2010 in Australian literature

For an overview of world literature, see 2010 in literature.

This article presents a list of the historical events and publications of Australian literature during 2010.

Events

• 26 January – Peter Goldsworthy is awarded a Member (AM) in the General Division in the Australia Day Honours List. ^[1]
• February – The "Australian Book Review" magazine conducted a poll of its readers and announces that Cloudstreet by Tim Winton is Australia's favourite novel. ^[2]
• 22 June – Peter Temple wins the Miles Franklin Award for his novel Truth ^[3] becoming the first crime novel to do so.

Major publications

Literary fiction

• Jon Bauer – Rocks in the Belly ^[4]
• Carmel Bird – Child of the Twilight ^[5]
• Ashley Hay – The Body in the Clouds ^[6]
• Anita Heiss – Manhattan Dreaming ^[7]
• Toni Jordan – Fall Girl ^[8]
• Amanda Lohrey – Reading Madame Bovary (short story collection)
• Roger McDonald – When Colts Ran
• Fiona McGregor – Indelible Ink
• Monica McInerney – At Home with the Templetons ^[9]
• D.B.C. Pierre – Lights Out in Wonderland ^[10]
• Jessica Rudd – Campaign Ruby ^[11]
• Kim Scott – That Deadman Dance
• Chris Womersley – Bereft

Children's and Young Adult fiction

• Alexandra Adornetto – Halo ^[12]
• Mem Fox – Let's Count Goats!
• Sonya Hartnett – The Midnight Zoo
• Rebecca James – Beautiful Malice ^[13]
• Alison Lester – Noni the Pony
• Doug MacLeod – The Life of a Teenage Body-Snatcher ^[14]
• Melina Marchetta – The Piper's Son ^[15]
• Garth Nix – Lord Sunday
• Markus Zusak – Bridge of Clay

Science Fiction and Fantasy

• Trudi Canavan – The Ambassador's Mission ^[16]
• Sara Douglass – The Infinity Gate ^[17]
• Greg Egan – Zendegi
• Fiona McIntosh – King's Wrath ^[18]
• Sean McMullen – "Eight Miles"
• Juliet Marillier – Seer of Sevenwaters ^[19]
• Scott Westerfeld – Behemoth ^[20]
• Sean Williams
  • The Force Unleashed II
  • Star Wars: The Old Republic: Fatal Alliance

Crime and Mystery

• Lenny Bartulin – The Black Russian ^[21]
• John Birmingham – After America
• Honey Brown – The Good Daughter
• Peter Corris – Torn Apart ^[22]
• Garry Disher – Wyatt
• Kathryn Fox – Death Mask ^[23]
• Kerry Greenwood – Dead Man's Chest: A Phryne Fisher Mystery ^[24]
• Katherine Howell – Cold Justice ^[25]
• Adrian Hyland – Gunshot Road ^[26]
• Colleen McCullough – Naked Cruelty ^[27]
• Geoff McGeachin – The Diggers Rest Hotel
• Tara Moss – The Blood Countess ^[28]
• P. M. Newton – The Old School ^[29]
• Malla Nunn – Let the Dead Lie ^[30]
• Leigh Redhead – Thrill City ^[31]
• Michael Robotham – Bleed for Me ^[32]
• Angela Savage – The Half-Child ^[33]
• David Whish-Wilson – Line of Sight ^[34]

Poetry

• Christopher Kelen – The Whole Forest Dancing: Poems on Four Legs in the Morning ^[35]
• Brook Emery ed. (with Victoria Haritos), Science Made Marvelous Series: Earthly Matters: Biology and Geology Poems ^[36]
• Brook Emery ed. (with Victoria Haritos), Science Made Marvelous Series: Law and Impulse: Maths and Chemistry Poems ^[37]
• Brook Emery ed. (with John L Sheppard and Victoria Haritos), Science Made Marvelous Series: Holding Patterns: Physics and Engineering Poems ^[38]
• Les Murray – Taller When Prone ^[39]
• Dorothy Porter – Love Poems ^[40]
• Peter Porter – The Rest on the Flight: Selected Poems ^[41]
• Thomas Shapcott – Parts of Us ^[42]
• John Tranter – Starlight: 150 Poems ^[43]
• Mark Tredinnick – Fire Diary ^[44]

