Adelaide Festival Awards for Literature

2020 Award nominations open

Entries for the 2020 Adelaide Festival Awards for Literature are now open and close on Wednesday 31 July 2019.

Entries for the Jill Blewett Playwright's Award will close on Friday 16 August 2019.

Awards for Published Works

Books first published between 27 June 2017 and 26 June 2019 (inclusive) may be nominated. Books published overseas before 27 June 2017 may be eligible, provided their Australian release was after that date.

The Adelaide Festival Awards for Literature are presented by the South Australian Government and administered by the State Library of South Australia. 

Contact Us

If you have any queries please contact:

AFAL Project Officer
Phone: (08) 8207 7258
Email: SLSACommunityLearning@sa.gov.au

2018 Award winners

Thirty-seven writers from around Australia were announced in the 2018 Adelaide Festival Awards for Literature.

The following winners were announced in a special ceremony at Adelaide Writers’ Week on Saturday 3 March, as part of the 2018 Adelaide Festival.

National Awards for published works

Premier’s Award, and Fiction Award - $25,000 and $15,000
The Last Garden by Eva Hornung (SA) (Text Publishing)

Children’s Literature Award - $15,000
Dragonfly Song by Wendy Orr (NSW) (Allen & Unwin)

Young Adult Fiction Award - $15,000
My Sister Rosa by Justine Larbalestier (NSW) (Allen & Unwin)

John Bray Poetry Award - $15,000
Missing up by Pam Brown (NSW) (Vagabond Press)

Non-Fiction Award - $15,000
The Boy Behind the Curtain by Tim Winton (WA) (Penguin Books Australia)

South Australian Awards and Fellowships

Jill Blewett Playwright’s Award - $12,500
19 weeks by Emily Steel

Arts South Australia Wakefield Press Unpublished Manuscript Award - $10,000 + publication of the winning manuscript by Wakefield Press
A New Name for the Colour Blue by Annette Marner

The Barbara Hanrahan Fellowship - $15,000
Jude Aquilina

The Max Fatchen Fellowship - $15,000
Danielle Clode

Tangkanungku Pintyanthi Fellowship - $15,000
Edoardo Crismani

PREVIOUS AWARD WINNERS BY CATEGORY

Premier's Award - National

Offered from 1996

• 2016 - Figgy in the World by Tamsin Janu (Omnibus Books)
• 2014 - Cold Light by Frank Moorhouse (Vintage Books)
• 2012 - That Deadman Dance by Kim Scott (Picador)
• 2010 - Tales from Outer Suburbia by Shaun Tan (Allen and Unwin)
• 2008 - Urban Myths: 210 Poems by John Tranter (University of Queensland Press)
• 2006 - Sixty Lights by Gail Jones (Vintage Books)
• 2004 - Wild Surmise by Dorothy Porter (Picador)
• 2002 - True History of the Kelly Gang by Peter Carey (University of Queensland Press)
• 2000 - Mr Darwin’s Shooter by Roger McDonald (Vintage Books)
• 1998 - The Drowner by Robert Drewe (Pan MacMillan)
• 1996 - The Future Eaters by Tim Flannery (Reed Books)

Fiction Award - National

• 2016 - To Name Those Lost by Rohan Wilson (Allen & Unwin)
• 2014 - Cold Light by Frank Moorhouse (Vintage Books)
• 2012  - That Deadman Dance by Kim Scott (Picador)
• 2010 - Ransom by David Malouf (Knopf/Random House)
• 2008 - The Ballad of Desmond Kale by Roger McDonald (Vintage)
• 2006 - Sixty Lights by Gail Jones (Vintage Books)
• 2004 - Moral Hazard by Kate Jennings (Picador)
• 2002 - True History of the Kelly Gang by Peter Carey (University of Queensland Press)
• 2000 - Mr Darwin’s Shooter by Roger McDonald (Vintage Books)
• 1998 - The Drowner by Robert Drewe (Pan MacMillan)
• 1996 - Death of a River Guide by Richard Flanagan (McPhee Gribble/Penguin)
• 1994 - Grand Days by Frank Moorhouse (William Heinemann Australia)
• 1992 - The Great World by David Malouf (Chatto & Windus)
• 1990 - Oscar and Lucinda by Peter Carey (UQP)
• 1988 - Julia Paradise by Rod Jones (McPhee Gribble)
• 1986 - The Children’s Bach by Helen Garner (McPhee Gribble)

