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Prime Minister's Literary Awards 2011

The 2011 Prime Minister's Literary Awards went to Shake a leg by Boori Monty Pryor and Jan Ormerod (Children's Literature), Traitor by Stephen Daisley (Fiction) and The hard light of day: An artist’s story of friendships in Arrernte country by Rod Moss (Non-fiction), with winners in 1 more category. 20 books made the shortlist across 4 categories.

Winners

Children's Literature

  1. Shake a leg by Boori Monty Pryor and Jan Ormerodsource (opens in a new tab)

Fiction

  1. Traitor by Stephen Daisleysource (opens in a new tab)

Non-fiction

  1. The hard light of day: An artist’s story of friendships in Arrernte country by Rod Mosssource (opens in a new tab)

Young Adult Literature

  1. Graffiti moon by Cath Crowleysource (opens in a new tab)

Shortlist

Children's Literature

  1. April Underhill, tooth fairy by Bob Grahamsource (opens in a new tab)
  2. Flyaway by Lucy Christophersource (opens in a new tab)
  3. Now by Morris Gleitzmansource (opens in a new tab)
  4. Why I love Australia by Bronwyn Bancroftsource (opens in a new tab)

Fiction

  1. Glissando: A Melodrama by David Musgravesource (opens in a new tab)
  2. Notorious by Roberta Lowingsource (opens in a new tab)
  3. That deadman dance by Kim Scottsource (opens in a new tab)
  4. When Colts Ran by Roger McDonaldsource (opens in a new tab)

Non-fiction

  1. Claude Levi-Strauss: the poet in the laboratory by Patrick Wilckensource (opens in a new tab)
  2. How to make gravy by Paul Kellysource (opens in a new tab)
  3. Sydney by Delia Falconersource (opens in a new tab)
  4. The party by Richard McGregorsource (opens in a new tab)

Young Adult Literature

  1. About a girl by Joanne Hornimansource (opens in a new tab)
  2. The good oil by Laura Buzosource (opens in a new tab)
  3. The piper’s son by Melina Marchettasource (opens in a new tab)
  4. The three loves of Persimmon by Cassandra Goldssource (opens in a new tab)

About the Prime Minister's Literary Awards

Winners and shortlists from Creative Australia's per-year winners, shortlist and judges pages (2008-2024) and its 2025 shortlist and winners media releases. Year is the award year. Fiction and non-fiction run from 2008, children's and young adult from 2010, poetry and Australian history from 2012 (the earlier standalone Prime Minister's Prize for Australian History is excluded). Joint winners appear as separate Winner rows. Fallbacks and fixes: 2017 fiction comes from Wikipedia because the official 2017 page repeats the 2018 fiction shortlist; the 2023 history winner is cited to the 2023 winners release because the official page doesn't mark it; author-name typos and misattributions on the official pages are corrected (e.g. Bill Gammage, Evie Wyld, K. M. Kruimink); the TV series Immigration Nation on the 2012 history shortlist is excluded as not a book, so expected counts cover books only.

Organization: Creative Australia. Years are award years, which can differ from publication years. Official site (opens in a new tab)

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