2023 in Australian literature

This is a list of historical events and publications of Australian literature during 2023.

Events

• July: Publisher Hachette Australia withdraws from publication the book titled Special Operations Group by Christophe Glasl after Victoria Police expressed concerns about the accuracy of the book ^[1]
• December: Yumna Kassab is announced as inaugural Parramatta Laureate of Literature for 2024 ^[2]

Major publications

Literary fiction

• Hossein Asgari – Only Sound Remains ^[3]
• Tony Birch – Women & Children ^[4]
• Jen Craig – Wall ^[5]
• Lauren Aimee Curtis – Strangers in the Port ^[6]
• Trent Dalton – Lola in the Mirror ^[7]
• André Dao – Anam
• Gregory Day – The Bell of the World ^[8]
• Ali Cobby Eckermann – She Is the Earth (verse novel) ^[9]
• Lexi Freiman – The Book of Ayn
• Madeleine Gray – Green Dot
• Kate Grenville – Restless Dolly Maunder ^[10]
• John Kinsella – Cellnight: A verse novel ^[11]
• Melissa Lucashenko – Edenglassie
• Kate Morton – Homecoming ^[12]
• Angela O'Keeffe – The Sitter
• Mirandi Riwoe – Sunbirds ^[13]
• Sanya Rushdi – Hospital ^[14]
• Tracy Sorensen – The Vitals ^[15]
• Christos Tsiolkas – The In-Between ^[16]
• Pip Williams – The Bookbinder of Jericho
• Charlotte Wood – Stone Yard Devotional
• Alexis Wright – Praiseworthy

Children's and Young Adult fiction

• Melissa Kang & Yumi Stynes – Welcome to Sex, illustrated by Jenny Latham ^[17]
• Will Kostakis – We Could Be Something ^[18]
• Alice Pung – Millie Mak the Maker, illustrated by Sher Rill Ng ^[19]
• Lili Wilkinson – A Hunger of Thorns ^[20]
• Dianne Wolfer – Scout and the Rescue Dogs ^[21]

Short story collections

• J. M. Coetzee – The Pole and Other Stories
• Laura Jean McKay – Gunflower ^[22]
• Graeme Simsion – Creative Differences: And Other Stories ^[23]

Crime and mystery

• Tim Ayliffe – Killer Traitor Spy ^[24]
• Ashley Kalagian Blunt – Dark Mode ^[25]
• Shelley Burr – Ripper ^[26]
• Candice Fox – Fire With Fire ^[27]
• Megan Goldin – Dark Corners ^[28]
• Chris Hammer – The Seven ^[29]
• Amanda Hampson – The Tea Ladies ^[30]
• Sally Hepworth – Darling Girls
• Fiona McIntosh – Dead Tide ^[31]
• Benjamin Stevenson – Everyone on this train is a suspect ^[32]
• Chris Womersley – Ordinary Gods and Monsters ^[33]

Science fiction and fantasy

• Greg Egan
  • "Didicosm"
  • Scale ^[34]
• Shelley Parker-Chan – He Who Drowned the World

Poetry

• Stuart Barnes – Like to the Lark ^[35]
• Dan Hogan – Secret Third Thing ^[36]
• John Kinsella – Harsh Hakea: Collected Poems Volume Two (2005–2014) ^[37]
• David McCooey – The Book of Falling ^[38]
• Jennifer Maiden – Golden Bridge: New Poems ^[39]
• Pi O – The Tour ^[40]
• Tais Rose Wae – Riverbed Sky Songs ^[41]
• Grace Yee – Chinese Fish ^[42]

Non-Fiction

• Chanel Contos – Consent Laid Bare ^[43]
• Robyn Davidson – Unfinished Woman ^[44]
• Marele Day – Reckless ^[45]
• Martin Flanagan – The Empty Honour Board ^[46]
• Clementine Ford – I Don't ^[47]
• Anna Funder – Wifedom: Mrs Orwell's Invisible Life ^[48]
• Michael Gawenda – My Life as a Jew ^[49]
• Stan Grant – The Queen is Dead: The Time has Come for a Reckoning ^[50]
• Susan Johnson – Aphrodite's Breath ^[51]
• Christine Kenneally – Ghosts of the Orphanage ^[52]