Biography

• Blanche d'Alpuget – Hawke: The Prime Minister ^[45]
• Jeff Apter – Together Alone: The Story of the Finn Brothers ^[46]
• Jim Davidson – A Three Cornered Life: The Historian W.K. Hancock ^[47]
• Sheila Fitzpatrick – My Father's Daughter
• Malcolm Fraser & Margaret Simons – Malcolm Fraser: The Political Memoirs ^[48]
• Rob Mundle – Bligh: Master Mariner ^[49]
• Anne Pender – One Man Show: The Stages of Barry Humphries ^[50]
• Mark Logue & Peter Conradi – The King's Speech: How One Man Saved the British Monarchy ^[51]

Awards and honours

Lifetime achievement

Award	Author
Christopher Brennan Award [52]	Peter Steele
Patrick White Award [53]	David Foster

Literary

Award	Author	Title	Publisher
The Age Book of the Year [54]	Alex Miller	Lovesong	Allen & Unwin
ALS Gold Medal [55]	David Malouf	Ransom	Knopf Australia
Colin Roderick Award [56]	Michael Cathcart	The Water Dreamers	Text Publishing
Indie Book Awards Book of the Year [57]	Not awarded
Nita Kibble Literary Award [58]	Shirley Walker	The Ghost at the Wedding	Viking

Fiction

International

Award	Region	Category	Author	Title	Publisher
Commonwealth Writers' Prize [59]	SE Asia and South Pacific	Best First Book	Glenda Guest	Siddon Rock	Vintage Australia

National

Award	Author	Title	Publisher
Adelaide Festival Awards for Literature [60]	David Malouf	Ransom	Random House
The Age Book of the Year Award [54]	Alex Miller	Lovesong	Allen & Unwin
The Australian/Vogel Literary Award [61]	Not awarded (change of award year date)
Barbara Jefferis Award [62]	Kristina Olsson	The China Garden	University of Queensland Press
Indie Book Awards Book of the Year – Fiction [57]	Not awarded
Indie Book Awards Book of the Year – Debut Fiction [57]	Not awarded
Miles Franklin Award [63]	Peter Temple	Truth	Text Publishing
Prime Minister's Literary Awards [64]	Eva Hornung	Dog Boy	Text Publishing
New South Wales Premier's Literary Awards [65]	J.M. Coetzee	Summertime	Harvill Secker
Queensland Premier's Literary Awards [66]	J.M. Coetzee	Summertime	Harvill Secker
South Australian Premier's Awards	David Malouf	Ransom	Knopf Australia
Victorian Premier's Literary Award [67]	Peter Temple	Truth	Text Publishing
Western Australian Premier's Book Awards [68]	Kim Scott	That Deadman Dance	Picador

Children and Young Adult

National

Award	Category	Author	Title	Publisher
Children's Book of the Year Award [69]	Older Readers	David Metzenthen	Jarvis 24	Penguin Group
	Younger Readers	Odo Hirsch	Darius Bell and the Glitter Pond	Allen & Unwin
	Picture Book	Gregory Rogers	The Hero of Little Street	Allen & Unwin
	Early Childhood	Lisa Shanahan, illus. Emma Quay	Bear & Chook By the Sea	Lothian
Indie Book Awards Book of the Year [57]	Children's & YA	Not Awarded
New South Wales Premier's Literary Awards [65]	Children's	Allan Baillie	Krakatoa Lighthouse	Penguin Books Australia
	Young People's	Pamela Rushby	When the Hipchicks Went to War	Hachette
Queensland Premier's Literary Awards [66]	Children's	Sally Murphy	Toppling	Walker Books
	Young Adult	Richard Yaxley	Drink the Air	Richard Yaxley
South Australian Premier's Awards	Children's	Shaun Tan	Tales from Outer Suburbia	Allen and Unwin
Victorian Premier's Literary Award [67]	Young Adult Fiction	Kirsty Eagar	Raw Blue	Penguin Group
Western Australian Premier's Book Awards	Children's	Sally Murphy	Toppling	Walker Books
	Writing for Young Adults	Scott Gardner	Happy as Larry	Allen and Unwin
		James Roy	Anonymity Jones	Woolshed Press

