2024 South Australian Literary Awards Winners

Congratulations to Gavin Yuan Gao and SJ Norman on their respective wins at the 2024 South Australian Literary Awards. ⁠

SJ Norman won the Fiction Award for his short story collection, Permafrostand Gavin Yuan Gao won the John Bray Poetry Award for their collection At the Altar of Touch.

Permafrost

In this haunting collection of sharp, sombre short stories, award-winning writer, artist, and curator SJ Norman delves into themes of isolation, loss, and yearning. Each tale immerses the reader in vivid, sensory worlds, inviting them to explore the depth of human experience.

Judges' comments,

"Permafrostimmediately captures attention and lingers after reading in fragments, shadows, and phrases."

At the Altar of Touch

This sophisticated, impressive and rich collection of poetry unpacks the complexity of family, grief, and cross-cultural and queer identity. Gavin Yuan Gao blends the deeply personal and with Chinese history through stunning imagery and language.

Judges' comments,

"Poised and accessible, his work navigates history and the present with remarkable maturity and elegance."

The South Australian Literary Awards, which are held biennially are managed by The State Library of South Australia and formerly known as the Adelaide Festival Awards for Literature.⁠⁠ The South Australian Literary Awards celebrates South Australia's diverse writing culture by offering national and state-based literary prizes across a range of genres. Three fellowships for South Australian writers are included, highlighting the importance of unique local writers, supporting the literary community, and contributing to public engagement with literature.

Congratulations to all nominated UQP authors, including Zana Fraillon, whose verse novel The Way of Dogwas shortlisted for the Children's Literature Award and Ellen van Neerven, whose non-fiction Personal Scorewas shortlisted for the Non-Fiction Award at the 2024 South Australian Literary Awards.