• Sarah Krasnostein – On Peter Carey ^[53]
• David Marr – Killing for Country: A Family Story ^[54]
• Ross McMullin – Life So Full of Promise ^[55]
• Alex Miller – A Kind of Confession: The Writer's Private World ^[19]
• Matt Preston – Big Mouth ^[56]
• Alecia Simmonds – Courting: An Intimate History of Love and the Law ^[57]
• Margaret Simons – Tanya Plibersek: On Her Own Terms ^[58]
• Christine Wallace – Political Lives: Australian Prime Ministers and Their Biographers ^[59]

Drama

• Nicholas Brown – Sex Magick ^[60]
• Joanna Murray-Smith – Julia ^[61]

Awards and honours

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

Lifetime achievement

Award	Author
Patrick White Award [62]	Alex Skovron

Literary

Award	Author	Title	Publisher
ALS Gold Medal [63]	Debra Dank	We Come With This Place	Echo Publishing
Colin Roderick Award [64]	Sarah Holland-Batt	The Jaguar	University of Queensland Press
Indie Book Awards Book of the Year [65]	Craig Silvey	Runt	Allen & Unwin
New South Wales Premier's Literary Awards [66]	Debra Dank	We Come With This Place	Echo Publishing
Stella Prize [67]	Sarah Holland-Batt	The Jaguar	University of Queensland Press
Victorian Premier's Literary Awards [68]	Jessica Au	Cold Enough for Snow	Giramondo Publishing

Fiction

Award	Author	Title	Publisher
Adelaide Festival Awards for Literature [69]	Not awarded
The Age Book of the Year [70]	Robbie Arnott	Limberlost	Text Publishing
ARA Historical Novel Prize [71]	Gail Jones	Salonika Burning	Text Publishing
The Australian/Vogel Literary Award [72]	Anna McGahan	Immaculate	Allen & Unwin
Barbara Jefferis Award [73]	Not awarded
Indie Book Awards Book of the Year – Fiction [65]	Geraldine Brooks	Horse	Viking Books
Indie Book Awards Book of the Year – Debut Fiction [65]	Tracey Lien	All That's Left Unsaid	HQ Fiction
Miles Franklin Award [74]	Shankari Chandran	Chai Time at Cinnamon Gardens	Ultimo Press
Prime Minister's Literary Awards [75]	Jessica Au	Cold Enough for Snow	Giramondo
New South Wales Premier's Literary Awards [76]	Katerina GIbson	Women I Know	Scribner
Queensland Literary Awards [77]	Alexis Wright	Praiseworthy	Giramondo
Victorian Premier's Literary Awards [68]	Jessica Au	Cold Enough for Snow	Giramondo

Children and Young Adult

Award	Category	Author	Title	Publisher
ARA Historical Novel Prize [71]	Children and Young Adult	Amelia Mellor	The Bookseller’s Apprentice	Affirm Press
Children's Book of the Year Award [78]	Older Readers	Tom Taylor	Neverlanders	Penguin Random House
	Younger Readers	Craig Silvey	Runt	Allen & Unwin
	Picture Book	Zeno Sworder	My Strange Shrinking Parents	Thames & Hudson
	Early Childhood	Vikki Conley, illus. Max Hamilton	Where the Lyrebird Lives	Windy Hollow
	Eve Pownall Award for Information Books	Jess McGeachin	DEEP: Delve into hidden words	Welbeck Publishing
Indie Book Awards Book of the Year [65]	Children's	Craig Silvey	Runt	Allen & Unwin
	Young Adult	Holden Shepherd	The Brink	Text Publishing
Prime Minister's Literary Awards [75]	Children's	Jasmine Seymour	Open Your Heart to Country	Magabala Books
	Young Adult	Sarah Winifred Searle	The Greatest Thing	Allen & Unwin
New South Wales Premier's Literary Awards [76]	Children's	Corey Tutt and Blak Douglas	The First Scientists	Hardie Grant
	Young People's	Lystra Rose	The Upwelling	Hachette
Queensland Literary Awards [77]	Children's	Katrina Nannestad	Waiting for the Storks	ABC Books
	Young Adult	Biffy James	Completely Normal (and Other Lies)	Hardie Grant
Victorian Premier's Literary Awards [68]	Young Adult Fiction	Kate Murray	We Who Hunt the Hollow	Hardie Grant

