2016 in Australian literature

This article presents a list of the historical events and publications of Australian literature during 2016.

Events

• The Mona Brand Award is awarded for the first time. ^[1]

Major publications

Literary fiction

• Melissa Ashley – The Birdman's Wife ^[2]
• Georgia Blain – Between a Wolf and a Dog
• Hannah Kent – The Good People
• Liane Moriarty – Truly Madly Guilty
• Ryan O'Neill – Their Brilliant Careers
• Heather Rose – The Museum of Modern Love
• Philip Salom – Waiting ^[3]
• Dominic Smith – The Last Painting of Sara de Vos
• Josephine Wilson – Extinctions

Children's and young adult fiction

• Trace Balla – Rockhopping ^[4]
• Maxine Beneba Clarke – The Patchwork Bike
• Georgia Blain – Special ^[5]
• Andy Griffiths
  • The Tree House Fun Book ^[6]
  • The 78-Storey Treehouse ^[7]
• Zana Fraillon – The Bone Sparrow ^[8]
• Tania McCartney – Smile/Cry: A Beginner's Book of Feelings ^[9]
• Shivaun Plozza – Frankie ^[10]
• Richard Roxburgh – Artie and the Grime Wave ^[11]
• Claire Zorn – One Would Think the Deep ^[12]

Crime

• Peter Corris – That Empty Feeling
• Candice Fox and James Patterson – Never Never ^[13]
• Jane Harper – The Dry
• Emily Maguire – An Isolated Incident ^[14]
• Barry Maitland – Slaughter Park ^[15]
• Adrian McKinty – Rain Dogs ^[16]
• Jock Serong – The Rules of Backyard Cricket
• David Whish-Wilson – Old Scores ^[17]

Science fiction and fantasy

• Alison Croggon – The Bone Queen ^[18]
• Juliet Marillier – Den of Wolves ^[19]
• Anthony O'Neill – The Dark Side ^[20]
• C. S. Pacat – Kings Rising ^[21]
• Lian Hearn – Emperor of the Eight Islands ^[22]
• Angela Slatter – Vigil ^[23]

Poetry

• Peter Boyle – Ghostspeaking ^[24]
• Maxine Beneba Clarke – Carrying the World ^[25]
• Brook Emery — Have Been and Are ^[26]
• John Kinsella – Drowning in Wheat ^[27]
• Berndt Sellheim – Awake at the Wheel ^[28]
• Susan Varga – Rupture: Poems 2012–2015 ^[29]

Drama

• Leah Purcell – The Drover's Wife
• David Morton – The Wider Earth

Biographies

• Deng Thiak Adut with Ben McKelvey – Songs of a War Boy: My Story ^[30]
• Julia Baird – Victoria: The Queen ^[31]
• Jimmy Barnes – Working Class Boy
• Mark Colvin – Light and Shadow: Memoirs of a Spy's Son ^[32]
• Suzanne Falkiner – Mick: A Life of Randolph Stow ^[33]
• Stan Grant – Talking to My Country ^[34]
• Cory Taylor – Dying: A Memoir ^[35]

Non-fiction

• Richard Fidler – Ghost Empire
• Peter FitzSimons – Victory at Villers-Bretonneux: Why a French town will never forget the Anzacs ^[36]
• Clementine Ford – Fight Like A Girl ^[37]
• Helen Garner – Everywhere I Look
• David Hunt – True Girt: The Unauthorised History of Australia Volume 2 ^[38]
• Lynne Kelly – The Memory Code ^[39]
• Tara Moss – Speaking Out: A 21st Century Handbook For Women and Girls ^[40]

Awards and honours

Note: these awards were presented in the year in question.

Lifetime achievement

Award	Author
Mona Brand Award [1]	Joanna Murray-Smith
Patrick White Award [41]	Carmel Bird

Literary

Award	Author	Title	Publisher
ALS Gold Medal [42]	Brenda Niall	Mannix	Text Publishing
Colin Roderick Award [43]	Gail Jones	A Guide to Berlin	Random House
Indie Book Awards Book of the Year [44]	Charlotte Wood	The Natural Way of Things	Allen & Unwin
Nita Kibble Literary Award [45]	Fiona Wright	Small Acts of Disappearance	Giramondo Publishing
Stella Prize [46]	Charlotte Wood	The Natural Way of Things	Allen & Unwin
Victorian Prize for Literature [47]	Mary Anne Butler	Broken	Currency Press

