2026 ABIA winner for Small Publishers’ Adult Book of the Year

We're excited to announce that the 2026 Australian Book Industry Awards winner for Small Publishers’ Adult Book of the Year is The Rotby the incredible Evelyn Araluen.

In the eyes of the judges, The Rot is “not just a poetry book” but an outstanding showcase of new ways of writing. Selling nearly 5000 copies since its November release, and driven by strong bookseller support, national events and critical acclaim, The Rot is a commercial and cultural success story.

The Australian Book Industry Awards celebrate the achievements of authors and publishers in bringing Australian books to readers. The first award winners were announced in 2001, making last year the 25th year of celebration!

"The Awards are our way of saying hooray to the successes in making books and being in the book business."

The 25 winners were selected by an experienced cohort of highly-respected publishers, booksellers, agents and media and industry representatives, with winning titles presenting a significant contribution to their respective genre or category.

The Australian Book Industry Awards are judged by 9 different specialist panels, comprising over 50 judges with expertise across the Australian book industry. This includes a specialist panel for all adult book categories, children’s book categories, retail categories, and individual panels for all other categories including the business awards and audiobook of the year award.

Read more about the ABIA awards here.