Crime and Mystery

National

Award	Category	Author	Title	Publisher
Davitt Award [79]	Novel	Tracey Lien	All That’s Left Unsaid	HQ Fiction
	Young adult novel	Fleur Ferris	Seven Days	Puffin
	Children's novel	Charlie Archbold	The Sugarcane Kids and the Red-Bottomed Boat	Text Publishing
	Non-fiction	Megan Norris	Out of the Ashes	Simon and Schuster Australia
	Debut	Hayley Scrivenor	Dirt Town	Pan Macmillan
	Readers' choice	Vikki Petraitis	The Unbelieved	Allen & Unwin
Ned Kelly Award [80]	Novel	Jane Harper	Exiles	Pan Macmillan
	First novel	Shelley Burr	Wake	Hachette Australia
	True crime	Sandi Logan	Betrayed	Hachette Australia

Poetry

Award	Author	Title	Publisher
Adelaide Festival Awards for Literature [69]	Not awarded
Anne Elder Award [81] (joint winners)	Harry Reid	Leave Me Alone	Cordite
	Theodore Ell	Beginning In Sight	RWP
Mary Gilmore Award [82]	Harry Reid	Leave Me Alone	Cordite
Prime Minister's Literary Awards [75]	Gavin Yuan Gao	At the Altar of Touch	UQP
New South Wales Premier's Literary Awards [76]	Kim Cheng Boey	The Singer and Other Poems	Cordite
Judith Wright Calanthe Award for a Poetry Collection [77]	Lionel Fogarty	Harvest Lingo	Giramondo
Victorian Premier's Literary Awards	Gavin Yuan Gao	At the Altar of Touch	UQP

Drama

Award	Category	Author	Title	Publisher
New South Wales Premier's Literary Awards [76]	Script	Del Kathryn Barton and Huna Amweero	Blaze	Causeway Films
	Play	Dylan Van Den Berg	Whitefella Yella Tree	Griffin Theatre Company & Currency Press
Victorian Premier's Literary Awards [68]		John Harvey	The Return	Malthouse Theatre

Non-Fiction

Award	Category	Author	Title	Publisher
Adelaide Festival Awards for Literature [69]	Non-Fiction	Not awarded
The Age Book of the Year [70]	Non-Fiction	Kim Mahood	Wandering With Intent	Scribe
Indie Book Awards Book of the Year [65]	Non-Fiction	Richard Fidler	The Book of Roads And Kingdoms	ABC Books
	Illustrated Non-Fiction	Damien Coulthard and Rebecca Sullivan	First Nations Food Companion	Murdoch Books
National Biography Award [83]	Biography	Ann-Marie Priest	My Tongue Is My Own: A Life of Gwen Harwood	La Trobe University Press / Black Inc.
Prime Minister's Literary Awards [75]	Non-Fiction	Sam Vincent	My Father and Other Animals	Black Inc.
New South Wales Premier's Literary Awards [76]	Non-Fiction	Debra Dank	We Come With This Place	Echo Publishing
New South Wales Premier's History Awards [84]	Australian History	Alan Atkinson	Elizabeth and John: The Macarthurs of Elizabeth Farm	NewSouth
	Community and Regional History	Ian Hodges	He Belonged to Wagga: The Great War, the AIF and returned soldiers in an Australian country town	ASP
	General History	Michael Laffan	Under Empire: Muslim lives and loyalties across the Indian Ocean world, 1775–1945	Columbia University
Queensland Literary Awards [77]	Non-Fiction	Debra Dank	We Come with This Place	Echo Publishing
Victorian Premier's Literary Awards [68]	Non-Fiction	Eda Gunaydin	Root & Branch: Essays on inheritance	NewSouth

