The Age Book of the Year Awards

Australian literary award

The Age Book of the Year Awards were annual literary awards presented by Melbourne's The Age newspaper. The awards were first presented in 1974. After 1998, they were presented as part of the Melbourne Writers Festival. Initially, two awards were given, one for fiction (or imaginative writing), the other for non-fiction work, but in 1993, a poetry award in honour of Dinny O'Hearn was added.[1] The criteria were that the works be "of outstanding literary merit and express Australian identity or character,"[1] and be published in the year before the award was made. One of the award-winners was chosen as The Age Book of the Year. The awards were discontinued in 2013.

In 2021 The Age Book of the Year was revived as a fiction prize, with the winner announced at the Melbourne Writers Festival. A non-fiction prize was added the following year.[2]

## The Age Book of the Year (from 2021)

[edit]

### Fiction

[edit]

The Age Book of the Year Awards winners  Year  | Author  | Title  | Result  | Ref.

|
|
|
|

2021 | Robbie Arnott | The Rain Heron | Won  | [3][4]
Steven Conte | The Tolstoy Estate | Shortlisted | [5]
Richard Flanagan | The Living Sea of Waking Dreams
Kate Grenville | A Room Made of Leaves
Amanda Lohrey | The Labyrinth
Nardi Simpson | Song of the Crocodile
Adam Thompson | Born into This
2022 | Miles Allinson | In Moonland | Won  | [6]
Jessica Au | Cold Enough for Snow | Shortlisted | [7]
Larissa Behrendt | After Story
Brendan Colley | The Signal Line
Jennifer Down | Bodies of Light
Diana Reid | Love & Virtue
2023 | Robbie Arnott | Limberlost | Won  | [8]
Grace Chan | Every Version of You | Shortlisted |
Paul Dalgarno | A Country of Eternal Light
Shirley Le | Funny Ethnics
Fiona McFarlane | The Sun Walks Down
Alice Nelson | Faithless
2024 | Tony Birch*  | Women & Children | Won  | [9]
Stephanie Bishop | Anniversary | Shortlisted | [10][11]
Elise Hearst | One Day We're All Going to Die
Nicholas Jose | The Idealist
Charlotte Wood | Stone Yard Devotional
Jessica Zhan Mei Yu | But the Girl
2025 | Rodney Hall | Vortex | Won  | [12]
Melanie Cheng | The Burrow | Shortlisted  | [13]
David Dyer | This Kingdom of Dust
Kirsty Iltners | Depth of Field
Siang Lu | Ghost Cities
Fiona McFarlane | Highway 13

### Non-Fiction

[edit]

The Age Book of the Year Awards winners  Year  | Author  | Title  | Result  | Ref.

|
|
|
|

2022 | Bernadette Brennan  | Leaping into Waterfalls | Won  | [6]
Ed Ayres  | Whole Notes: Life Lessons Through Music | Shortlisted  | [7]
Jonathan Butler  | The Boy in the Dress
Kylie Moore-Gilbert  | The Uncaged Sky: My 804 Days in an Iranian Prison
Karlie Noon and Krystal De Napoli  | Astronomy: Sky Country
Sian Prior  | Childless: A Story of Freedom and Longing
2023 | Kim Mahood | Wandering with Intent | Won  | [8]
Cadance Bell  | The All of It | Shortlisted  | [14]
Shannon Burns  | Childhood
Peter Doyle  | Suburban Noir
Jess Ho  | Raised by Wolves
Mandy Sayer | Those Dashing McDonagh Sisters
2024 | Ross McMullin | Life So Full of Promise | Won  | [9]
Kate Fullagar  | Bennelong & Phillip: A History Unravelled | Shortlisted  | [15]
Helen Hayward  | Home Work: Essays on Love and Housekeeping
Matthew Lamb  | Frank Moorhouse: Strange Paths
Ellen van Neerven | Personal Score
Rachelle Unreich  | A Brilliant Life
2025 | Lech Blaine  | Australian Gospel | Won  | [12]
Mark Raphael Baker  | A Season of Death | Shortlisted  | [13]
Anne Manne | Crimes of the Cross
Qin Qin | Model Minority Gone Rogue
Samah Sabawi | Cactus Pear for My Beloved
Clare Wright | The Bark Petitions

## The Age Book of the Year (from 1974–2012)

[edit]

The Age Book of the Year Awards winners  Year  | Author  | Title  | Ref.

