Miles Franklin Literary Award 2026 Omar Musa has won the 2026 Miles Franklin Literary Award, worth $60,000, for his novel Fierceland (Penguin). Musa is a Bornean Australian author, visual artist and poet. His debut novel Here Come the Dogs (Hamish Hamilton) was nominated for the International Dublin Literary Award and longlisted for the Miles Franklin Literary Award, and Musa was named one
Reviewed by Rod McLary Musicians who have great success with their first album often say that creating their sophomore album is the more challenging. How do you replicate the success of the first without replicating the content? If that holds true for writers as well, then Alex Dook has managed it very well. His sophomore
Reviewed by Clare Brook In our brave new high tech world things are rarely what they seem to be. In The Reverse Centaur’s Guide to Life After AI – How to Think About Artificial Intelligence Before It’s Too Late Cory Doctorow sorts the reality from the hype. Doctorow’s title is adapted from automation theory: a
Reviewed by Norrie Sanders It’s hard to disagree that good eating goes hand in hand with good health. And that, for many people, inflammation is the enemy of good health. Whether it’s arthritis, irritable bowel or asthma, inflammation seems to be the root cause of so many annoying and painful symptoms. Lee Holmes’ latest book
Reviewed by Ian Lipke An analysis of The Fatal Island: Bullets, Magic and Power in Timor demands a recognition of its dual nature: it is simultaneously a rigorous piece of investigative journalism by Walkley Award-winner Paul Toohey and a deep, narrative work of true crime. Centred on the volatile early years of an independent East
Reviewed by Ian Lipke Jamie Williams’ War Dog blends visceral realism with a focused exploration of human psychological endurance. Rather than relying on melodrama on a grand scale, the novel grounds its narrative in high-stakes combat, spatial tension, and character morality. War Dog reveals a work defined by a disciplined, economical prose style, an evocative
Daisy Utemorrah Award Magabala Books and the Western Australian Premier’s Book Awards have announced the shortlist for the 2026 Daisy Utemorrah Award. The shortlisted works are: “Barefoot Running”, “a literary First Nations mystery and coming of age novel”, by Amanda Lott, a writer of Bigambul and European heritage “Off by a Mark”, “a contemporary, warm,
Reviewed by Gayle Williams It’s rare for me to reach for a fantasy novel, but I’ve always had a soft spot for stories centred on witches. That was the initial lure of Christy Anne Jones’s debut novel, Theodora’s Tea Shop. Despite its cozy-sounding title, Jones threads darker, more atmospheric elements through her story. The reader
Booker Prize 2026 The longlist for the 2026 Booker Prize, worth £50,000, has been announced. The 13 longlisted books are: The Shadow of the Object (Chloe Aridjis, Chatto & Windus) Switzy (Emma Cline, Chatto & Windus) (forthcoming) Helen of Nowhere (Makenna Goodman, Fitzcarraldo) The End of Everything (M John Harrison, Profile Books) (forthcoming) The Disappearers (Marlon James, Hamish Hamilton) (forthcoming) Black Bag (Luke
Reviewed by Norrie Sanders Whispering death is the name given to Australia’s Beaufighter planes that were crucial to turning back the Japanese invasion of southeast Asia in World War 2. The planes themselves were formidable, but this is the story of the pilots, crew and mechanics who made up the squadrons. Half a century later,
Queensland Literary Awards 2026 Some of Australia’s most celebrated authors and exciting new literary voices are one step closer to Queensland’s richest literary honours, with the 2026 Queensland Literary Awards (QLAs) announcing this year’s shortlist. More than $200,000 in prize money will be awarded across 12 Published Book and Development Award categories, recognising excellence in fiction, non-fiction, poetry, children’s and
Shortlists – Davitt Awards 2026 Sisters in Crime has announced the shortlists for the 2026 Davitt Awards for the best crime books by Australian women. The shortlisted titles the Adult category are: Adult novels At Cafe 64 (Shaeden Barry, Echo Publishing) Learned Behaviours (Zeynab Gamieldien, Ultimo Press) Unbury the Dead (Fiona Hardy, Affirm Press) Mad Mabel (Sally Hepworth, Macmillan)
Reviewed by Gayle Williams If you’re an Australian true‑crime buff, you’ve almost certainly heard of Katherine Knight — the infamous “Butcher of Aberdeen.” In her book of the same name, Rojé Augustin recounts, with grisly precision, Knight’s violent assaults on her partners and, ultimately, the brutal murder of her final victim, John Price. Knight’s case
Reviewed by Ian Lipke An exploration of Jane R. Miles’s debut novel, Stay Buried, reveals a masterful blending of atmospheric terror and psychological depth. Described as crossing the claustrophobia of Room with the eerie outback mystery of Picnic at Hanging Rock, the novel utilizes its historical backdrop and sharply drawn figures to explore themes of
Furphy Literary Award With a record-breaking 881 entries submitted in 2026, the Furphy Literary Award (FLA) is one of Australia’s most reputable and prestigious short story competitions. Established in 1992 with the goal of encouraging and celebrating Australian writing in the short story form, the Award attracts a strong mix of published writers and fresh