Evelyn Araluen's 'The Rot' Shortlisted for the Stella Prize!

We are thrilled to announce that Evelyn Araluen’s⁠ 'The Rot' has been shortlisted for the Stella Prize! Following on from its big wins at the VPLAs, this is another incredible achievement.

The winner of the Stella Prize will be awarded $60,000. Shortlisted authors will each receive $5,000 and longlisted authors will each receive $2,000. The Stella Prize is a beloved and well-respected annual literary prize awarded to the most excellent, original and outstanding book written by an Australian woman or non-binary writer.

The winner will be announced on 13 May 2026.

Stella is the major voice for gender equity and cultural change in Australian literature. Founded in 2012, the organisation’s flagship program is the annual Stella Prize – a major literary award celebrating Australian women and non-binary writing.

Stella also delivers a suite of year-round initiatives which actively champion Australian women writers, tackle gender bias in the literary sector, and connect outstanding books with readers.

Congratulations Evelyn! To learn more about the shortlisting click here and to learn more about Evelyn's vulnerable, powerful work click here.