|
|
|

1974 | David Foster | The Pure Land | [16]
1975 | Thea Astley | A Kindness Cup | [17]
1976 | A. D. Hope | A Late Picking: Poems 1965–1974 | [18]
Hugh Stretton | Capitalism, Socialism and the Environment | [18]
1977 | Not awarded  |  | [19]
1978 | Christopher Koch | The Year of Living Dangerously | [20]
1979 | Roger McDonald | 1915: A Novel of Gallipoli | [21]
1980 | David Ireland | A Woman of the Future | [22]
Murray Bail | Homesickness | [22]
1981 | Eric Charles Rolls | A Million Wild Acres | [23]
1982 | David Malouf | Fly Away Peter | [24]
1983 | Elizabeth Jolley | Mr Scobie's Riddle | [25]
1984 | Nicholas Hasluck | The Bellarmine Jug | [26]
1985 | Peter Carey | Illywhacker | [27]
1986 | Joan London | Sister Ships and Other Stories | [28]
1987 | Jessica Anderson | Stories from the Warm Zone | [29]
1988 | Frank Moorhouse | Forty-Seventeen | [30]
1989 | Marsden Hordern  | Mariners are Warned: John Lort Stokes and HMA Beagle | [31]
1990 | Gwen Harwood | Blessed City | [32]
1991 | David Marr | Patrick White: A Life | [33]
1992 | Marion Halligan | Lovers' Knots | [34]
1993 | Elizabeth Jolley | The Georges' Wife | [35]
1994 | Peter Carey | The Unusual Life of Tristan Smith | [36]
1995 | Chris Wallace-Crabbe | Selected Poems 1956–1994 | [37]
1996 | Thea Astley | The Multiple Effects of Rainshadow | [38]
1997 | Peter Carey | Jack Maggs | [39]
1998 | Elliot Perlman | Three Dollars | [40]
1999 | K.S. Inglis | Sacred Places: War Memorials in the Australian Landscape | [41]
2000 | Amy Witting | Isobel on the Way to the Corner Shop | [42]
2001 | Rosemary Dobson | Untold Lives and Later Poems | [43]
2002 | Don Watson | Recollections of a Bleeding Heart: Paul Keating PM | [44]
2003 | Sonya Hartnett | Of a Boy | [45]
2004 | Luke Davies | Totem | [46]
2005 | Gay Bilson | Plenty: Digressions on Food | [47]
2006 | Jennifer Maiden | Friendly Fire | [48]
2007 | Peter Cochrane | Colonial Ambition: Foundations of Australian Democracy | [49]
2008 | Don Watson | American Journeys | [50]
2009 | Steven Amsterdam | Things We Didn't See Coming | [51]
2010 | Alex Miller | Lovesong | [52]
2011 | Fiona McGregor | Indelible Ink | [53]
2012 | James Boyce | 1835: The Founding of Melbourne & the Conquest of Australia | [54]

## Fiction (or Imaginative Writing) Award

[edit]

Fiction (or Imaginative Writing) Award winners  Year  | Author  | Title  | Ref.

|
|
|

1974 | David Foster | The Pure Land | [16]
1975 | Thea Astley | A Kindness Cup | [17]
1976 | A. D. Hope | A Late Picking: Poems 1965–1974 | [18]
1977 | No award  |  | [55]
1978 | Christopher Koch | The Year of Living Dangerously | [20]
1979 | Roger McDonald | 1915: A Novel of Gallipoli | [21]
1980 | David Ireland | A Woman of the Future | [22]
Murray Bail | Homesickness | [22]
1981 | Blanche d'Alpuget | Turtle Beach | [23]
1982 | David Malouf | Fly Away Peter | [24]
1983 | Elizabeth Jolley | Mr Scobie's Riddle | [25]
1984 | Nicholas Hasluck | The Bellarmine Jug | [56]
1985 | Peter Carey | Illywhacker | [57]
1986 | Joan London | Sister Ships and Other Stories | [28]
1987 | Jessica Anderson | Stories from the Warm Zone | [29]
1988 | Frank Moorhouse | Forty-Seventeen | [30]
1989 | Elizabeth Jolley | My Father's Moon | [31]
1990 | Glenda Adams | Longleg | [32]
1991 | Brian Castro | Double-Wolf | [33]
1992 | Marion Halligan | Lovers' Knots | [34]
1993 | Elizabeth Jolley | The Georges' Wife | [35]
1994 | Peter Carey | The Unusual Life of Tristan Smith | [36]
1995 | Rod Jones | Billy Sunday | [37]
1996 | Thea Astley | The Multiple Effects of Rainshadow | [38]
1997 | Peter Carey | Jack Maggs | [39]
1998 | Elliot Perlman | Three Dollars | [40]
1999 | James Bradley | The Deep Field | [41]
2000 | Amy Witting | Isobel on the Way to the Corner Shop | [42]
2001 | Peter Carey | True History of the Kelly Gang | [43]
2002 | Joan London | Gilgamesh | [44]
2003 | Sonya Hartnett | Of a Boy | [45]
2004 | Andrew McGahan | The White Earth | [46]
2005 | Gail Jones | Sixty Lights | [47]
2006 | Christos Tsiolkas | Dead Europe | [48]
2007 | David Malouf | Every Move You Make | [49]
2008 | Tim Winton | Breath | [50]
2009 | Steven Amsterdam | Things We Didn't See Coming | [51]
2010 | Alex Miller | Lovesong | [52]
2011 | Fiona McGregor | Indelible Ink | [53]
2012 | Gillian Mears | Foal's Bread | [54]

## Non-fiction Award

[edit]

Non-fiction Award winners  Year  | Author  | Title  | Ref.

