The ACT Literary Awards, formerly known as the ACT Writing and Publishing Awards, are a suite of Australian literary honours coordinated and presented annually by MARION (formerly the ACT Writers Centre). The awards recognise outstanding literary achievement in Canberra and surrounding regions, with categories spanning fiction, nonfiction, poetry, and children's literature. The suite also includes in memoriam prizes and funded mentorships that support both emerging and established writers.
History The ACT Writers Centre was established in 1994 to support writers in the Australian Capital Territory.
The inaugural ACT Writing and Publishing Awards were presented in 2004.
In 2022, the organisation was renamed MARION ACT, and the awards program evolved into the ACT Literary Awards, which now encompasses multiple categories across fiction, nonfiction, poetry, and children's literature. The suite also includes memorial prizes honouring distinguished individuals, as well as funded mentorships for emerging and established writers.
Categories
In 2004, the Centre launched the ACT Writing and Publishing Awards, coordinated and presented annually to recognise excellence in local writing.
In 2022, the organisation rebranded as MARION, and the awards were briefly renamed the MARION Book Awards. Since then, the program has expanded and evolved into the ACT Literary Awards, coordinated by MARION as part of its annual programming. The awards now include categories for fiction, nonfiction, poetry, and children's literature, and also incorporate in memoriam prizes and funded mentorships supporting both emerging and established writers in the ACT and surrounding regions.
In 2023, MARION introduced the MARION Fellowship, a developmental opportunity open to emerging writers, regardless of location. In 2024, the Marion Halligan Award was established in memory of acclaimed Australian author Marion Halligan OAM. It is selected from across all categories of the ACT Literary Awards.
List of winners
2026 AWARDS Fiction Traditional Publishing Winner: In the Name of the Trees by Merlinda Bobis (Spinifex Press) Fiction Self-published
Winner: To Heal a Lyrebird by Kate Liston-Mills Nonfiction Traditional Publishing
Winner: Versailles Mirrored: The Power of Luxury, Louis XIV to Donald Trump by Robert Wellington (Bloomsbury) Highly Commended: Playtime: A History of Australian Childhood by Emily Gallagher (Black Inc.) Children's Traditional Publishing
Winner - FICTION: The Drought Kangaroo by Jackie French, ill. Danny Snell (HarperCollins Australia) Winner - NONFICTION: Peculiar Parents by Stephanie Owen Reeder, ill. Ingrid Bartkowiak (NLA Publishing) Winner - OLDER READERS: Washpool by Lisa Fuller (Hachette Australia) Poetry Traditional Publishing
Winner: Wita Witalana by Paul Collis (Recent Work Press) Highly Commended: Arsenic Flower by Dakota Feirer (Hachette Australia) The Anne Edgeworth Fellowship for Emerging Writers
Joint Award Winners: Kelsey Clifton and Katherine Hammersley
The Finding Beauty Poetry Prize
First place: ‘Paper Crane’ by Lillace Kenta Second place: ’The Italian Chapel’ by Deborah Dawkings Shortlisted: ‘The Anatomy of My Parent’s Hands‘ by Michelle Brock Shortlisted: ‘She Collects Things‘ by Elizabeth Walton Honourable mentions: ‘On William Barton’ by Julie Hollitt, ‘Holding Still’ by Sara Pronger
The Marion Halligan Award The Dingo's Noctuary by Judith Nangala Crispin (Puncher & Wattman)
JUDGES 2026: Eugen Bacon, Frank Bongiorno, Helen Ennis, Dan Hogan, Subhash Jaireth, Ambelin Kwaymullina, Lucy Neave, Sandra Renew, Gabrielle Tozer, and Jen Webb.