Crime and Mystery

National

Award	Category	Author	Title	Publisher
Davitt Award [70]	Novel	Marianne Delacourt	Sharp Shooter	Arena
	Young adult novel	Justine Larbalestier	Liar	Allen & Unwin
	True crime	Ellen Connolly and Candace Sutton	Ladykiller	Allen & Unwin
	Readers' choice	Kerry Greenwood	Forbidden Fruit	Allen & Unwin
Ned Kelly Award [71]	Novel	Garry Disher	Wyatt	Text Publishing
	First novel	Mark Dapin	King of the Cross	Pan Macmillan
	True crime	Kathy Marks	Pitcairn: Paradise Lost	Fourth Estate
	Lifetime achievement	Peter Doyle

Science fiction

Award	Category	Author	Title	Publisher
Aurealis Award	SF Novel	Marianne de Pierres	Transformation Space	Orbit Books
	SF Short Story	K.J. Bishop	"The House of a Mouse"	Subterrannean Online
	Fantasy Novel	Tansy Rayner Roberts	Power and Majesty	HarperVoyager
	Fantasy Short Story	Thoraiya Dyer	"Yowie"	Twelfth Planet Press (Sprawl)
		L.L. Hannett and Angela Slatter	"The February Dragon"	Ticonderoga Publications (Scary Kisses)
	Horror Novel	Kirstyn McDermott	Madigan Mine	Pan Macmillan
	Horror Short Story	Richard Harland	"The Fear"	Brimstone Press (Macabre: A Journey Through Australia's Darkest Fears)
Australian Shadows Award	Long Fiction	Bob Franklin	Under Stones	Affirm Press
	Edited Publication	Angela Challis & Marty Young	Macabre: A Journey through Australia's Darkest Fears	Brimstone Press
	Short Fiction	Kirstyn McDermott	"She Said"	Scenes from the Second Storey, Morrigan Books
Ditmar Award	Novel	Kaaron Warren	Slights	Angry Robot Books
	Novella/Novelette	Paul Haines	"Wives"	X6 (Coeur de Lion)
	Short Story	Cat Sparks	"Seventeen"	Masques (CSFG)
	Collected Work	Geoffrey Maloney ed.	Slice of Life, Paul Haines	The Mayne Press

Poetry

Award	Author	Title	Publisher
Adelaide Festival Awards for Literature [60]	Bronwyn Lea	The Other Way Out	Giramondo Publishing
The Age Book of the Year [54]	Jennifer Maiden	Pirate Rain	Giramondo Publishing
Anne Elder Award [72]	Rosanna Licari	An Absence of Saints	University of Queensland Press
Grace Leven Prize for Poetry [73]	David Musgrave	Phantom Limb	John Leonard Press
	LK Holt	Patience, Mutiny	John Leonard Press
	Petra White	The Simplified World	John Leonard Press
Mary Gilmore Prize [74]	Joanna Preston	The Summer King	Otago University Press
New South Wales Premier's Literary Awards [65]	Jordie Albiston	the sonnet according to 'm'	John Leonard Press
Queensland Premier's Literary Awards [66]	Peter Boyle	Apocrypha	Vagabond Press
Victorian Premier's Literary Award [67]	Anna Kerdijk Nicholson	Possession	Five Islands Press
Western Australian Premier's Book Awards [68]	Mark Tredinnick	Fire Diary	Puncher and Wattmann

Drama

Award	Category	Author	Title	Publisher
New South Wales Premier's Literary Awards	Script	Jane Campion	Bright Star	BBC Films; Screen Australia; UK Film Council; New South Wales Film and Television Office
		Aviva Ziegler	Fairweather Man	Fury Productions
Patrick White Playwrights' Award	Award	Melissa Bubnic	Beached	Currency Press
	Fellowship	Raimondo Cortese