Deaths

• 21 January – Gabrielle Williams, author of young adult fiction (born 1963) ^[85]
• 3 February – Portia Robinson, historian (born 1926) ^[86]
• 19 April – Lee Harding, novelist (born 1937) ^[87]
• 21 April – John Tranter, poet, publisher and editor (born 1943) ^[88]
• 22 April – Barry Humphries, comedian, author, actor and satirist (born 1934) ^[89]
• 2 May – Gabrielle Carey, novelist (born 1959) ^[90]
• 22 May – Andrew Burke, poet (born 1944) ^[91]
• 30 June – Ron Pretty, poet (born 1940) ^[92]
• 6 August – Elizabeth Webby, scholar of Australian literature (born 1942) ^[93]
• 18 November – Nan Witcomb, poet and radio broadcaster (born 1927/1928) ^[94]
• 21 November – Dale Spender, feminist writer (born 1943) ^[95]
• 10 December – Michael Blakemore, actor, writer and theatre director (born 1928) ^[96]
• 12 December – Shirley Barber, children's author and illustrator (born 1935 in the Channel Islands) ^[97]
• 30 December – John Pilger, journalist and filmmaker (born 1939) (died in the United Kingdom) ^[98]

See also

• 2023 in Australia
• 2023 in literature
• 2023 in poetry
• List of years in Australian literature
• List of years in literature

