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Prime Minister's Literary Awards 2019

The 2019 Prime Minister's Literary Awards went to The Bible in Australia: A Cultural History by Meredith Lake (Australian History), His Name was Walter by Emily Rodda (Children's Literature) and The Death of Noah Glass by Gail Jones (Fiction), with winners in 3 more categories. 30 books made the shortlist across 6 categories.

Winners

Australian History

  1. The Bible in Australia: A Cultural History by Meredith Lakesource (opens in a new tab)

Children's Literature

  1. His Name was Walter by Emily Roddasource (opens in a new tab)

Fiction

  1. The Death of Noah Glass by Gail Jonessource (opens in a new tab)

Non-fiction

  1. Half the Perfect World: Writers, Dreamers and Drifters on Hydra, 1955–1964 by Paul Genoni and Tanya Dalziellsource (opens in a new tab)

Poetry

  1. Sun Music: New and Selected Poems by Judith Beveridgesource (opens in a new tab)

Young Adult Literature

  1. The Things That Will Not Stand by Michael Gerard Bauersource (opens in a new tab)

Shortlist

Australian History

  1. Dancing in Shadows: Histories of Nyungar Performance by Anna Haebichsource (opens in a new tab)
  2. Deep Time Dreaming: Uncovering Ancient Australia by Billy Griffithssource (opens in a new tab)
  3. The Land of Dreams: How Australians Won Their Freedom, 1788–1860 by David Kempsource (opens in a new tab)
  4. You Daughters of Freedom: The Australians Who Won the Vote by Clare Wrightsource (opens in a new tab)

Children's Literature

  1. Sonam and the Silence by Eddie Ayres and Ronak Tahersource (opens in a new tab)
  2. The Feather by Margaret Wild and Freya Blackwoodsource (opens in a new tab)
  3. The Incredible Freedom Machines by Kirli Saunders and Matt Ottleysource (opens in a new tab)
  4. Waiting for Chicken Smith by David Mackintoshsource (opens in a new tab)

Fiction

  1. A Stolen Season by Rodney Hallsource (opens in a new tab)
  2. Beautiful Revolutionary by Laura Elizabeth Woollettsource (opens in a new tab)
  3. Saudade by Suneeta Peres da Costasource (opens in a new tab)
  4. Too Much Lip by Melissa Lucashenkosource (opens in a new tab)

Non-fiction

  1. A Certain Light: A Memoir of Family, Loss and Hope by Cynthia Banhamsource (opens in a new tab)
  2. Axiomatic by Maria Tumarkinsource (opens in a new tab)
  3. Rusted Off: Why country Australia is fed up by Gabrielle Chansource (opens in a new tab)
  4. The Arsonist: A Mind on Fire by Chloe Hoopersource (opens in a new tab)

Poetry

  1. Blakwork by Alison Whittakersource (opens in a new tab)
  2. Click Here for What We Do by Pam Brownsource (opens in a new tab)
  3. Newcastle Sonnets by Keri Glastonburysource (opens in a new tab)
  4. Viva the Real by Jill Jonessource (opens in a new tab)

Young Adult Literature

  1. Between Us by Clare Atkinssource (opens in a new tab)
  2. Cicada by Shaun Tansource (opens in a new tab)
  3. Lenny’s Book of Everything by Karen Foxleesource (opens in a new tab)
  4. The Art of Taxidermy by Sharon Kernotsource (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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