Queensland Premier's Literary Awards

Queensland Premier's Literary Awards
DescriptionAustralian literary awards for excellence in various genres
CountryAustralia
Presented byPremier of Queensland (1999–2012)
Reward$225,000 (total across 14 categories)

The Queensland Premier's Literary Awards were an Australian suite of literary awards inaugurated in 1999 and disestablished in 2012. It was one of the most generous suites of literary awards within Australia, with $225,000 in prize money across 14 categories with prizes up to $25,000 in some categories. The awards upon their establishment incorporated a number of pre-existing awards including the Steele Rudd Award for the best Australian collection of new short fiction and the David Unaipon Award for unpublished Indigenous writing.

The awards were established by Peter Beattie, the then Premier of Queensland in 1999 and abolished by Premier Campbell Newman, shortly after winning the 2012 Queensland state election.

In response, the Queensland writing community established the Queensland Literary Awards to ensure the Awards continued in some form. The judging panels remained largely the same, and University of Queensland Press committed to continue to publish the winners of the Emerging Queensland Author Manuscript Award and the Unpublished Indigenous Writer, David Unaipon Award.

Fiction Book Award

Queensland Premier's Award for Fiction

YearTitleAuthorRef
1999 Fredy Neptune: A Novel in VerseLes Murray
2000 DrylandsThea Astley
2001 True History of the Kelly GangPeter Carey
2002 The VolcanoVenero Armanno
2003 Due Preparations for the PlagueJanette Turner Hospital
2004 Elizabeth CostelloJ. M. Coetzee
2005 The TurningTim Winton
2006 The Garden BookBrian Castro
2007 CarpentariaAlexis Wright
2008 The Spare RoomHelen Garner
2009 WantingRichard Flanagan
2010 SummertimeJ. M. Coetzee
2011 Reading Madame BovaryAmanda Lohrey

Queensland Premier's Literary Award for Best Fiction Book

YearTitleAuthorRef
2012 Cold LightFrank Moorhouse
2013 MullumbimbyMelissa Lucashenko
2014 The Narrow Road to the Deep NorthRichard Flanagan
2015 The Golden AgeJoan London
2016 Between a Wolf and a DogGeorgia Blain
2017 The Birdman's WifeMelissa Ashley
2018 TabooKim Scott
2019 Exploded ViewCarrie Tiffany
2020 Stone Sky Gold MountainMirandi Riwoe
2021 Song of the CrocodileNardi Simpson
2022 The Other Half of YouMichael Mohammed Ahmad (Editor)
2023 PraiseworthyAlexis Wright
2024 The Great UndoingSharlene Allsopp

Emerging Queensland Author – Manuscript Award

Unpublished Indigenous Writer – The David Unaipon Award

Non-Fiction Book Award

History Book Award – Faculty of Arts, University of Queensland Award

Queensland Premier's Children's Book Award – Mary Ryan's Award

YearTitleAuthorRef
1999 UnseenPaul Jennings
2000 The Family TreeJane Godwin
2001 FoxMargaret Wild and Ron Brooks
2002 Blat MagicMichael Stephens
2003 Rain May and Captain DanielCatherine Bateson
2004 DragonkeeperCarole Wilkinson
2005 Camel RiderPrue Mason
2006 The Slightly Bruised Glory of Cedar B. HartleyMartine Murray
2007 Layla Queen of HeartsGlenda Millard
2008 The Peasant PrinceLi Cunxin and Anne Spudvilas
2009 Little BlueGaye Chapman
2010 TopplingSally Murphy
2011 Just a DogMichael Gerard Bauer

