ACT Literary Awards


The ACT Literary Awards, formerly known as the ACT Writing and Publishing Awards, are a suite of Australian literary honours coordinated and presented annually by MARION. The awards recognise outstanding literary achievement in Canberra and surrounding regions, with categories spanning fiction, nonfiction, poetry, and children's literature. The suite also includes in memoriam prizes and funded mentorships that support both emerging and established writers.

History

The ACT Writers Centre was established in 1994 to support writers in the Australian Capital Territory.
The inaugural ACT Writing and Publishing Awards were presented in 2004.
In 2022, the organisation was renamed MARION ACT, and the awards became known as the MARION Book Awards. Since then, the awards program has evolved into the ACT Literary Awards, which now encompasses multiple categories across fiction, nonfiction, poetry, and children's literature. The suite also includes memorial prizes honouring distinguished individuals, as well as funded mentorships for emerging and established writers.

Categories

In 2004, the Centre launched the ACT Writing and Publishing Awards, coordinated and presented annually to recognise excellence in local writing.
In 2022, the organisation rebranded as MARION, and the awards were briefly renamed the MARION Book Awards. Since then, the program has expanded and evolved into the ACT Literary Awards, coordinated by MARION as part of its annual programming. The awards now include categories for fiction, nonfiction, poetry, and children's literature, and also incorporate in memoriam prizes and funded mentorships supporting both emerging and established writers in the ACT and surrounding regions.
In 2023, MARION introduced the MARION Fellowship, a developmental opportunity open to emerging writers, regardless of location. In 2024, the Marion Halligan Award was established in memory of acclaimed Australian author Marion Halligan OAM. This award recognises work that demonstrates uniqueness, literary excellence, and a capacity to surpass genre. It is selected from across all categories of the ACT Literary Awards.

List of winners

2024 AWARDS

Fiction Self-published
  • Highly Commended: The Last Famine by Elisa Cristallo
Fiction Traditional Publishing
  • Winner: Girl in a Pink Dress by Kylie Needham
  • Highly Commended: Untethered by Ayesha Inoon
NonFiction Self-published
  • Winner: Neither King nor Saint by Helen Topor
NonFiction Traditional Publishing
  • Winner: Bennelong & Phillip: A History Unravelled by Kate Fullagar
  • Highly Commended: Helena Rubinstein: The Australian Years by Angus Trumble
Children's Self-published
  • Winner: That Book About Space Stuff by David Conley
  • Highly Commended: Phoenix and Ralph by Barbie Robinson, ill. Ian Robertson
Children's Traditional Publishing
  • Winner - PICTURE BOOK: The Turtle and the Flood by Jackie French, ill. Danny Snell
  • Winner - NONFICTION: Wildlife Compendium of the World by Tania McCartney
  • Winner - OLDER READERS: We Didn't Think It Through by Gary Lonesborough
  • Highly Commended: Neil the Amazing Sea Cucumber by Amelia McInerney, ill. Lucinda Gifford
  • Highly Commended: Phonobet by Kathy Weeden, ill. Kim Drane
  • Highly Commended: Surprise at the End of Onkaparinga Lane by Rhian Williams, ill. Martina Heiduczek
Poetry Traditional Publishing
  • Winner: The Moon the Bone: Selected Poems 1986-2022 by Tim Metcalf
  • Highly Commended: Meaty Bones by K A Nelson
  • Highly Commended: Apostles of Anarchy by Sandra Renew
The MARION Overall Special Book Award 2023
  • Winner: Whitefella Yella Tree by Dylan Van Den Berg
The June Shenfield Poetry Award
  • First Place: Cate Furey, Momentum
  • Second Place: Lucinda Ferguson, Wasabi Peas
  • Third Place: Hayden William, Now Who Let These Thoughts In?
The Anne Edgeworth Fellowship for Emerging Writers
  • Joint Award Winners: Jemima Parker and Gill Watson
The Marion Halligan Award Sleeplessness by Paul Hetherington
Marion Fellowship Award 24/25 awarded to'' Callie Scott-Doyle
JUDGES 2024 - Fiction: Beejay Silcox. Nonfiction: Frank Bongiorno. Poetry: Dr Paul Collis. Children's Book: Krys Saclier. The June Shenfield Poetry Award: Dan Hogan.