Non-Fiction

Award	Category	Author	Title	Publisher
Adelaide Festival Awards for Literature [60]	Non-Fiction	Jill Roe	Stella Miles Franklin	Fourth Estate/HarperCollins
The Age Book of the Year [54]	Non-fiction	Kate Howarth	Ten Hail Marys	Penguin Books
Children's Book of the Year Award	Eve Pownall Award for Information Books	Peter Macinnis	Australian Backyard Explorer	National Library of Australia
Davitt Award	True crime	Ellen Connolly and Candace Sutton	Lady Killer	Allen & Unwin
National Biography Award [75]	Biography	Brian Matthews	Manning Clark: A Life	Allen & Unwin
Indie Book Awards Book of the Year [57]	Non-Fiction	Not awarded
Prime Minister's Literary Awards	Non-fiction	Grace Karskens	The Colony: A History of Early Sydney	Allen & Unwin
New South Wales Premier's Literary Awards [65]	Non-fiction	Paul McGeough	Kill Khalid: Mossad's failed hit ... and the rise of Hamas	Allen & Unwin
New South Wales Premier's History Awards	Australian History	Bain Attwood	Possession: Batman's Treaty and the Matter of History	Melbourne University Publishing
	Community and Regional History	Pauline Curby	Randwick	Randwick Municipal Council
	General History	Lisa Ford	Settler Sovereignty: Jurisdiction and Indigenous People in America and Australia, 1788-1836	Harvard University Press
	Young People's	Jackie French	The Night They Stormed Eureka	HarperCollins
Queensland Premier's Literary Awards [66]	Non-fiction	Mark Tredinnick	The Blue Plateau: A Landscape Memoir	UQP
	History	Ian Hoskins	Sydney Harbour: A history,	NewSouth Books
Victorian Premier's Literary Award [67]	Non-fiction	Brenda Walker	Reading by Moonlight: How Books Saved a Life	Penguin Books
Western Australian Premier's Book Awards	Non-fiction	Jim Davidson	The Historian: W K Hancock	University of New South Wales Press
	Western Australian history	Susanna Iuliano	Vite Italiane, Italian Lives in Western Australia	University of Western Australia Press

Deaths

• 15 March — Patricia Wrightson, author (born 1921) ^[76]
• 23 April — Peter Porter, author (born 1929) ^[77]
• 29 May — Randolph Stow, author (died in England)(born 1935) ^[78]
• 9 July — Jessica Anderson, author (born 1916) ^[79]
• 19 July — Jon Cleary, author (born 1917) ^[80]
• 6 September — John McKellar, playwright (born 1930) ^[81]
• 8 September — Donald Horne, author (born 1921) ^[82]
• 6 October — David Rowbotham, author (born 1924) ^[83]
• 14 November — Bobbi Sykes, poet and author (born 1943) ^[84]
• 14 December — Ruth Park, author (born 1917) ^[85]

See also

• 2010 in Australia
• 2010 in literature
• 2010 in poetry
• List of years in Australian literature
• List of years in literature
• List of Australian literary awards