References

1. Steger, Jason (10 July 2023). "Publisher pulls former cop's memoir after police raise doubts over accuracy". The Age. Retrieved 10 July 2023.
2. Badger, Rosemary (9 December 2023). "Football, ice-cream and the best cafes for writing in to feature in author Yumna Kassab's 'dictionary of Parramatta'". ABC News. Retrieved 16 April 2024.
3. "Only Sound Remains by Hossein Asgari". National Library of Australia. Retrieved 5 July 2024.
4. "Women & Children by Tony Birch". National Library of Australia. Retrieved 14 March 2024.
5. "Wall by Jen Craig". National Library of Australia. Retrieved 5 July 2024.
6. Curtis, Lauren Aimee (2023), Strangers at the port, Weidenfeld & Nicolson, ISBN   978-1-399-60817-6
7. "Austlit — Lola in the Mirror by Trent Dalton". Austlit. Retrieved 14 March 2024.
8. "The Bell of the World by Gregory Day". National Library of Australia. Retrieved 14 March 2024.
9. Eckermann, Ali Cobby. "She is the earth : a verse novel". National Library of Australia. Retrieved 20 May 2024.
10. "Restless Dolly Maunder by Kate Grenville". National Library of Australia. Retrieved 14 March 2024.
11. "Austlit — Cellnight by John Kinsella". Austlit. Retrieved 14 March 2024.
12. "Homecoming by Kate Morton". National Library of Australia. Retrieved 14 March 2024.
13. "Sunbirds by Mirandi Riwoe". National Library of Australia. Retrieved 14 March 2024.
14. "Hospital by Sanya Rushdi". National Library of Australia. Retrieved 5 July 2024.
15. "The Vitals by Tracy Sorensen". National Library of Australia. Retrieved 14 March 2024.
16. "The In-Between by Christos Tsiolkas". National Library of Australia. Retrieved 14 March 2024.
17. "Prime Minister's Literary Awards 2024 shortlists announced". Books+Publishing. 15 August 2024. Retrieved 15 August 2024.
18. "Prime Minister's Literary Awards 2024 shortlists announced". Books+Publishing. 15 August 2024. Retrieved 15 August 2024.
19. "Prime Minister's Literary Awards 2024 shortlists announced". Books+Publishing. 15 August 2024. Retrieved 15 August 2024.
20. "Prime Minister's Literary Awards 2024 shortlists announced". Books+Publishing. 15 August 2024. Retrieved 15 August 2024.
21. Wolfer, Dianne. "Scout and the rescue dogs". National Library of Australia. Retrieved 24 June 2024.
22. "Gunflower by Laura Jean McKay". National Library of Australia. Retrieved 2 April 2024.
23. "Creative Differences: And Other Stories by Graeme Simsion". National Library of Australia. Retrieved 2 April 2024.
24. "Killer Traitor Spy by Tim Ayliffe". National Library of Australia. Retrieved 13 September 2024.
25. "Dark Mode by Ashley Kalagian Blunt". National Library of Australia. Retrieved 13 September 2024.
26. "Ripper by Shelley Burr". National Library of Australia. Retrieved 13 September 2024.
27. "Fire With Fire by Candice Fox". National Library of Australia. Retrieved 22 March 2024.
28. "Dark Corners by Megan Goldin". National Library of Australia. Retrieved 13 September 2024.
29. "The Seven by Chris Hammer". National Library of Australia. Retrieved 21 March 2025.
30. "The Tea Ladies by Amanda Hampson". National Library of Australia. Retrieved 13 September 2024.
31. "Dead Tide by Fiona McIntosh". National Library of Australia. Retrieved 14 March 2024.
32. "Everyone on This Train is a Suspect by Benjamin Stevenson". National Library of Australia. Retrieved 13 September 2024.
33. "Ordinary Gods and Monsters by Chris Womersley". National Library of Australia. Retrieved 22 March 2024.
34. "Scale by Greg Egan". ISFDB. Retrieved 22 March 2024.
35. "Like to the Lark by Stuart Barnes". National Library of Australia. Retrieved 22 March 2024.
36. "Secret Third Thing by Dan Hogan". National Library of Australia. Retrieved 18 July 2024.
37. "Harsh Hakea by John Kinsella". National Library of Australia. Retrieved 22 March 2024.
38. "The Book of Falling by David McCooey". National Library of Australia. Retrieved 22 March 2024.
39. "Prime Minister's Literary Awards 2024 shortlists announced". Books+Publishing. 15 August 2024. Retrieved 15 August 2024.
40. "The Tour by Pi O". National Library of Australia. Retrieved 22 March 2024.
41. "Riverbed Sky Songs by Tais Rose Wae". National Library of Australia. Retrieved 18 July 2024.
42. "Chinese Fish by Grace Yee". National Library of Australia. Retrieved 22 March 2024.
43. "Consent Laid Bare by Chanel Contos". National Library of Australia. Retrieved 2 April 2024.
44. "Austlit — Unfinished Woman by Robyn Davidson". Austlit. Retrieved 2 April 2024.
45. "Reckless by Marele Day". National Library of Australia. Retrieved 2 April 2024.
46. "The Empty Honour Board by Martin Flanagan". National Library of Australia. Retrieved 2 April 2024.
47. "I Don't by Clementine Ford". National Library of Australia. Retrieved 2 April 2024.
48. "Wifedom: Mrs Orwell's Invisible Life by Anna Funder". National Library of Australia. Retrieved 2 April 2024.
49. "My Life as a Jew by Michael Gawenda". National Library of Australia. Retrieved 2 April 2024.
50. "The Queen is Dead by Stan Grant". National Library of Australia. Retrieved 2 April 2024.
51. "Aphrodite's Breath by Susan Johnson". National Library of Australia. Retrieved 2 April 2024.
52. Kenneally, Christine. "Ghosts of the orphanage : a story of murder, a conspiracy of silence and a search for justice". National Library of Australia. Retrieved 20 May 2024.
