ALS Gold Medal


The Australian Literature Society Gold Medal is awarded annually by the Association for the Study of Australian Literature for "an outstanding literary work in the preceding calendar year." From 1928 to 1974 it was awarded by the Australian Literature Society, then from 1983 by the Association for the Study of Australian Literature, when the two organisations were merged.

Award winners

1920s

1928: Martin Mills (Martin Boyd) – The Montforts1929: Henry Handel Richardson – ''Ultima Thule''

1930s

1930: Vance Palmer – The Passage1931: Frank Dalby Davison – Man-Shy1932: Leonard Mann – Flesh in Armour1933: G. B. Lancaster – Pageant1934: Eleanor Dark – Prelude to Christopher1935: Winifred Birkett – Earth's Quality1936: Eleanor Dark – Return to Coolami1937: Seaforth Mackenzie – The Young Desire It1938: R. D. FitzGerald – Moonlight Acre1939: Xavier Herbert – ''Capricornia''

1940s

1940: William Baylebridge – This Vital Flesh1941: Patrick White – Happy Valley1942: Kylie Tennant – The Battlers1943–1947: Not awarded1948: Herz Bergner – Between Sky and Sea1949: Percival Serle – ''Dictionary of Australian Biography''

1950s

1950: Jon Cleary – Just [Let Me Be]1951: Rex Ingamells – The [Great South Land : An Epic Poem]1952: T. A. G. Hungerford – The Ridge and the River : A Novel1954: Mary Gilmore – Fourteen Men1955: Patrick White – The Tree of Man1957: Martin Boyd – A Difficult Young Man1959: Randolph Stow – ''To the Islands''

1960s

1960: William Hart-Smith – Poems of Discovery1961: No Award1962: Vincent Buckley – Masters in Israel1963: John Morrison – Twenty-Three : Stories1964: Geoffrey Blainey – The Rush that Never Ended1965: Patrick White – The Burnt Ones1966: A. D. Hope

1970s

1970: Manning Clark1971: Colin Badger1972: Alex Buzo – Macquarie 1973: Francis Webb1974: David Malouf – Neighbours in a Thicket1975–79: ''No Award''

1980s

1980: No Award1981: No Award1982: No Award1983: David Malouf – Child's Play; Fly Away Peter1984: Les Murray – The People's Otherworld : Poems1985: David Ireland – Archimedes and the Seagle1986: Thea Astley – Beachmasters1987: Alan Wearne – The Nightmarkets1988: Brian Matthews – Louisa1989: Frank Moorhouse – ''Forty-Seventeen''

1990s

1990: Peter Porter – Possible Worlds1991: Elizabeth Jolley – Cabin Fever1992: Rodney Hall – The Second Bridegroom1993: Elizabeth Riddell – Selected Poems1994: Louis Nowra – Radiance and The Temple1995: Helen Demidenko – The Hand That Signed the Paper1996: Amanda Lohrey – Camille's Bread1997: Robert Dessaix – Night Letters1998: James Cowan – A Mapmaker's Dream1999: Murray Bail – ''Eucalyptus''

2000s

2000: Drusilla Modjeska – Stravinsky's Lunch2001: Rodney Hall – The Day We Had Hitler Home2002: Richard Flanagan – Gould's Book of Fish2003: Kate Jennings – Moral Hazard2004: Laurie Duggan – Mangroves2005: Gail Jones – Sixty Lights2006: Gregory Day – The [Patron Saint of Eels]2007: Alexis Wright – Carpentaria2008: Michelle de Kretser – The Lost Dog2009: Christos Tsiolkas – ''The Slap''

2010s

2010: David Malouf – Ransom2011: Kim Scott – That Deadman Dance2012: Gillian Mears – Foal's Bread2013: Michelle de Kretser – Questions of Travel2014: Alexis Wright – The Swan Book2015: Jennifer Maiden – Drones and Phantoms2016: Brenda Niall – Mannix2017: Zoe Morrison – Music and Freedom2018: Shastra Deo – The Agonist2019: Pam Brown – ''click here for what we do''

2020s

2020: Charmaine Papertalk Green – Nganajungu Yagu2021: Nardi Simpson – Song of the Crocodile2022: Andy Jackson – Human Looking2023: Debra Dank – We Come With This Place2024: Alexis Wright – Praiseworthy2025: Fiona McFarlane – ''Highway 13''

