ARA Historical Novel Prize 2025 shortlists
The Historical Novel Society Australasia (HNSA) today announced the shortlist for the 2025 ARA Historical Novel Prize. Running since 2020, the prize is open to novels where the majority of the narrative takes place more than 50 years ago. This year’s shortlist for both categories features authors who have all published before and are well known to Australian literary audiences.
Previous winners include Melissa Lucashenko (2024), Gail Jones (2023), Tom Keneally (2022), and two-time CYA winner Katrina Nannestad (2021, 2022). This is the richest individual literary prize in Australasia; the Adult Prize is $100,000 and the Children and Young Adult Prize is $30,000.
ADULT SHORTLIST
Robbie Arnott Dusk (Picador Australia, an imprint of Pan Macmillan Australia) *
Malcolm Knox The First Friend (Allen & Unwin)
Tasma Walton I am Nannertgrook (Bundyi, an imprint of Simon & Schuster Australia).
The winners will be announced on the evening of Thursday 16 October, at an event at the Sydney Mint.
For further information, visit https://hnsa.org.au/ara-historical-novel-prize/
Dusk has been reviewed by QRC. Click here to read our review.