53. "On Peter Carey by Sarah Krasnostein". National Library of Australia. Retrieved 2 April 2024.
54. "Killing for Country by David Marr". National Library of Australia. Retrieved 2 April 2024.
55. "Life So Full of Promise by Ross McMullin". National Library of Australia. Retrieved 9 May 2024.
56. "Big Mouth by Matt Preston". National Library of Australia. Retrieved 2 April 2024.
57. "Courting by Alecia Simmonds". Good Reading. November 2023. Retrieved 6 September 2024.
58. "Tanya Plibersek: On Her Own Terms by Margaret Simons". National Library of Australia. Retrieved 2 April 2024.
59. "Political Lives by Christine Wallace". National Library of Australia. Retrieved 2 April 2024.
60. Brown, Nicholas (2023), Sex magick, Currency Press, ISBN   978-1-76062-815-4
61. "Julia". AustLit: Discover Australian Stories. The University of Queensland. Retrieved 19 October 2024.
62. "Skovron wins 2023 Patrick White Award". Books+Publishing. 23 October 2023. Retrieved 26 October 2023.
63. "ALS Gold Medal — Previous Winners". Association for the Study of Australian Literature. Retrieved 12 January 2024.
64. "Colin Roderick Award 2023 Long and Short Lists". www.jcu.edu.au. 6 October 2023. Retrieved 13 January 2024.
65. ""Indie Book Awards - Winners 2023"". Australian Independent Booksellers. Retrieved 11 March 2024.
66. Dow, Steve (22 May 2023). "'Significantly shocking': debut author Debra Dank breaks records at NSW premier's literary awards". The Guardian. ISSN   0261-3077 . Retrieved 22 May 2023.
67. "Holland-Batt wins 2023 Stella Prize for 'The Jaguar'". Books+Publishing. 28 April 2023. Retrieved 27 April 2023.
68. "Au wins 2023 Victorian Prize for Literature at VPLAs". Books+Publishing. 2 February 2023. Retrieved 6 February 2023.
69. "Adelaide Festival Awards for Literature – Past Literary Award Winners". State Library of South Australia. Retrieved 18 April 2024.
70. ""'He has produced a gem': An ode to humble Australians wins The Age Book of the Year"". The Age, 4 May 2023. 4 May 2023. Retrieved 31 January 2024.
71. ""The 2023 ARA Historical Novel Prize"". Historical Novel Society Australasia. Retrieved 26 September 2024.
72. "'Immaculate' wins 2023 Vogel". Books+Publishing. 16 June 2023. Retrieved 11 January 2024.
73. ""Barbara Jefferis Award"". Australian Society of Authors. Retrieved 20 January 2024.
74. Burke, Kelly (25 July 2023). "Shankari Chandran wins 2023 Miles Franklin award for Chai Time at Cinnamon Gardens". The Guardian. ISSN   0261-3077 . Retrieved 25 July 2023.
75. Howard, Alexander (16 November 2023). "The revamped Prime Minister's Literary Awards reward 'fresh ways of seeing' in 2023". The Conversation. Retrieved 16 November 2023.
76. Jefferson, Dee (22 May 2023). "One book just won a record four out of 14 prizes at $350,000 NSW literary awards". ABC News. Retrieved 22 May 2023.
77. "Winners of the 2023 Queensland Literary Awards announced". Media statements. Queensland Government. 5 September 2023. Retrieved 6 September 2023.
78. "CBCA Book of the Year Awards 2023 winners announced". Books+Publishing. 18 August 2023. Retrieved 19 August 2023.
79. "Davitt Awards 2023 winners announced". Books+Publishing. 4 September 2023. Retrieved 13 January 2024.
80. "Ned Kelly Awards 2022 winners announced". Books+Publishing. 29 August 2022. Retrieved 8 January 2023.
81. "Reid, Ell win 2022 Anne Elder Award". Books+Publishing. 11 May 2023. Retrieved 11 May 2023.
82. "Mary Gilmore Award". Association for the Study of Australian Literature . Retrieved 5 February 2024.
83. "National Biography Award". State Library of NSW. 21 May 2020. Retrieved 9 August 2023.
84. "NSW Premier's History Awards 2023 winners announced". Books+Publishing. 8 September 2023. Retrieved 3 October 2023.
85. "Vale Gabrielle Williams". Books+Publishing. 25 January 2023. Retrieved 3 March 2023.
86. "Portia ROBINSON AM PhD Death Notice - Sydney, New South Wales | Sydney Morning Herald". tributes.smh.com.au.
87. "Lee Harding". Austlit. Retrieved 19 June 2023.
88. "John Tranter Death Notice - Sydney, New South Wales". tributes.smh.com.au. Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 25 April 2023.
89. Runciman, Caleb (22 April 2023). "Barry Humphries: Australian comedic legend dies aged 89". The West Australian. Retrieved 22 April 2023.
90. "Probate Notice: Gabrielle Carey". NSW Probate Index. 4 May 2023 – via Ryerson Index.
91. "Andrew Burke". AustLit: Discover Australian Stories. The University of Queensland. Retrieved 19 February 2024.
92. Roberts, Mark (4 July 2023). "Vale Ron Pretty". Rochford Street Review. Retrieved 6 July 2023.
93. "Elizabeth Webby". AustLit: Discover Australian Stories. The University of Queensland. Retrieved 8 August 2023.
94. Adelaide former talkback host and poet Nan Witcomb dies aged 95 (subscription required)
95. "SPENDER, Dale – Death Notices". My Tributes – The Courier-Mail. 25 November 2023. Retrieved 26 November 2023.
96. "Director Michael Blakemore Dies at 95". Playbill. 13 December 2023.
97. "Vale Shirley Barber". Books+Publishing. 13 December 2023. Retrieved 13 December 2023.
98. "Australian journalist and documentary filmmaker John Pilger dies aged 84". ITVX. 31 December 2023. Retrieved 31 December 2023.