Fiction

National

Award	Author	Title	Publisher
Adelaide Festival Awards for Literature [48]	Tamsin Janu	Figgy in the World	Omnibus Books
The Australian/Vogel Literary Award [49]	Katherine Brabon	The Memory Artist	Allen & Unwin
Barbara Jefferis Award [50]	Peggy Frew	Hope Farm	Scribe
Indie Book Awards Book of the Year – Fiction [44]	Charlotte Wood	The Natural Way of Things	Allen & Unwin
Indie Book Awards Book of the Year – Debut Fiction [44]	Lucy Treloar	Salt Creek	Macmillan
Miles Franklin Award [51]	A. S. Patrić	Black Rock White City	Transit Lounge
Prime Minister's Literary Awards [52]	Lisa Gorton (joint winner)	The Life of Houses	Giramondo
	Charlotte Wood (joint winner)	The Natural Way of Things	Allen & Unwin
New South Wales Premier's Literary Awards [53]	Merlinda Bobis	Locust Girl: A Lovesong	Spinifex Press
Queensland Literary Awards [54]	Georgia Blain	Between a Wolf and a Dog	Scribe
Victorian Premier's Literary Award [47]	Mireille Juchau	The World Without Us	Bloomsbury Publishing
Western Australian Premier's Book Awards [55]	Joan London	The Golden Age	Vintage Books
Voss Literary Prize [56]	Leah Kaminsky	The Waiting Room	Random House

Children and young adult

National

Award	Category	Author	Title	Publisher
Children's Book of the Year Award [57]	Older Readers	Fiona Wood	Cloudwish	Macmillan Australia
	Younger Readers	Morris Gleitzman	Soon	Viking Books
	Picture Book	Nadia Wheatley, text Armin Greder, illus.	Flight	Windy Hollow Books
	Early Childhood	Anna Walker	Mr Huff	Penguin Random House
Indie Book Awards Book of the Year [44]	Children's	Aaron Blabey	The Bad Guys: Episode 1	Scholastic Australia
	Young Adult	Fiona Wood	Cloudwish	Pan MacMillan
New South Wales Premier's Literary Awards	Children's	Rebecca Young & Matt Ottley	Teacup	Scholastic Australia
	Young People's	Alice Pung	Laurinda	Black Inc.
Victorian Premier's Literary Award [47]	Young Adult Fiction	Marlee Jane Ward	Welcome to Orphancorp	Xou Pty Ltd

Crime and mystery

National

Award	Category	Author	Title	Publisher
Davitt Award [58]	Novel	Emma Viskic	Resurrection Bay	Echo Publishing
	Young adult novel	Fleur Ferris	Risk	Random House
	Children's novel	R. A Spratt	Friday Barnes, Under Suspicion	Random House
	True crime	Alecia Simmonds	Wild Man	Affirm Press
	Debut novel	Emma Viskic	Resurrection Bay	Echo Publishing
		Fleur Ferris	Risk	Random House
	Readers' choice	Emma Viskic	Resurrection Bay	Echo Publishing
Ned Kelly Award [58]	Novel	Dave Warner	Before It Breaks	Fremantle Press
	First novel	Emma Viskic	Resurrection Bay	Echo Publishing
	True crime	Gideon Haigh	Certain Admissions	Penguin
	Lifetime achievement	Not awarded

Science fiction

Award	Category	Author	Title	Publisher
Aurealis Award	Sf Novel	Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff	Gemima: The Illuminae Files 2	Allen & Unwin
	Sf Short Story	Samantha Murray	"Of Sight, of Mind, of Heart"	Clarkesworld 122
	Fantasy Novel	Jay Kristoff	Nevernight	Harper Voyager
	Fantasy Short Story	Thoraiya Dyer	"Where the Pelican Builds Her Nest"	In Your Face (FableCroft Publishing)
	Horror Novel	Kaaron Warren	The Grief Hole	IFWG Publishing Australia
	Horror Short Story	TR Napper	"Flame Trees"	Asimov’s Science Fiction
	Young Adult Novel	Alison Goodman	Lady Helen and the Dark Days Pact	HarperCollins Publishers
	Young Adult Short Story	Leife Shallcross	"Pretty Jennie Greenteeth"	Strange Little Girls (Belladonna Publishing)
Ditmar Award	Novel	Lisa L. Hannett	Lament for the Afterlife	ChiZine Publications
	Best Novella or Novelette	Sean Williams	"Of Sorrow and Such"	Of Sorrow and Such (Tor.com)
	Best Short Story	Kathleen Jennings	"A Hedge of Yellow Roses"	Hear Me Roar (Ticonderoga Publications)

