UQP titles shortlisted for the 2025 Prime Minister's Literary Awards.

Creative Australia has today revealed the shortlist for the 2025 Prime Minister's Literary Awards, the richest literary prize in the nation. The awards celebrate the exceptional talents of emerging and established 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 marks the third year Creative Australia has delivered the awards, following the release of the Australian Government's 2023 National Cultural Policy, Revive: a place for every story, a story for every place.

Newly appointed Director, Writing Australia Wenona Byrne said:

These awards celebrate the highest expression of literary excellence, and we warmly congratulate the shortlisted authors and illustrators on this recognition of their outstanding work.

This year marks the first delivery of the Prime Minister's Literary Awards under Writing Australia. The Awards are a key part of our commitment to supporting the literature sector, and we are proud to celebrate these works as part of a new era in Australian writing.

Creative Australia received a remarkable 645 entries across six literary categories: fiction, non-fiction, young adult literature, children's literature, poetry, and Australian history.

Congratulations to the following UQP authors on their nominations across various categories.

Nominated in the fiction category:

Always Will Beby Mykaela Saunders

Nominated in Poetry:

The Other Side of Daylight: New and Selected Poems by David Brooks

and nominated in Childrens Literature:

Leo & Ralphby Peter Carnavas

See the full shortlist here.

Congratulations again to Mykaela, David and Peter.