Premier Book Announcement

The shortlist for the 2019 NSW Premier’s Literary Awards has been announced.

With over 600 entries judged by a panel of 30 and divided into 10 categories, the shortlist showcases contemporary works by both leading and emerging Australian writers. The NSW Premier’s Literary Awards offer a generous $310,000 in prize money, making them the richest state-funded literary awards in the country.

State Librarian John Vallance FAHA, said: “This year we celebrate 40 years of the NSW Premier’s Literary Awards. Over the past four decades these Awards have recognised and rewarded hundreds of outstanding Australian writers.”

“This year’s shortlist is yet another shining example of the breadth and depth of literature available in this country,” Dr Vallance said.

Readers will be pleased to see some familiar names on the fiction shortlist, such as Tim Winton (The Shepherd’s Hut), as well as some debut Australian voices, such as Trent Dalton (Boy Swallows Universe). The list is truly a testament to the rich diversity of literature that this country has to offer, and the ever-increasing number of talented Australian writers that continue to astound us with their stories and words.

The Children’s and Young Adult shortlist also boast a range of familiar names and titles that have also been nominated for the Children’s Book Council of Australia (CBCA) Awards, such as Sharon Kernot (The Art of Taxidermy), and Dianne Wolfer (The Dog With Seven Names).

The winners will be announced on the eve of the Sydney Writers’ Festival on Monday the 29th of April 2019.

You can view the full shortlist here