Poetry

Award	Author	Title	Publisher
Adelaide Festival Awards for Literature [48]	Les Murray	Waiting for the Past	Black Inc Press
Anne Elder Award [59]	John Hawke	Aurelia	Cordite Books
Mary Gilmore Award [60]	Benedict Andrews	Lens Flare	Pitt Street Poetry
Prime Minister's Literary Awards [52]	Sarah Holland-Batt	The Hazards	University of Queensland Press
New South Wales Premier's Literary Awards [61]	Joanne Burns	brush	Giramondo Publishing
Queensland Literary Awards [54]	David Musgrave	Anatomy of Voice	GloriaSMH
Victorian Premier's Literary Award [47]	Alan Loney	Crankhandle	Cordite Books
Western Australian Premier's Book Awards [55]	Lucy Dougan	The Guardians	Giramondo Publishing

Drama

Award	Category	Author	Title	Publisher
New South Wales Premier's Literary Awards	Script	Cate Shortland	Deadline Gallipoli , Episode 4: "The Letter"	Matchbox Pictures & Full Clip Productions
Patrick White Playwrights' Award	Award	Lewis Treston	Hot Tub	Sydney Theatre Company
	Fellowship	Andrew Bovell

Non-fiction

Award	Category	Author	Title	Publisher
Adelaide Festival Awards for Literature [48]	Non-Fiction	Robert Dessaix	What Days Are For	Random House Australia
Indie Book Awards Book of the Year [44]	Non-Fiction	Magda Szubanski	Reckoning: A Memoir	Text Publishing
National Biography Award [62]	Biography	Brenda Niall	Mannix	Text Publishing
New South Wales Premier's Literary Awards	Non-Fiction	Magda Szubanski	Reckoning: A Memoir	Text Publishing
New South Wales Premier's History Awards	Australian History	Stuart Macintyre	Australia’s Boldest Experiment: War and Reconstruction in the 1940s	NewSouth Books
	Community and Regional History	Tanya Evans	Fractured Families: Life on the Margins in Colonial New South Wales	University of New South Wales Press
	General History	Ann McGrath	Illicit Love: Interracial Sex and Marriage in the United States and Australia	Nebraska University Press
Queensland Literary Awards	Non-Fiction	Fiona Wright	Small Acts of Disappearance: Essays on Hunger	Giramondo
Victorian Premier's Literary Award [47]	Non-fiction	Gerald Murnane	Something for the Pain	Text Publishing

Deaths

• 31 January – David Lake, science fiction novelist (born 1929 in India) ^[63]
• 3 February – Dimitris Tsaloumas, poet (born 1921 in Greece) ^[64]
• 19 February – Kim Gamble, illustrator of children's books (born 1952) ^[65]
• 3 April – Bob Ellis, writer, journalist, filmmaker, and political commentator (born 1942) ^[66]
• 20 April – Dame Leonie Judith Kramer, author, editor and academic (born 1924) ^[67]
• 16 May – Gillian Mears, short story writer and novelist (born 1964) ^[68]
• 5 July – Cory Taylor, writer (born 1955) ^[69]
• 15 July – Billy Marshall Stoneking, poet, playwright, filmmaker and teacher (born 1947 in Orlando, Florida) ^[70]
• 4 September – Richard Neville, writer and social commentator (born 1941) ^[71]
• 8 September – Inga Clendinnen, author and historian (born 1934) ^[72]
• 3 October – Narelle Oliver, award-winning children's author-illustrator, artist and print maker (born 1960) ^[73]
• 19 November – Margaret Paice, children's writer and illustrator (born 1920) ^[74]
• 9 December – Georgia Blain, novelist, journalist and biographer (born 1964) ^[75]
• 12 December –
  • Anne Deveson, writer, broadcaster, filmmaker and social commentator (born 1930 in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia) ^[76]
  • Shirley Hazzard, novelist, short story writer, and essayist (died in Manhattan, New York)(born 1931) ^[77]

See also

• 2016 in Australia
• 2016 in literature
• 2016 in poetry
• List of years in Australian literature
• List of years in literature
• List of Australian literary awards

