The Times Australia
Mirvac Harbourside
The Times Australia
.

Prime Minister's literary awards shortlists announced for 2021

  • Written by Scott Morrison

The 2021 Prime Minister's Literary Awards shortlists capture the full diversity and range of Australia’s vibrant literary sector.

The shortlists have been announced today by Prime Minister Scott Morrison and Minister for Communications, Urban Infrastructure, Cities and the Arts Paul Fletcher.

The Awards acknowledge the significant contribution literature, history and poetry have in connecting us to Australian voices and our story as a nation.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison said this year’s shortlists celebrated Australia’s talented literary sector in a year when so many Australians turned to reading.

“Australia’s storytellers and historians have provided a place for reflection as we have faced the ongoing challenges of the pandemic,” the Prime Minister said.

“That’s the power of our literature and the stories being told. Congratulations to everyone shortlisted, and thank you to the judges.”

Minister Fletcher said the 2021 shortlists highlight the exceptional talent of Australian writers.

“This year’s shortlists have captured diverse voices that make up Australia’s talented literary community,” Minister Fletcher said.

“Our writers, poets, historians and illustrators have continued to produce works of literary excellence, making the judging for this year’s shortlist incredibly difficult. We received more than 470 entries, and our judges had the difficult task of selecting 30 books.

“Congratulations to the shortlisted authors and thank you to the judges for their expertise and commitment.”

Winners of the 2021 Prime Minister’s Literary Awards will be announced in December.

For more information on the shortlists, including judging panel comments, visit: www.arts.gov.au/pm-literary-awards/current-awards

The 2021 Prime Minister’s Literary Awards shortlists are:

Fiction

  • A Treacherous Country, K.M. Kruimink, Allen & Unwin
  • In the Time of Foxes, Jo Lennan, Simon & Schuster: Scribner Australia
  • Lucky’s, Andrew Pippos, Pan Macmillan: Picador Australia
  • The Bass Rock, Evie Wyld, Penguin Random House: Vintage
  • The Labyrinth, Amanda Lohrey, Text Publishing

 

Non-fiction

  • Flight Lines: Across the Globe on a Journey with the Astonishing Ultramarathon Birds, Andrew Darby, Allen & Unwin
  • The Altar Boys, Suzanne Smith, HarperCollins Publishing: ABC Books
  • The Details: On Love, Death and Reading, Tegan Bennett Daylight, Simon & Schuster: Scribner Australia
  • The Stranger Artist: Life at the Edge of Kimberley Painting, Quentin Sprague, Hardie Grant Publishing
  • Truganini: Journey Through the Apocalypse, Cassandra Pybus, Allen & Unwin

 

Australian history

  • Ceremony Men: Making Ethnography and the Return of the Strehlow Collection, Jason M. Gibson, State University of New York Press
  • Pathfinders: A History of Aboriginal Trackers in NSW,  Michael Bennett, NewSouth Publishing
  • People of the River: Lost Worlds of Early Australia, Grace Karskens, Allen & Unwin
  • Representing Australian Aboriginal Music and Dance 1930-1970, Amanda Harris, Bloomsbury Publishing
  • The Convict Valley: The Bloody Struggle on Australia's Early Frontier, Mark Dunn, Allen & Unwin

 

Poetry

  • Change Machine, Jaya Savige, University of Queensland Press
  • Homer Street, Laurie Duggan, Giramondo Publishing
  • Nothing to Declare, Mags Webster, Puncher & Wattmann
  • Shorter Lives, John A. Scott, Puncher & Wattmann
  • The Strangest Place, New and Selected Poems, Stephen Edgar, Black Pepper

 

Children’s literature

  • Fly on the Wall, Remy Lai, Walker Books Australia,
  • How to Make a Bird, Meg McKinlay, illustrated by Matt Ottley, Walker Books Australia
  • The January Stars, Kate Constable, Allen & Unwin
  • The Stolen Prince of Cloudburst, Jaclyn Moriarty, illustrated by Kelly Canby, Allen & Unwin
  • The Year the Maps Changed, Danielle Binks, Hachette Australia: Lothian Children’s Books

 

Young adult literature

  • Loner, Georgina Young, Text Publishing
  • Metal Fish, Falling Snow, Cath Moore, Text Publishing
  • The End of the World is Bigger than Love, Davina Bell, Text Publishing
  • The F Team, Rawah Arja , Giramondo Publishing
  • When Rain Turns to Snow, Jane Godwin, Hachette Australia: Lothian Children’s Books

If government bailouts of companies are the new normal, we need a better strategic vision

The federal government’s announcement of a A$600 million rescue package[1] for Glencore’s copper smelting an...

Mirvac Harbourside

Times Magazine

YepAI Joins Victoria's AI Trade Mission to Singapore for Big Data & AI World Asia 2025

YepAI, a Melbourne-based leader in enterprise artificial intelligence solutions, announced today...

Building a Strong Online Presence with Katoomba Web Design

Katoomba web design is more than just creating a website that looks good—it’s about building an onli...

September Sunset Polo

International Polo Tour To Bridge Historic Sport, Life-Changing Philanthropy, and Breath-Taking Beau...

5 Ways Microsoft Fabric Simplifies Your Data Analytics Workflow

In today's data-driven world, businesses are constantly seeking ways to streamline their data anal...

7 Questions to Ask Before You Sign IT Support Companies in Sydney

Choosing an IT partner can feel like buying an insurance policy you hope you never need. The right c...

Choosing the Right Legal Aid Lawyer in Sutherland Shire: Key Considerations

Legal aid services play an essential role in ensuring access to justice for all. For people in t...

The Times Features

Applications open for Future Cotton Leaders Program 2026

Applications have opened for the 2026 intake for the Australia Future Cotton Leaders Program (AFCL...

Optimising is just perfectionism in disguise. Here’s why that’s a problem

If you regularly scroll health and wellness content online, you’ve no doubt heard of optimisin...

Macquarie Bank Democratises Agentic AI, Scaling Customer Innovation with Gemini Enterprise

Macquarie’s Banking and Financial Services group (Macquarie Bank), in collaboration with Google ...

Do kids really need vitamin supplements?

Walk down the health aisle of any supermarket and you’ll see shelves lined with brightly packa...

Why is it so shameful to have missing or damaged teeth?

When your teeth and gums are in good condition, you might not even notice their impact on your...

Australian travellers at risk of ATM fee rip-offs according to new data from Wise

Wise, the global technology company building the smartest way to spend and manage money internat...

Does ‘fasted’ cardio help you lose weight? Here’s the science

Every few years, the concept of fasted exercise training pops up all over social media. Faste...

How Music and Culture Are Shaping Family Road Trips in Australia

School holiday season is here, and Aussies aren’t just hitting the road - they’re following the musi...

The Role of Spinal Physiotherapy in Recovery and Long-Term Wellbeing

Back pain and spinal conditions are among the most common reasons people seek medical support, oft...