|
|
|

1974 | Manning Clark | A History of Australia (Vol. 3) | [16]
1975 | Not awarded  |  | [17]
1976 | Hugh Stretton | Capitalism, Socialism and the Environment | [18]
1977 | Not awarded  |  | [55]
1978 | Patsy Adam-Smith | The Anzacs | [20]
1979 | Not awarded  |  | [21]
1980 | Not awarded  |  | [22]
1981 | Eric Charles Rolls | A Million Wild Acres | [23]
1982 | Geoffrey Serle | John Monash: A Biography | [24]
1983 | Lloyd Robson | History of Tasmania | [25]
1984 | John Rickard | HB Higgins: The Rebel and Judge | [26]
1985 | Chester Eagle | Mapping the Paddocks | [27]
Hugh Lunn | Vietnam: A Reporter's War | [27]
1986 | Garry Kinnane | George Johnston: A Biography | [28]
1987 | Robert Hughes | The Fatal Shore | [29]
1988 | Robin Gerster | Big-Noting: The Heroic Theme in Australian War Writing | [30]
1989 | Marsden Hordern | Mariners are Warned!: John Lort Stokes and HMS Beagle in Australia 1837–1843 | [31]
1990 | Gwen Harwood | Blessed City | [32]
1991 | David Marr | Patrick White: A Life | [33]
1992 | Ruth Park | A Fence Around the Cuckoo | [34]
1993 | Janet McCalman | Journeyings | [35]
1994 | Jim Davidson | Lyrebird Rising | [36]
1995 | Tim Flannery | The Future Eaters | [37]
1996 | Geoffrey Serle | Robin Boyd: A Life | [38]
1997 | Roberta Sykes | Snake Cradle | [39]
1998 | Stuart MacIntyre | The Reds | [40]
1999 | K.S. Inglis | Sacred Places: War Memorials in the Australian Landscape | [41]
2000 | Kim Mahood | Craft for a Dry Lake | [42]
2001 | Nadia Wheatley | The Life and Myth of Charmian Clift | [43]
2002 | Don Watson | Recollections of a Bleeding Heart: Paul Keating Prime Minister | [44]
2003 | Ann Galbally | Charles Condor: The Last Bohemian | [45]
2004 | Peter Robb | A Death in Brazil | [46]
2005 | Gay Bilson | Plenty: Digressions on Food | [47]
2006 | Mandy Sayer | Velocity | [48]
2007 | Peter Cochrane | Colonial Ambition: Foundations of Australian Democracy | [49]
2008 | Don Watson | American Journeys | [50]
2009 | Guy Rundle | Down to the Crossroads | [51]
2010 | Kate Howarth | Ten Hail Marys | [52]
2011 | Jim Davidson | A Three-Cornered Life | [53]
2012 | James Boyce | 1835: The Founding of Melbourne & the Conquest of Australia | [54]

## Dinny O'Hearn Poetry Prize

[edit]

Dinny O'Hearn Poetry Prize winners  Year  | Author  | Title  | Ref.

|
|
|

1993 | John Tranter | At the Florida | [35]
1994 | Dorothy Porter | The Monkey's Mask | [36]
1995 | Chris Wallace-Crabbe | Selected Poems 1956–1994 | [37]
1996 | Eric Beach | Weeping for Lost Babylon | [38]
1997 | Emma Lew | The Wild Reply | [39]
Peter Porter | Dragons in their Pleasant Palaces | [39]
1998 | John Kinsella | The Hunt and Other Poems | [40]
1999 | R. A. Simpson | The Impossible, and Other Poems | [41]
2000 | Peter Minter | Empty Texas | [42]
2001 | Rosemary Dobson | Untold Lives and Later Poems | [43]
2002 | Robert Gray | After Images | [44]
2003 | Laurie Duggan | Mangroves | [45]
2004 | Luke Davies | Totem | [46]
2005 | Dipti Saravanamuttu | The Colosseum | [47]
2006 | Jennifer Maiden | Friendly Fire | [48]
2007 | Robert Adamson | The Goldfinches of Baghdad | [49]
2008 | J. S. Harry | Not Finding Wittgenstein | [50]
2009 | Peter Porter | Better Than God | [51]
2010 | Jennifer Maiden | Pirate Rain | [52]
2011 | John Tranter | Starlight: 150 Poems | [53]
2012 | Mal McKimmie | The Brokenness Sonnets I-III And Other Poems | [54]

## First Book

[edit]

* 2005: The Unknown Zone by Phil Smith[58]

## References

[edit]

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2. ^ "MWF partners with the Age, Book of the Year award returns". Books+Publishing. 10 June 2021. Archived from the original on 11 June 2021. Retrieved 11 June 2021.
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4. ^ Steger, Jason (3 September 2021). "Robbie Arnott's Rain Heron swoops on the Age Book of the Year". The Sydney Morning Herald. Archived from the original on 15 October 2022. Retrieved 24 February 2023.
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58. ^ "Review". Archived from the original on 20 July 2006. Retrieved 14 July 2007.