References

1. ""Mona Brand Award"". State Library NSW. Retrieved 7 August 2025.
2. "The Birdman's Wife by Melissa Ashley". National Library of Australia. Retrieved 22 April 2024.
3. "Waiting by Philip Salom". National Library of Australia. Retrieved 24 May 2024.
4. "Rockhopping by Trace Balla". National Library of Australia. Retrieved 6 August 2024.
5. "Special by Georgia Blain". National Library of Australia. Retrieved 22 April 2024.
6. "The Tree House Fun Book by Andy Griffiths". National Library of Australia. Retrieved 6 August 2024.
7. "The 78-Storey Treehouse by Andy Griffiths". National Library of Australia. Retrieved 6 August 2024.
8. "The Bone Sparrow by Zana Fraillon". National Library of Australia. Retrieved 6 August 2024.
9. "Smile/Cry: A Beginner's Book of Feelings by Tania McCartney". National Library of Australia. Retrieved 6 August 2024.
10. "Frankie by Shivaun Plozza". National Library of Australia. Retrieved 6 August 2024.
11. "Artie and the Grime Wave by Richard Roxburgh". National Library of Australia. Retrieved 6 August 2024.
12. "One Would Think the Deep by Claire Zorn". National Library of Australia. Retrieved 6 August 2024.
13. "Austlit — Never Never by Candice Fox and James Patterson". Austlit. Retrieved 31 January 2024.
14. "Austlit — An Isolated Incident by Emily Maguire". Austlit. Retrieved 31 January 2024.
15. "Austlit — Slaughter Park by Barry Maitland". Austlit. Retrieved 31 January 2024.
16. "Austlit — Rain Dogs by Adrian McKinty". Austlit. Retrieved 31 January 2024.
17. "Austlit — Old Scores by David Whish-Wilson". Austlit. Retrieved 31 January 2024.
18. "The Bone Queen by Alison Croggon". ISFDB. Retrieved 22 April 2024.
19. "Den of Wolves by Juliet Marillier". ISFDB. Retrieved 22 April 2024.
20. "The Dark Side by Anthony O'Neill". ISFDB. Retrieved 22 April 2024.
21. "Kings Rising by C. S. Pacat". ISFDB. Retrieved 22 April 2024.
22. "Emperor of the Eight Islands by Lian Hearn". ISFDB. Retrieved 22 April 2024.
23. "Vigil by Angela Slatter". ISFDB. Retrieved 22 April 2024.
24. "Ghostspeaking by Peter Boyle". National Library of Australia. Retrieved 24 May 2024.
25. "Carrying the World by Maxine Beneba Clarke". National Library of Australia. Retrieved 24 May 2024.
26. "Have been and are / Brook Emery", TROVE: Books & Libraries.
27. "Drowning in Wheat by John Kinsella". National Library of Australia. Retrieved 24 May 2024.
28. "Awake at the Wheel by Berndt Sellheim". National Library of Australia. Retrieved 24 May 2024.
29. "Rupture: Poems 2012–2015 by Susan Varga". National Library of Australia. Retrieved 24 May 2024.
30. "Songs of a War Boy: My Story by Deng Thiak Adut with Ben McKelvey". National Library of Australia. Retrieved 24 May 2024.
31. "Victoria: The Queen by Julia Baird". National Library of Australia. Retrieved 24 May 2024.
32. "Light and Shadow: Memoirs of a Spy's Son by Mark Colvin". National Library of Australia. Retrieved 24 May 2024.
33. "Mick: A Life of Randolph Stow by Suzanne Falkiner". National Library of Australia. Retrieved 24 May 2024.
34. "Talking to My Country by Stan Grant". National Library of Australia. Retrieved 24 May 2024.
35. "Dying: A Memoir by Cory Taylor". National Library of Australia. Retrieved 24 May 2024.
36. "Victory at Villers-Bretonneux by Peter FitzSimons". National Library of Australia. Retrieved 24 May 2024.
37. "Fight Like A Girl by Clementine Ford". National Library of Australia. Retrieved 24 May 2024.
38. "True Girt: The Unauthorised History of Australia Volume 2 by David Hunt". National Library of Australia. Retrieved 24 May 2024.
39. "The Memory Code by Lynne Kelly". National Library of Australia. Retrieved 24 May 2024.
40. "Speaking Out: A 21st Century Handbook For Women and Girls by Tara Moss". National Library of Australia. Retrieved 24 May 2024.
41. Jason Steger (17 October 2016). "Carmel Bird wins the $20,000 Patrick White Award". Sydney Morning Herald . Retrieved 10 September 2023.
42. "ALS Gold Medal — Previous Winners". Association for the Study of Australian Literature. Retrieved 12 January 2024.