Non-Fiction Award - National

• 2016 - What Days Are For by Robert Dessaix (Random House Australia)
• 2014 - Madness: A Memoir by Kate Richards (Viking/Penguin)
• 2012 - An Eye for Eternity: The Life of Manning Clark by Mark McKenna (The Miegunyah Press)
• 2010 - Stella Miles Franklin by Jill Roe (Fourth Estate/Harper Collins)
• 2008 - Sunrise West by Jacob G Rosenberg (Brandl & Schlesinger)
• 2006 - Velocity by Mandy Sayer (Vintage)
• 2004 - Unearthed: The Aboriginal Tasmanians of Kangaroo Island by Rebe Taylor (Wakefield Press)
• 2002 - Leviathan: the unauthorised biography of Sydney by John Birmingham (Random House)
• 2000 - Throwim Way Leg: An Adventure by Tim Flannery (Text Publishing Company)
• 1998 - Claiming a Continent: A History of Australia by David Day (HarperCollins)
• 1996 - The Future Eaters by Tim Flannery (Reed Books)
• 1994 - Sort of a Place Like Home: Remembering the Moore River Native Settlement by Susan Maushart (Fremantle Arts Centre Press)
• 1992 - Patrick White – A Life by David Marr (Random House Australia)
• 1990 - Satura by John Bray (Wakefield Press)
• 1988 - The Myriad Faces of War by Trevor Wilson (Polity/Blackwells)
• 1986 - A History of Prince Alfred College by R M Gibbs (Peacock Publications)

Children's Literature Award - National

• 2012  - Taj and the Great Camel Trek by Rosanne Hawke (University of Queensland)
• 2010 - Tales from Outer Suburbia by Shaun Tan (Allen and Unwin)
• 2008 - Don't Call Me Ishmael! by Michael Gerard Bauer (Omnibus Scholastic)
• 2006 - It’s Not All About You, Calma! by Barry Jonsberg (Allen and Unwin)
• 2004 - Abyssinia by Ursula Dubosarsky (Viking Penguin)
• 2002 - Lirael by Garth Nix (Harper Collins)
• 2000 - Deadly, Unna? by Phillip Gwynne (Puffin Penguin)
• 1998 - The Listmaker by Robin Klein (Viking Penguin)
• 1996 - The Third Day, The Frost by John Marsden (Pan MacMillan Australia)
• 1994 - Angel’s Gate by Gary Crew (William Heinemann Australia)
• 1992 - The House Guest by Eleanor Nilsson (Viking Penguin)
• 1990 - Beyond the Labyrinth by Gillian Rubinstein (Hyland House)
• 1988 - Space Demons by Gillian Rubinstein (Omnibus Books)
• 1986 - The Long Night Watch by Ivan Southall (Methuen)

Young Adult Fiction Award - National
Offered from 2012

• 2016 - Are You Seeing Me? by Darren Groth (Random House Australia)
• 2014 - Friday Brown by Vikki Wakefield (Text Publishing)
• 2012 - All I Ever Wanted by Vikki Wakefield (Text Publishing)

John Bray Poetry Award - National

• 2016 - Waiting for the Past by Les Murray (Black Inc.)
• 2014 - The Sunlit Zone by Lisa Jacobson (5 Islands Press)
• 2012 - Taller When Prone by Les Murray (Black Inc.)
• 2010 - The Other Way Out by Bronwyn Lea (Giramondo poets)
• 2008 - Urban Myths: 210 Poems by John Tranter (University of Queensland Press)
• 2006 - Totem by Luke Davies (Allen Unwin)
• 2004 - Wild Surmise by Dorothy Porter (Picador)
• 2002 - Around Here by Cath Kenneally (Wakefield Press)
• 2000 - The Harbour by Dimitris Tsaloumas (UQP)
• 1998 - The Blue Cloud of Crying by Peter Boyle (Hale & Ironmonger)
• 1996 - The Silo: A Pastoral Symphony by John Kinsella (Fremantle Arts Centre Press)
• 1994 - Between Glances by Andrew Lansdown (Fremantle Arts Centre Press)
• 1992 - Last Poems by Vincent Buckley (McPhee Gribble)
• 1990 - Bone Scan by Gwen Harwood (Angus & Robertson)
• 1988 - The Daylight Moon by Les A Murray (Angus & Robertson)
• 1986 - Selected Poems - 1963–1983 by Robert Gray (Angus & Robertson)