Shortlisted works

YearAuthor nameWork nominatedResultRef
2025Fiona McFarlaneHighway 13Winner
2025Bonny CassidyMonumentShortlisted
2025Brian CastroChinese PostmanShortlisted
2025Melanie ChengThe BurrowShortlisted
2025Helen GarnerThe SeasonShortlisted
2025Nam Le36 Ways of Writing a Vietnamese PoemShortlisted
2025Siang LuGhost CitiesShortlisted
2024Alexis WrightPraiseworthyWinner
2024Jordie AlbistonFrankShortlisted
2024Stuart BarnesLike to the LarkShortlisted
2024Katherine BrabonBody FriendShortlisted
2024J. M. CoetzeeThe Pole and Other StoriesShortlisted
2024Omar SakrNon-Essential WorkShortlisted
2024Sara M. SalehThe Flirtation of Girls/Ghazal el-BanatShortlisted
2023Debra DankWe Come With This PlaceWinner
2023Robbie ArnottLimberlostShortlisted
2023Fiona Kelly McGregorIrisShortlisted
2023Gavin Yuan GaoAt the Altar of TouchShortlisted
2023Adam OustonWaypointsShortlisted
2023Charmaine Papertalk Green & John KinsellaARTShortlisted
2022Andy JacksonHuman LookingWinner
2022Emily BittoWild AbandonShortlisted
2022John KinsellaPushing BackShortlisted
2022S. J. NormanPermafrostShortlisted
2022Elfie ShiosakiHomecomingShortlisted
2022Maria TakolanderTrigger WarningShortlisted
2021Nardi SimpsonSong of the CrocodileWinner
2021Robbie ArnottThe Rain HeronShortlisted
2021Ronnie ScottThe AdversaryShortlisted
2021Ellen van NeervenThroatShortlisted
2021Luke BestCadaver DogShortlisted
2021Laura Jean McKayThe Animals in That CountryShortlisted
2020Charmaine Papertalk Green Nganajungu YaguWinner
2020Jordie AlbistonElementShortlisted
2020Favel ParrettThere Was Still LoveShortlisted
2020Carrie TiffanyExploded ViewShortlisted
2020Charlotte WoodThe WeekendShortlisted
2019Pam Brown click here for what we doWinner
2019Luke BeesleyAqua SpinachShortlisted
2019Laura Elizabeth WoollettBeautiful RevolutionaryShortlisted
2019Charmaine Papertalk Green & John KinsellaFalse Claims of Colonial ThievesShortlisted
2019Jamie Marina LauPink Mountain on Locust IslandShortlisted
2019Gail JonesThe Death of Noah GlassShortlisted
2018Shastra Deo The AgonistWinner
2018Peter CareyA Long Way from HomeShortlisted
2018Eva HornungThe Last GardenShortlisted
2018Sofie LagunaThe ChokeShortlisted
2018Steven LangHinterlandShortlisted
2018Gerald MurnaneBorder DistrictsShortlisted
2017Zoe Morrison Music and FreedomWinner
2017Steven AmsterdamThe Easy Way OutShortlisted
2017Georgia BlainBetween a Wolf and a DogShortlisted
2017Peter BoyleGhostspeakingShortlisted
2017Heather RoseThe [Museum of Modern Love]Shortlisted
2017Rajith SavanadasaRuinsShortlisted
2016Brenda Niall MannixWinner
2016James BradleyCladeShortlisted
2016Tegan Bennett DaylightSix BedroomsShortlisted
2016Drusilla ModjeskaSecond Half FirstShortlisted
2015Jennifer Maiden Drones and PhantomsWinner
2015Joan LondonThe Golden AgeShortlisted
2015David MaloufEarth HourShortlisted
2015Favel ParrettWhen the Night ComesShortlisted
2015Inga SimpsonNestShortlisted
2014Alexis Wright The Swan BookWinner
2014Eleanor LimprechtWhat Was LeftShortlisted
2014Luke CarmanAn Elegant Young ManShortlisted
2014Hannah KentBurial RitesShortlisted
2014Christos TsiolkasBarracudaShortlisted
2014Alex MillerCoal CreekShortlisted
2013Michelle de Kretser Questions of TravelWinner
2013Jessie ColeDarkness on the Edge of TownShortlisted
2013Robert DreweMontebelloShortlisted
2013Christopher KochLost VoicesShortlisted
2013P. A. O’ReillyThe Fine Colour of RustShortlisted
2012Gillian Mears Foal's BreadWinner
2012Steven AmsterdamWhat the Family NeededShortlisted
2012Christopher EdwardsPeople of EarthShortlisted
2012Diane FaheyThe Wing Collection: New & Selected poemsShortlisted
2012Favel ParrettPast The ShallowsShortlisted
2012Anna FunderAll That I AmShortlisted
2012Gail JonesFive BellsShortlisted
2012Alex MillerAutumn LaingShortlisted
2012Elliot PerlmanThe Street SweeperShortlisted
2012Gig RyanGig Ryan: New and Selected PoemsShortlisted
2012Jaya SavigeSurface to AirShortlisted
2011Kim Scott That Deadman DanceWinner
2011Peter BoyleApocryphaShortlisted
2011Peter GoldsworthyGravelShortlisted
2011Kirsten TranterThe LegacyShortlisted
2011Chris WomersleyBereftShortlisted
2010David Malouf RansomWinner
2010Emily BallouThe Darwin PoemsShortlisted
2010Steven CarrollThe Lost LifeShortlisted
2010Eva HornungDog BoyShortlisted
2010Cate KennedyThe World BeneathShortlisted
2009Christos Tsiolkas The SlapWinner
2009John ClanchyHer Father's DaughterShortlisted
2009Helen GarnerThe Spare RoomShortlisted
2009Evelyn JuersHouse of Exile: The Life and Times of Heinrich Mann and Nelly Kroeger-MannShortlisted
2009John KinsellaDivine Comedy: Journeys Through Regional GeographyShortlisted
2009Chris Wallace-CrabbeTelling a Hawk from a HandsawShortlisted
2008Michelle de Kretser The Lost DogWinner
2008J. S. HarryNot Finding WittgensteinShortlisted
2008Rhyll McMasterFeather ManShortlisted
2008David MaloufTypewriter MusicShortlisted
2008Alex MillerLandscape of FarewellShortlisted