43. "Colin Roderick Award — Other Winners". James Cook University. 13 July 2020. Retrieved 2 February 2024.
44. ""Indie Book Awards - Winners 2016"". Australian Independent Booksellers. Retrieved 24 May 2024.
45. "Kibble Literary Award". Australian National University . 9 June 2009. Retrieved 9 March 2024.
46. Harmon, Steph (19 April 2016). ""Charlotte Wood's The Natural Way of Things wins $50,000 Stella prize"". The Guardian. The Guardian, 19 April 2016. Retrieved 12 January 2024.
47. "Victorian Premier's Literary Awards 2016". The Wheeler Centre. 2016. Retrieved 12 August 2025.
48. "Adelaide Festival Awards for Literature – Past Literary Award Winners". State Library of South Australia. Retrieved 7 May 2024.
49. "Brabon wins 2016 Vogel Award". Books+Publishing. 27 April 2016. Retrieved 12 January 2024.
50. ""Barbara Jefferis Award"". Australian Society of Authors. Retrieved 20 January 2024.
51. Lucy Clark (26 August 2016). "'The most momentous news of my life': AS Patric wins Miles Franklin award". The Guardian . Retrieved 26 August 2016.
52. ""Prime Minister's Literary Awards - Shortlist and winners: 2021-2008"". Creative Australia. Retrieved 11 January 2024.
53. ""Locust Girl by Merlinda Bobis wins Christina Stead prize for fiction"". The Sydney Morning Herald, 17 May 2016. 17 May 2016. Retrieved 10 January 2024.
54. ""2016 Queensland Literary Awards"". The Queensland Cabinet and Ministerial Directory. Retrieved 11 January 2024.
55. ""Australian Literary Awards: Western Australian Premier's"". University Libraries, University of Washington. Retrieved 23 May 2025.
56. "Kaminsky wins 2016 Voss Literary Prize". Books + Publishing. 7 December 2016. Retrieved 15 November 2018.
57. ""CBCA – Winners 2016"". CBCA. Retrieved 17 January 2025.
58. Steger, Jason (26 August 2016). "It's a crime spree as Emma Viskic snaffles four writing awards". The Age. Retrieved 30 January 2024.
59. "Austlit — Anne Elder Award". Austlit. Retrieved 6 February 2024.
60. "Mary Gilmore Award". Association for the Study of Australian Literature . Retrieved 5 February 2024.
61. "2016 NSW Premier's Literary Awards announced". Australian Arts Review. 17 May 2016. Retrieved 6 February 2024.
62. "2016 - National Biography Award". State Library of NSW. Retrieved 1 August 2024.
63. "David J. Lake (1929-2016)". AustLit: Discover Australian Stories. The University of Queensland. Retrieved 18 October 2023.
64. "Dimitris Tsaloumas Death Notice". The Age. Retrieved 13 February 2024.
65. "Kim Gamble (1952-2016)". NCACL. Retrieved 13 February 2024.
66. "Bob Ellis (1942-2016)". AustLit: Discover Australian Stories. The University of Queensland. Retrieved 13 February 2024.
67. "Leonie KRAMER Death Notice". The Sydney Morning Herald. 29 April 2016. Retrieved 13 February 2024.
68. "Gillian Mears (1964-2016)". AustLit: Discover Australian Stories. The University of Queensland. Retrieved 14 February 2024.
69. "Cory Taylor (1955-2016)". AustLit: Discover Australian Stories. The University of Queensland. Retrieved 14 February 2024.
70. "Billy Marshall-Stoneking (1947-2016)". AustLit: Discover Australian Stories. The University of Queensland. Retrieved 14 February 2024.
71. "Richard Neville (1941-2016)". AustLit: Discover Australian Stories. The University of Queensland. Retrieved 27 August 2023.
72. "Inga Clendinnen (1934-2016)". AustLit: Discover Australian Stories. The University of Queensland. Retrieved 14 February 2024.
73. "Narelle Oliver (1960-2016)". AustLit: Discover Australian Stories. The University of Queensland. Retrieved 14 February 2024.
74. "Margaret Dawn Cantle (1920-2016)". Te Tairaawhiti Whakapapa. Retrieved 31 July 2023.
75. "Georgia Blain (1964-2016)". AustLit: Discover Australian Stories. The University of Queensland. Retrieved 14 February 2024.
76. "Anne Deveson (1930-2016)". AustLit: Discover Australian Stories. The University of Queensland. Retrieved 14 February 2024.
77. "Shirley Hazzard (1931-2016)". AustLit: Discover Australian Stories. The University of Queensland. Retrieved 14 February 2024.

Note: all references relating to awards can, or should be, found on the relevant award's page.