ARA Historical Novel Prize
The ARA Historical Novel Prize is the richest individual literary prize in Australia and New Zealand with prize monies of $150,000 across two categories. The winner of the Adult category receives $100,000 with the Children and Young Adult winner receiving $30,000. The two shortlisted authors in each category receive $5,000 each, while the winner of the Reader's Choice Award also receives $5,000. The prize is run by the Historical Novel Society Australasia in partnership with the sponsor, ARA Group.
The 2020 Prize only awarded novels in the Adult category. The Children and Young Adults category was introduced in 2021 and the Reader's Choice Award was first awarded in 2025 for longlisted novels in the Adult category.
Definition
The Historical Novel Society Australasia explained the boundaries of the prize as follows: "The definition of the genre set by the Historical Novel Society Australasia is a novel in which the majority of the narrative, ie more than 50% of the events described, has taken place at least 50 years before publication."Historical sub-genres considered to be historical fiction include historical mystery, historical romance, and historical fantasy and alternate history. Time-slip novels, multiple-time period novels, and parallel narrative novels are also considered historical fiction with flexibility to crossover between eras stretching from 50 years or more in the past until contemporary times provided more than 50% of the events described take place at least 50 years before publication."
Announcement
The longlists for the ARA Historical Novel Prize are announced in September, the shortlists in early October and the winners later in the same month.Prize winners
| Year | Category | Author | Title | Publisher |
| 2025 | Adult | Robbie Arnott | Dusk | Picador |
| 2025 | Adult | Tasma Walton | I Am Nannertgarrook | Bundyi |
| 2025 | Children and Young Adult | Suzanne Leal | The Year We Escaped | HarperCollins |
| 2025 | Reader's Choice | Emily Maguire | Rapture | Allen & Unwin |
| 2024 | Adult | Melissa Lucashenko | Edenglassie | University of Queensland Press |
| 2024 | Children and Young Adult | Beverley McWilliams | Spies in the Sky | Pantera Press |
| 2023 | Adult | Gail Jones | Salonika Burning | Text Publishing |
| 2023 | Children and Young Adult | Amelia Mellor | The Bookseller’s Apprentice | Affirm Press |
| 2022 | Adult | Tom Keneally | Corporal Hitler's Pistol | Vintage |
| 2022 | Children and Young Adult | Katrina Nannestad | Rabbit, Soldier, Angel, Thief | HarperCollins |
| 2021 | Adult | Jock Serong | The Burning Island | Text Publishing |
| 2021 | Children and Young Adult | Katrina Nannestad | We are Wolves | ABC Books |
| 2020 | Adult | Mirandi Riwoe | Stone Sky Gold Mountain | University of Queensland Press |
Shortlisted and Longlisted works
Adult category
Children and Young Adult category
| Year | Author | Title | Publisher | Result |
| 2025 | - | - | - | |
| 2025 | Suzanne Leal | The Year We Escaped | HarperCollins | Winner |
| 2025 | Anna Ciddor | Moonboy | Allen and Unwin | Shortlisted |
| 2025 | Judith Rossell | The Midwatch | HGCP | Shortlisted |
| 2025 | Helen Edwards | On Gallant Wings | Riveted | Longlisted |
| 2025 | Sophie Masson | Our History: Bold Ben Hall | Walker Books | Longlisted |
| 2025 | Catherine Norton | Hester Hitchins and the Falling Stars | HarperCollins | Longlisted |
| 2025 | Lucie Stevens | RIP Nanny Tobbins | HarperCollins | Longlisted |
| 2025 | Marly & Linda Wells | Desert Tracks | Magabala Books | Longlisted |
| 2024 | - | - | - | |
| 2024 | Beverley McWilliams | Spies in the Sky | Pantera Press | Winner |
| 2024 | Jackie French | Secret Sparrow | HarperCollins | Shortlisted |
| 2024 | Rebecca Lim | Two Sparrowhawks in a Lonely Sky | Allen and Unwin | Shortlisted |
| 2024 | Nicki Greenburg | The Detective’s Guide to Paris | Affirm Press | Longlisted |
| 2024 | Katrina Nannestad | Silver Linings | ABC Books | Longlisted |
| 2024 | Catherine Norton | The Fortune Maker | HarperCollins | Longlisted |
| 2024 | Jackie Randall | Only Two | Self-Published | Longlisted |
| 2023 | - | - | - | - |
| 2023 | Amelia Mellor | The Bookseller's Apprentice | Affirm Press | Winner |
| 2023 | Suzanne Leal | Running with Ivan | HarperCollins | Shortlisted |
| 2023 | Katrina Nannestad | Waiting for the Storks | ABC Books | Shortlisted |
| 2023 | Jackie French | The Great Gallipoli Escape | HarperCollins | Longlisted |
| 2023 | Ellie Marney | The Killing Code | Allen and Unwin | Longlisted |
| 2023 | Lystra Rose | The Upwelling | Hachette Australia | Longlisted |
| 2023 | Pamela Rushby | The Mud Puddlers | Walker Books | Longlisted |
| 2023 | Philippa Werry | Iris and Me | Ahoy! An Imprint of The Cuba Press | Longlisted |
| 2023 | Sue Whiting | Tilda | Walker Books | Longlisted |
| 2022 | - | - | - | - |
| 2022 | Katrina Nannestad | Rabbit, Soldier, Angel, Thief | HarperCollins | Winner |
| 2022 | Brian Falkner | Katipo Joe: Wolf’s Lair | Scholastic New Zealand | Shortlisted |
| 2022 | Claire Saxby | The Wearing of the Green | Walker Books | Shortlisted |
| 2022 | Felice Arena | The Unstoppable Flying Flanagan | Penguin Books | Longlisted |
| 2022 | Meg Caddy | Slipping the Noose | Text Publishing | Longlisted |
| 2022 | Chloe Gong | Our Violent Ends | Hachette New Zealand | Longlisted |
| 2022 | Lauren Keenan | Amorangi and Millie’s Trip Through Time | Huia Publishing | Longlisted |
| 2022 | David Metzenthen | Augustin and the Hot Air Balloon | Ford Street Publishing | Longlisted |
| 2022 | Pamela Rushby | The Secret Battle | Eagle Books | Longlisted |
| 2021 | - | - | - | - |
| 2021 | Katrina Nannestad | We are Wolves | ABC Books | Winner |
| 2021 | Amelia Mellor | The Grandest Bookshop in the World | Affirm Press | Shortlisted |
| 2021 | Pamela Rushby | The Mummy Smugglers of Crumblin Castle | Walker Books | Shortlisted |
| 2021 | Anna Ciddor | The Boy Who Stepped Through Time | Allen and Unwin | Longlisted |
| 2021 | Jackie French | Night Ride into Danger | HarperCollins | Longlisted |
| 2021 | Suzanne Gervay | Heroes of the Secret Underground | HarperCollins | Longlisted |
| 2021 | Nicki Greenberg | The Detective’s Guide to Ocean Travel | Affirm Press | Longlisted |
| 2021 | Cameron Nunn | Echo in the Memory | Walker Books | Longlisted |
| 2021 | Richard Yaxley | Harmony | Scholastic | Longlisted |