Jill Blewett Playwright's Award - South Australian

Offered from 1992

• 2016 - Cut by Duncan Graham AND Blessed by Fleur Kilpatrick (joint winners)
• 2014 - Replay by Philip Kavanagh
• 2012 - A Cathedral by Nicki Bloom
• 2010 - This Place by Nina Pearce
• 2008 - Merger - art, life and the other thing by Duncan Graham
• 2006 - This Uncharted Hour by Finegan Kruckemeyer
• 2004 - Beautiful Words: A Trilogy by Sean Riley
• 2002 - Small Faith by Josh Tyler
• 2000 - Who’s Afraid of the Working Class? by Andrew Bovell, Patricia Cornelius, Melissa Reeves & Christos Tsiolkas
• 1998 - Wolf Lullaby by Hilary Bell
• 1996 - Because You Are Mine by Daniel Keene
• 1994 - Sweetown by Melissa Reeves
• 1992 - Bran Nue Dae by Jimmy Chi 

Arts South Australia Wakefield Press Unpublished Manuscript Award - South Australian

Offered from 1998

• 2016 - Mallee Boys by Charlie Archbold
• 2014 - Here Where We Live by Cassie Flanagan-Willanski
• 2012 - The First Week by Margaret Merilees
• 2010 - End of the Night Girl by Amy T Matthews
• 2008 - The Second Fouling Mark by Stephen Orr
• 2006 - The Quakers by Rachel Hennessy
• 2004 - Goddamn Bus of Happiness by Stefan Laszczuk
• 2002 - The Black Dream by Corrie Hosking
• 2000 - No winner
• 1998 - Counting The Rivers by Pearlie McNeil

Barbara Hanrahan Fellowship - South Australian

Offered from 1994

• 2016 - Carol Lefevre
• 2014 - Jennifer Mills
• 2012 - Nicki Bloom
• 2010 - Patrick Allington
• 2008 - Steve Evans
• 2006 - Mike Ladd
• 2004 - Kirsty Brooks
• 2002 - Graham Rowlands
• 2000 - Jan Owen
• 1998 - Cath Kenneally
• 1996 - Moya Costello
• 1994 - Barry Westburg

Max Fatchen Fellowship - South Australia

Offered from 1988

• 2016 - Marianne Musgrove
• 2014 - Helen Dinmore
• 2012 - Janeen Brian
• 2010 - Nicole Plüss
• 2008 - Rosanne Hawke
• 2006 - Christine Harris
• 2004 - Marguerite Hann-Syme
• 2002 - Ruth Starke
• 2000 - Ian Bone
• 1998 - Phil Cummings
• 1996 - Chris Tugwell
• 1994 - Peter McFarlane
• 1992 - Anne Brookman
• 1990 - Anne-Marie Mykyta
• 1988 - Geoff Goodfellow

Tangkanungku Pintyanthi Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Fellowship

Offered from 2014

• 2016 - Ali Cobby Eckermann for Too Afraid to Cry
• 2014 - Ali Cobby Eckermann for Hopes Crossing

The Mayne Award for Multimedia - formerly the Faulding Award for Multimedia

Offered 1998 to 2004

• 2004 - Concatenation by Geniwate
• 2002 - Poems in a Flash @ The Stalking Tongue website Jayne Fenton Keane and David Keane
• 2000 - Carrier by Melinda Rackham
• 1998 - FlightPaths: Writing Journeys by Julie Clarke, Rob Finlayson, Tom Gibson, Denise Higgins, Berni M Janssen, Nazid Kimmie and Adrian Marshall

Innovation Award

Offered 2004 to 2010

• 2010 - Barley Patch by Gerald Murnane (Giramondo)
• 2008 - Someone Else: Fictional Essays by John Hughes (Giramondo)
• 2006 - <More or Less> 1-100 by MTC Cronin (Shearsman Books)
• 2004 - The Eastern Slope Chronicle by Ouyang Yu (Brandl and Schlesinger)

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