian Government’s 2023 National Cultural Policy, Revive: a place for every story a story for every place.
643 entries were received across six literary categories: fiction, non-fiction, young adult literature, children’s literature, poetry, and Australian history. The winners and shortlisted authors will share in a tax-free prize pool of $600,000 – the highest literary prize in the nation. Each shortlisted entry will receive $5,000 with the winner of each category receiving $80,000. Expert judging panels have carefully considered entries for the awards and have made the final decision regarding the shortlists.
Winners of the 2023 Prime Minister’s Literary Awards will be announced on Thursday 16 November at the National Library of Australia in Canberra.
On the importance of the event in the literary landscape, Creative Australia CEO Adrian Collette AM said “It’s crucial that we celebrate the achievements of our writers and illustrators in producing work that allows us to reflect on and explore issues affecting all Australians. Literature is at the heart of our understanding of our place in the world, and I’m delighted to be able to acknowledge the contributions of these exceptional artists and thinkers.”
The Prime Minister’s Literary Awards were established in 2008 to recognise individual excellence and the contribution that Australian authors make to the nation’s cultural and intellectual life. Initially with two categories of non-fiction and fiction, in 2010 the young adult and children’s literature categories were introduced, with the addition of the poetry category in 2012 and the incorporation of the pre-existing Prime Minister’s Prize for Australian History. Previous winners of the award include Michelle de Kretser, Tara June Winch, Omar Sakr, Gerald Murnane, Nam Le, and Judith Brett.