2023 AWARDS

Fiction Small Press
  • Winner: Then Eve by Tanya Davies
Fiction Big Press
  • Winner: The Tilt by Chris Hammer
NonFiction Small Press
  • Winner: Neither King nor Saint by Helen Topor
NonFiction Big Press
  • Winner: The Glass Cricket Ball by Jan Williams Smith
  • Highly Commended: Legitimate Sexpectations by Katrina Marson
Children's Small Press
  • Winner: Charles the Gallery Dog by Barbie Robinson, ill. Ian Robertson
Children's Big Press
  • Winner: Diary of a Rescued Wombat: The untold story by Jackie French, ill. Bruce Whatley
  • Highly Commended: Swifty the Super-Fast Parrot by Stephanie Owen Reeder, ill. Astred Hicks
  • Highly Commended: Seree's Story by Irma Gold, ill. Wayne Harris
Poetry Small Press
  • Winner: Translating Loss: A haiku collection by Maurice Nevile
Poetry Big Press
  • Winner: Beloved by Penelope Layland
  • Highly Commended: Waterlines by Peter Ramm
The MARION Overall Special Book Award 2023
  • Winner: Whitefella Yella Tree by Dylan Van Den Berg
The June Shenfield Poetry Award
  • First Place: Rhian Healy
  • Second Place: Alana Kelsall
  • Third Place: Rebecca Fleming
The Anne Edgeworth Fellowship for Emerging Writers
  • Linda Chen
Marion Fellowship Award 23/24 awarded to Maya Hodge
JUDGES 2023 - Fiction: Lucy Neave. Nonfiction: Jessica Friedmann. Poetry: Subhash Jaireth. Children's Book: Anna Branford. The June Shenfield Poetry Award: Paul Hetherington.

2022 AWARDS

Fiction Small Press
  • Winner: Everything I Am by Jenny Bond
  • Highly Commended: Dear Ibis by Kate Liston-Mills
Fiction Big Press
  • Winner: Milk by Dylan van den Berg
NonFiction Small Press
  • Winner: Coolamon Girl by Dianne Lucas
NonFiction Big Press
  • Winner: Summertime by Danielle Celermajer
Children's Small Press
  • Winner: Where the Heart Is by Irma Gold, ill. Susannah Crispe
  • Highly Commended: All Dogs Bark by Catherine Meatheringham and Deb Hudson
Children's Big Press
  • Winner: The Last Dragon by Charles Massy, ill. Mandy Foot
  • Highly Commended: Wiradjuri Country by Larry Brandy
Poetry Small Press
  • Winner: It's the Sugar, Sugar by Sandra Renew
  • Highly Commended: Text/ure by Sarah Rice
  • Highly Commended: Chalk Borders by Sarah St Vincent Welch
Poetry Big Press
  • Winner: The Wear of My Face by Lizz Murphy
The ACT Writers Overall Special Book Award 2022
  • Winner: Killernova by Omar Musa
  • Winner: The Wear of My Face by Lizz Murphy
The June Shenfield Poetry Award
  • First Place: If I Put It In A Poem by Rosa O’Kane
  • Second Place: In the Oxford book of ballads by Andrew Spiker
  • Third Place: Armillaris by Claire Miranda Roberts
The Anne Edgeworth Fellowship for Emerging Writers
  • Joint Awards Winners: Julia Faragher and Samantha Tidy
JUDGES 2022 - Fiction: Robyn Cadwallader, Shelley Burr. Nonfiction: Nicole Moore, Ginger Gorman. Poetry: Lucy Alexander, Samia Goudie. Children's: Tracey Hawkins, David Conley. The Marjorie Graber-McInnis Short Story Award, Beatrice Smith.

2021 AWARDS

Fiction Small Press
  • Winner: Neon Leviathan by TR Napper
  • Highly Commended: The Philosopher's Daughters by Alison Booth
Fiction Big Press
  • Winner: Desire Lines by Felicity Volk
NonFiction Small Press
  • Winner: Pandemic: The Spanish Flu in Australia 1918-1920 by Ian W. Shaw
  • Highly Commended: The Philosopher's Daughters by Alison Booth
NonFiction Big Press
  • Winner: Radio Girl: The Story of the Extraordinary Mrs Mac, Pioneering Engineer and Wartime Legend by David Dufty
Children's Small Press
  • Winner: Vote for Me by Krys Saclier, ill. Cathy Wilcox
  • Highly Commended: Feathers by Karen Hendriks, ill. Kim Fleming
Children's Big Press
  • Winner: Hold On! Saving the Spotted Handfish by Gina Newton, ill. Rachel Tribout
  • Highly Commended: Australia's Wild Weird Wonderful Weather by Stephanie Owen Reeder, ill. Tania McCartney
Poetry Small Press
  • Winner: Nigh by Penelope Layland
  • Highly Commended: Utterly by PS Cottier
Poetry Big Press
  • not awarded
The ACT Writers Overall Book Award 2021
  • Winner: On a Barbarous Coast by Craig Cormick, Harold Ludwick
JUDGES 2021 - Fiction: Robyn Cadwallader, Shelley Burr. Nonfiction: Nicole Moore, Ginger Gorman. Poetry: Lucy Alexander, Samia Goudie. Children's Book: Tracey Hawkins, David Conley. The Marjorie Graber-McInnis Short Story Award: Beatrice Smith.