ACT Book of the Year Award


The ACT Book of the Year Award is an annual prize of $10,000 awarded for a literary work of fiction, nonfiction or poetry written by an author from the Australian Capital Territory. The award was inaugurated in 1993 with $5,000 prize money. The Award showcases the talent and the excellence of local authors and is also intended to "inspire those who have an idea, a seed for a book to ‘pick up the pen’ and get writing".

Winners and select shortlist

YearAuthorTitlePublisherResultRef.
1993Marion HalliganLovers' KnotHeinemannJoint winners
1993A. D. HopeChance EncountersMelbourne University PressJoint winners
1994John FoulcherNew and Selected PoemsBrandl & SchlesingerWinner
1995Sara DowseSapphiresPenguin GroupWinner
1996Paul HetheringtonShadow SwimmerMolonglo PressWinner
1997ImagoSpinifex PressWinner
1998Lee ChittickTravelling With Percy : A South Coast JourneyAboriginal Studies PressWinner
1999Craig CormickUnwritten HistoriesAboriginal Studies PressWinner
2000Adrian CaesarThe White: Last days in the Antarctic Journeys of Scott and Mawson 1911-1913PicadorWinner
2001Alan GouldThe Schoonermaster's DanceFlamingoJoint Winners
2001Dorothy JohnstonThe Trojan DogWakefield PressJoint Winners
2002Jackie FrenchIn the BloodAngus & RobertsonWinner
2003John ClanchyThe Hard WordUniversity of Queensland PressWinner
2004Marion HalliganThe PointAllen & UnwinWinner
2005Tony KevinA Certain Maritime Incident : the sinking of SIEV XScribe PublicationsWinner
2006John ClanchyVincenzo's GardenUniversity of Queensland PressWinner
2007Sunday Menu : selected short stories of Pham Thi HoaiPandanusWinner
2008Tony KevinWalking the Camino : A Modern Pilgrimage to SantiagoScribe PublicationsWinner
2009Nicholas DraysonA Guide to the Birds of East Africa: A Novel VikingWinner
2010Marion HalliganValley of GraceAllen & UnwinWinner
2011Chris HammerThe River: A journey through the Murray-Darling BasinMelbourne University PressWinner
2012Bill GammageThe Biggest Estate on Earth: How Aborigines Made AustraliaAllen & UnwinWinner
2013Frank BongiornoThe Sex Lives of Australians : A HistoryBlack Inc.Winner
2014Gordon PeakeBeloved land: stories, Struggles and secrets from Timor-LesteScribe PublicationsWinner
2015Mark HenshawThe Snow KimonoText PublishingWinner
2016Frank BongiornoThe Eighties : the decade that transformed AustraliaBlack Inc.Winner
2017Tom GriffithsThe Art of Time Travel : Historians and their craftBlack Inc.Winner
2018Paul CollisDancing HomeUniversity of Queensland PressWinner
2019Robyn CadwalladerBook of ColoursHarperCollinsWinner
2020Lisa FullerGhost BirdUniversity of Queensland PressWinner
2021Subhash JairethSpinoza's Overcoat: Travels with Writers and PoetsTransit LoungeWinner
2022Lucy NeaveBelieve in MeUniversity of Queensland PressWinner
2022Merlinda BobisThe Kindness of BirdsHighly Commended
2022Dylan van den BergMilkHighly Commended
2022Omar MusaKillernovaHighly Commended
2022Tim BonyhadyTwo Afternoons in the Kabul Stadium: A History of Afghanistan Through Clothes, Carpets and the CameraShortlisted
2022Hugh PoateFailures of Command: The Death of Private Robert PoateShortlisted
2022Kaya WilsonAs Beautiful As Any Other: A Memoir of My BodyShortlisted
2023Frank BongiornoDreamers and Schemers: A political history of AustraliaLa Trobe University PressWinner
2023Julieanne LamondLohreyHighly Commended
2023Marion HalliganWords for LucyHighly Commended
2023Niki SavvaBulldozed: Scott Morrison’s fall and Anthony Albanese’s riseShortlisted
2023Katrina MarsonLegitimate Sexpectations: the power of sex-edShortlisted
2023Robert BowkerTomorrow There will be ApricotsShortlisted
2024Chris HammerThe SevenAllen & UnwinWinner
2024Ayesha InoonUntetheredHarperCollins AustraliaHighly Commended
2024J. Ashley-SmithThe Measure of Sorrow: StoriesMeerkat Press Highly Commended
2024Paul HetheringtonSleeplessnessPierian Springs PressShortlisted
2024Mavis Kerinaiua and Laura RademakerTiwi Story: Turning history downside upNewSouth PublishingShortlisted
2024Jackie FrenchThe Great Gallipoli EscapeAngus & Robertson Shortlisted
2025Darren Rix & Craig CormickWarra Warra WaiSimon & Schuster AustraliaWinner
2025Theodore EllLebanon DaysAtlantic Books Australia; Allen & Unwin Highly Commended
2025Qin QinModel Minority Gone RogueHachette AustraliaShortlisted
2025Andra PutnisStories My Grandmothers Didn’t Tell MeAllen & UnwinShortlisted