References

1. "2010 Australia Day Honours List" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 13 February 2014. Retrieved 4 October 2014.
2. Favourite Australian Novel Poll
3. Temple wins Miles Franklin award, ABC News, 22 June 2010.
4. "Rocks in the Belly by Jon Bauer". National Library of Australia. Retrieved 18 May 2025.
5. "Child of the Twilight by Carmel Bird". National Library of Australia. Retrieved 18 May 2025.
6. "The Body in the Clouds by Ashley Hay". National Library of Australia. Retrieved 18 May 2025.
7. "Manhattan Dreaming by Anita Heiss". National Library of Australia. Retrieved 18 May 2025.
8. "Fall Girl by Toni Jordan". National Library of Australia. Retrieved 18 May 2025.
9. "At Home with the Templetons by Monica McInerney". National Library of Australia. Retrieved 18 May 2025.
10. "Lights Out in Wonderland by D.B.C. Pierre". National Library of Australia. Retrieved 18 May 2025.
11. "Campaign Ruby by Jessica Rudd". National Library of Australia. Retrieved 18 May 2025.
12. "Halo by Alexandra Adornetto". National Library of Australia. Retrieved 17 January 2025.
13. "Beautiful Malice by Rebecca James". National Library of Australia. Retrieved 17 January 2025.
14. "The Life of a Teenage Body-Snatcher by Doug MacLeod". National Library of Australia. Retrieved 17 January 2025.
15. " The Piper's Son by Melina Marchetta". National Library of Australia. Retrieved 17 January 2025.
16. "The Ambassador's Mission by Trudi Canavan". ISFDB. Retrieved 22 May 2024.
17. "The Infinity Gate by Sara Douglass". ISFDB. Retrieved 22 May 2024.
18. "King's Wrath by Fiona McIntosh". ISFDB. Retrieved 22 May 2024.
19. "Seer of Sevenwaters by Juliet Marillier". ISFDB. Retrieved 22 May 2024.
20. "Behemoth by Scott Westerfeld". ISFDB. Retrieved 22 May 2024.
21. "The Black Russian by Lenny Bartulin". National Library of Australia. Retrieved 18 March 2025.
22. "Torn Apart by Peter Corris". National Library of Australia. Retrieved 18 March 2025.
23. "Death Mask by Kathryn Fox". National Library of Australia. Retrieved 18 March 2025.
24. "Dead Man's Chest by Kerry Greenwood". National Library of Australia. Retrieved 18 March 2025.
25. "Cold Justice by Katherine Howell". National Library of Australia. Retrieved 18 March 2025.
26. "Gunshot Road by Adrian Hyland". National Library of Australia. Retrieved 18 March 2025.
27. "Naked Cruelty by Colleen McCullough". National Library of Australia. Retrieved 18 March 2025.
28. "The Blood Countess by Tara Moss". National Library of Australia. Retrieved 18 March 2025.
29. "The Old School by P. M. Newton". National Library of Australia. Retrieved 18 March 2025.
30. "Let the Dead Lie by Malla Nunn". National Library of Australia. Retrieved 18 March 2025.
31. "Thrill City by Leigh Redhead". National Library of Australia. Retrieved 18 March 2025.
32. "Bleed for Me by Michael Robotham". National Library of Australia. Retrieved 18 March 2025.
33. "The Half-Child by Angela Savage". National Library of Australia. Retrieved 18 March 2025.
34. "Line of Sight by David Whish-Wilson". National Library of Australia. Retrieved 18 March 2025.
35. "The Whole Forest Dancing: Poems on Four Legs in the Morning by Christopher Kelen". National Library of Australia. Retrieved 9 May 2025.
36. "Earthly matters : biology and geology poems / edited by Brook Emery and Victoria Haritos ; project editor Carol Jenkins", National Library of Australia.
37. "Law and impulse : maths and chemistry poems / edited by Brook Emery and Victoria Haritos ; project editor Carol Jenkins", National Library of Australia.
38. "Holding patterns : physics and engineering poems / edited by Brook Emery and Victoria Haritos ; project editor Carol Jenkins", National Library of Australia.
39. "Taller When Prone by Les Murray". National Library of Australia. Retrieved 9 May 2025.
40. "Love Poems by Dorothy Porter". National Library of Australia. Retrieved 9 May 2025.
41. "The Rest on the Flight: Selected Poems by Peter Porter". National Library of Australia. Retrieved 9 May 2025.
42. "Parts of Us by Thomas Shapcott". National Library of Australia. Retrieved 9 May 2025.
43. "Starlight: 150 Poems by John Tranter". National Library of Australia. Retrieved 9 May 2025.
44. "Fire Diary by Mark Tredinnick". National Library of Australia. Retrieved 9 May 2025.
45. "Hawke: The Prime Minister by Blanche d'Alpuget". National Library of Australia. Retrieved 5 May 2025.
46. "Together Alone: The Story of the Finn Brothers by Jeff Apter". National Library of Australia. Retrieved 5 May 2025.