Young Adult Book Award

Science Writers – Department of State Development, Trade and Innovation Award

Poetry Collection – Arts Queensland Judith Wright Calanthe Award

Australian Short Story Collection – Arts Queensland Steele Rudd Award

YearTitleAuthorRef
2004 Mahjar Eva Sallis
2005 Vincenzo's Garden John Clanchy
2006 A Funny Thing Happened at 27 000 Feet Craig Cormick
2007 Every Move You Make David Malouf
2008 Someone Else John Hughes
2009 The Boat Nam Le
2010 Little White Slips Karen Hitchcock
2011 Reading Madame Bovary Amanda Lohrey
2012 Forecast: Turbulence Janette Turner Hospital
2013 Like a House on Fire Cate Kennedy
2014 Only the Animals Ceridwen Dovey
2015 Merciless Gods Christos Tsiolkas
2016 A Few Days in the Country and Other Stories Elizabeth Harrower
The High Places Fiona McFarlane
2017 The Circle and the Equator Kyra Giorgi
2018 Pulse Points Jennifer Down
2019 Zebra Debra Adelaide
2020 Lucky Ticket Joey Bui
2021 Ordinary Matter Laura Elvery

Literary Work Advancing Public Debate – the Harry Williams Award

Film Script – the Pacific Film and Television Commission Award

Television Script – QUT Creative Industries Award

Drama Script (Stage) Award

Encouragement and Development Prize

References

  1. ↑ "QLD Premier's Literary Awards axed"
  2. ↑ "New premier tears up literary awards", 3 April 2012, The Sydney Morning Herald
  3. ↑ "Qld Literary Awards to go ahead, organisers say"
  4. ↑ "The Alternative Queensland Literary Award"
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 ""Queensland Premier's Literary Awards - Previous Winners"". Queensland Government. Archived from the original on 17 July 2012. Retrieved 12 May 2025.
  6. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Beattie, Peter (2001), "Ministerial Statement (18 October 2001)", Legislative Assembly Hansard, Queensland.
  7. 1 2 ""Queensland Premier's Literary Awards - 2011 Winners"". Queensland Government. Archived from the original on 21 August 2012. Retrieved 12 May 2025.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
  8. ↑ ""2012 Winners (Queensland Literary Awards)"". State Library of Queensland. Archived from the original on 1 September 2017. Retrieved 12 May 2025.
  9. ↑ ""2013 Winners (Queensland Literary Awards)"". State Library of Queensland. Archived from the original on 23 September 2017. Retrieved 12 May 2025.
  10. ↑ ""2014 Winners (Queensland Literary Awards)"". State Library of Queensland. Archived from the original on 23 September 2017. Retrieved 12 May 2025.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
  11. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 ""Queensland Literary Awards – History of the Awards"". State Library Queensland. Retrieved 12 May 2025.
  12. ↑ Perilous Adventures: The Writer's Magazine.
  13. ↑ Guenzler, Joseph (2 October 2025). "Wiradjuri man wins David Unaipon Award for 'Finding Billy Brown'". National Indigenous Times. Retrieved 27 May 2026.
  14. ↑ "First Nations stories win big at Qld Literary Awards". The Queenslander. 5 September 2024. Retrieved 27 May 2026.
  15. ↑ Magazine, Archer (2 April 2026). "Archer Asks: Poet Maria van Neerven on Blak history, family and language". Archer Magazine. Retrieved 27 May 2026.
  16. ↑ "Awards". UQP. Retrieved 27 May 2026.
  17. 1 2 3 "'Life changing': 3 Indigenous women on winning the David Unaipon Award". NITV. 6 April 2021. Retrieved 27 May 2026.
  18. ↑ "Mazin Grace". UQP. Archived from the original on 10 April 2019. Retrieved 13 February 2020.
  19. ↑ "Queensland Literary Awards: 2012 Winners – Literary of Media Work Advancing Public Debate – Harry Williams Award". qldliteraryawards.org.au. Queensland Literary Awards Inc. Archived from the original on 1 September 2017. Retrieved 21 March 2017.
  20. ↑ "Little Fish". AustLit: Discover Australian Stories. Retrieved 20 September 2021.
  21. ↑ Dionysius, Bobbi-Lea (12 August 2013). "Trollop – Queensland Theatre Company". AussieTheatre.com. Retrieved 27 June 2021.