The purpose of the ACT Notable Book Awards is to highlight the excellence and talent of the ACT region. The winners from each category will have produced an exceptional published work. Notable is defined as “worthy of attention or notice; remarkable”, and we ask judges keep this definition in mind when judging the entries of ACT Notable Book Award. This definition is the basis for ACT Notable rewards. Across all categories we ask judges to consider which entries stand out in their brilliance and demonstrate the following:

• Literary excellence

• Powerful narrative structure

• Considered and impactful use of language

We are delighted to announce the Shortlisted Works for the ACT Notable Awards 2022.

FICTION 2020

SMALL PRESS SHORTLIST

• Alison Booth, The Philospher’s Daughters (RedDoor Press, UK)

• T.R. Napper, Neon Leviathan (Grimdark Magazine)

• Roger Wheatley, The Train (self-published)

BIG PRESS SHORTLIST

• Craig Cormick and Harold Ludwick, On A Barbarous Coast (Allen & Unwin)

• Jack Heath, Hideout (Allen & Unwin)

• Felicity Volk, Desire Lines (Hachette Australia)

FICTION 2021

SMALL PRESS SHORTLIST

• Jenny Bond, Everything I Am (The Hard Word)

• Kate Liston-Mills, Dear Ibis (Spineless Wonders)

• Anna Weatherly, The Widow’s Follower (self-published)

BIG PRESS SHORTLIST

• Merlinda Bobis, The Kindness of Birds (Spinifex Press)

• Irma Gold, The Breaking (MidnightSun Publishing)

• Dylan van den Berg, Milk (Currency Press)

  A partnership project with The Street Theatre

Judges: Shelley Burr and Robyn Cadwallader

NONFICTION 2020

SMALL PRESS SHORTLIST

• Cal Moré, Risking Wonderful: The Art of Living Inside Out (self-published)

• Ian W. Shaw, Pandemic: The Spanish Flu in Australia 1918-1920 (Woodslane Press)

BIG PRESS SHORTLIST

• Gemma Carey, No Matter Our Wreckage: A Memoir About Grooming, Betrayal, Trauma and Love (Allen & Unwin)

• David Dufty, Radio Girl: The Story of the Extraordinary Mrs Mac, Pioneering Engineer and Wartime Legend (Allen & Unwin)

• Subhash Jaireth, Spinoza’s Overcoat: Travels with Writers and Poets (Transit Lounge)

NONFICTION 2021

SMALL PRESS SHORTLIST

No Shortlist

BIG PRESS SHORTLIST

• Danielle Celermajer, Summertime (Penguin Books Australia)

• Gabrielle Chan, Why You Should Give a F*ck About Farming (Penguin Books Australia)

• Christine Helliwell, Semut: The Untold Story of a Secret Australian Operation in WWII Borneo (Penguin Books Australia)

• David Lindenmayer, The Great Forest: The Rare Beauty of the Victorian Central Highlands (Allen & Unwin). Photographs by Chris Taylor, Sarah Rees and Steven Kuiter

• Kaya Wilson, As Beautiful as Any Other: A Memoir of My Body (Pan Macmillan Australia)

Judges: Ginger Gorman and Nicole Moore

POETRY 2020

SMALL PRESS SHORTLIST

• PS Cottier, Utterly (Ginninderra Press)

• Penelope Layland, Nigh (Recent Work Press)

BIG PRESS SHORTLIST

No Shortlist

POETRY 2021

SMALL PRESS SHORTLIST

• Sandra Renew, It’s the Sugar, Sugar (Recent Work Press)

• Sarah Rice, Text/ure (Recent Work Press)

• Sarah St Vincent Welch, Chalk Borders (Flying Island Books)

BIG PRESS SHORTLIST

• Lizz Murphy, The Wear of My Face (Spinifex Press)

• Omar Musa, Killernova (Penguin Books Australia)

Judges: Lucy Alexander and Samia Goudie

CHILDREN’S 2020

SMALL PRESS SHORTLIST

• Karen Hendriks and Kim Fleming, Feathers (Empowering Resources)

• Amy Laurens, A fox of storms & starlight (Inkprint Press)

• Krys Saclier and Cathy Wilcox, Vote for Me (Wild Dog)

BIG PRESS SHORTLIST

• Stephanie Owen Reeder and Tania McCartney, Australia’s Wild Weird Wonderful Weather (NLA Publishing)

• Stephanie Owen Reeder, Will the Wonderkid (NLA Publishing)

• Gina Newton and Rachel Tribout, Hold On: Saving the Spotted Handfish, (CSIRO Publishing)

CHILDREN’S 2021

SMALL PRESS SHORTLIST

• Irma Gold and Susannah Crispe, Where the Heart Is (Exisle Publishing)

• Catherine Meatheringham and Deb Hudson, All Dogs Bark (Windy Hollow Books)

BIG PRESS SHORTLIST

• Larry Brandy, Wiradjuri Country (NLA Publishing)

• Charles Massy and Mandy Foot, The Last Dragon (NLA Publishing)

Judges: David Conley and Tracey Hawkins

SPECIAL BOOK AWARD

The 2020 and 2021 Special Book Awards are designed to recognise the diverse and immense talent of work in the ACT region. This award recognises work that demonstrates uniqueness, literary excellence and surpasses genre. The Special Book Award is selected across all categories of the ACT Notable awards.   

The Special Book Award winners will be announced at the ACT Notable Awards Event on Friday 29 July at Canberra Contemporary Art Space.