47. "A Three Cornered Life: The Historian W.K. Hancock by Jim Davidson". National Library of Australia. Retrieved 5 May 2025.
48. "Malcolm Fraser: The Political Memoirs by Malcolm Fraser & Margaret Simons". National Library of Australia. Retrieved 5 May 2025.
49. "Bligh: Master Mariner by Rob Mundle". National Library of Australia. Retrieved 5 May 2025.
50. "One Man Show: The Stages of Barry Humphries by Anne Pender". National Library of Australia. Retrieved 5 May 2025.
51. "The King's Speech: How One Man Saved the British Monarchy by Mark Logue & Peter Conradi". National Library of Australia. Retrieved 5 May 2025.
52. "Austlit — FAW Christopher Brennan Award". Austlit. Retrieved 10 September 2023.
53. "Literary postman delivers again, winning mentor's bequest". SMH.com.au. 13 November 2010. Retrieved 10 September 2023.
54. ""Lovesong"". The Age, 28 August 2010. Retrieved 3 September 2025.
55. "ALS Gold Medal — Previous Winners". Association for the Study of Australian Literature. Retrieved 13 January 2024.
56. "Colin Roderick Award — Other Winners". James Cook University. Retrieved 2 February 2024.
57. ""Indie Book Awards - Winners 2012 & prior"". Australian Independent Booksellers. Retrieved 24 May 2024.
58. "Kibble Literary Award". Australian National University . 9 June 2009. Retrieved 9 March 2024.
59. "Literary icons of tomorrow revealed". Commonwealth Foundation. 12 April 2010. Archived from the original on 18 April 2010. Retrieved 18 January 2024.
60. "Adelaide Festival Awards for Literature – Past Literary Award Winners". State Library of South Australia. Retrieved 18 April 2024.
61. ""Austlit – Australian/Vogel Award 2009-2012"". Austlit. Retrieved 19 February 2024.
62. ""Barbara Jefferis Award"". Australian Society of Authors. Retrieved 20 January 2024.
63. "Crime writer win Miles Franklin award". www.abc.net.au. 23 June 2010. Retrieved 9 August 2022.
64. ""Prime Minister's Literary Awards - Shortlist and winners: 2021-2008"". Creative Australia. Retrieved 11 January 2024.
65. ""Herald writer wins top prize for Hamas book"". Sydney Morning Herald, 18 May 2010. Retrieved 16 January 2025.
66. ""Queensland Premier's Literary Awards - Previous Winners"". Queensland Government. Retrieved 13 May 2025.
67. ""Temple dreams of trifecta"". The Age, 29 September 2010. ProQuest   755123483 . Retrieved 6 August 2025.
68. ""Australian Literary Awards: Western Australian Premier's"". University Libraries, University of Washington. Retrieved 23 May 2025.
69. ""CBCA – Winners 2010"". CBCA. Retrieved 17 January 2025.
70. ""LibraryThing: Davitt Awards 2010"". LibraryThing. Retrieved 24 January 2024.
71. "Awards: Australia's Ned Kelly Prize". Shelf Awareness . 8 September 2010. Archived from the original on 25 December 2023. Retrieved 24 January 2024.
72. "Austlit — Anne Elder Award (2008-2010)". Austlit. Retrieved 28 February 2024.
73. "Austlit — Grace Leven Poetry prize (2008-2012)". Austlit. Retrieved 28 February 2024.
74. "Mary Gilmore Award". Association for the Study of Australian Literature . Retrieved 29 February 2024.
75. ""National Biography Award – Past Winners"". State Library of NSW. Retrieved 1 August 2024.
76. "Patricia Wrightson (1921-2010)". AustLit: Discover Australian Stories. The University of Queensland. Retrieved 23 September 2023.
77. "Peter Porter (1929-2010)". AustLit: Discover Australian Stories. The University of Queensland. Retrieved 18 October 2023.
78. "Randolph Stow (1935-2010)". AustLit: Discover Australian Stories. The University of Queensland. Retrieved 16 February 2024.
79. "Jessica Anderson (1916-2010)". AustLit: Discover Australian Stories. The University of Queensland. Retrieved 16 September 2023.
80. "Jon Cleary (1917-2010)". AustLit: Discover Australian Stories. The University of Queensland. Retrieved 16 September 2023.
81. "John McKellar (1930-2010)". AustLit: Discover Australian Stories. The University of Queensland. Retrieved 30 July 2025.
82. "Donald Horne (1921-2010)". AustLit: Discover Australian Stories. The University of Queensland. Retrieved 23 September 2023.
83. "Donald Rowbotham (1924-2010)". AustLit: Discover Australian Stories. The University of Queensland. Retrieved 23 September 2023.
84. "Roberta Sykes (1943-2010)". AustLit: Discover Australian Stories. The University of Queensland. Retrieved 19 February 2024.
85. "Ruth Park (1917-2010)". AustLit: Discover Australian Stories. The University of Queensland. Retrieved 21 May 2024.