2025 AWARDS 30th Anniversary of MARION and the ACT Writers Centre 1995 - 2025
Fiction Traditional Publishing Winner: Compassion by Julie Janson (Magabala Books) Highly Commended: The Sea Captain's Wife by Jackie French (HarperCollins Australia) Nonfiction Traditional Publishing Winner: Warra Warra Wai: How Indigenous Australians discovered Captain Cook, and what they tell about the coming of the Ghost People by Darren Rix and Craig Cormick (Scribner Australia) Highly Commended: Max Dupain: A Portrait by Helen Ennis (HarperCollins Australia) Nonfiction Self-published Winner: An Unexpected Life: the inspiring stories of 12 migrant women and their new lives in Australia by Vesna Cvjetićanin Highly Commended: Australian Carillonists: respect for the past and a vision for the future by Melissa Bray Children's Traditional Publishing Winner - YOUNGER READERS: Big, Big Love by Lisa Fuller, ill. Samantha Campbell (Magabala Books) Winner - MIDDLE-GRADE: Tigg and the Bandicoot Bushranger by Jackie French (HarperCollins Australia) Winner - YA FICTION: The Unexpected Mess of It All by Gabrielle Tozer (HarperCollins Australia) Highly Commended: Flora: Australia's Most Curious Plants by Tania McCartney (NLA Publishing) Highly Commended: Sensational Australian Animals by Stephanie Owen Reeder, ill. Cher Hart (CSIRO Publishing) Poetry Traditional Publishing Winner: Makarra by Barrina South (Recent Work Press) Highly Commended: Refugia by Elfie Shiosaki (Magabala Books) The Anne Edgeworth Fellowship for Emerging Writers
Elisa Cristallo, Matthew Crowe, and Deborah Huff-Horwood
The Marion Halligan Award Flora: Australia's Most Curious Plants by Tania McCartney (NLA Publishing)
The June Shenfield National Poetry Award First place: A metabolism of self by Krystle Herdy (VIC) Second place: 'This is a Recipe' by Elizabeth Walton (NSW) Third Place: 'Building' by Josephne Shevchenko (ACT)
The inaugural Finding Beauty Poetry Prize
First place: 'As a Matter of Great Importance' by Alisha Brown Second place: 'Rosalie' by Cate Furey Shortlisted: ';' Annie O'Connell Shortlisted: 'Still Green' Sara Pronger
JUDGES 2025: Adrian Caesar, Paul Hetherington, Maya Hodge, Ayesha Inoon, Will Kostakis, Katrina Marson, Omar Musa, Bebe Oliver, Shannyn Palmer, Jacqueline de Rose-Ahern, Melinda Smith
2024 AWARDS Fiction Self-published Highly Commended: The Last Famine by Elisa Cristallo Fiction Traditional Publishing Winner: Girl in a Pink Dress by Kylie Needham (Penguin Books Australia) Highly Commended: Untethered by Ayesha Inoon (HarperCollins Australia) Nonfiction Self-published Winner: Neither King nor Saint by Helen Topor Nonfiction Traditional Publishing Winner: Bennelong & Phillip: A History Unravelled by Kate Fullagar (Scribner Australia) Highly Commended: Helena Rubinstein: The Australian Years by Angus Trumble (La Trobe University Press, Black Inc.) Children's Self-published Winner: That Book About Space Stuff by David Conley Highly Commended: Phoenix and Ralph by Barbie Robinson, ill. Ian Robertson Children's Traditional Publishing Winner - YOUNGER READERS: The Turtle and the Flood by Jackie French, ill. Danny Snell (HarperCollins Australia) Winner - NONFICTION: Wildlife Compendium of the World by Tania McCartney (Hardie Grant) Winner - OLDER READERS: We Didn't Think It Through by Gary Lonesborough (Allen & Unwin) Highly Commended: Neil the Amazing Sea Cucumber by Amelia McInerney, ill. Lucinda Gifford (Affirm Press) Highly Commended: Phonobet by Kathy Weeden, ill. Kim Drane (NLA Publishing) Highly Commended: Surprise at the End of Onkaparinga Lane by Rhian Williams, ill. Martina Heiduczek (Walker Books Australia) Poetry Traditional Publishing Winner: The Moon the Bone: Selected Poems 1986-2022 by Tim Metcalf (Ginninderra Press) Highly Commended: Meaty Bones by K A Nelson (Recent Work Press) Highly Commended: Apostles of Anarchy by Sandra Renew (Recent Work Press) The June Shenfield Poetry Award First Place: Cate Furey, Momentum (ACT) Second Place: Lucinda Ferguson, Wasabi Peas (NSW) Third Place: Hayden William, Now Who Let These Thoughts In? (NSW) The Anne Edgeworth Fellowship for Emerging Writers Joint Award Winners: Jemima Parker and Gill Watson The Marion Halligan Award Sleeplessness by Paul Hetherington (Pierian Springs Press)
Marion Fellowship Award 24/25 awarded to Callie Doyle-Scott (ACT)
JUDGES 2024 - Fiction: Beejay Silcox. Nonfiction: Frank Bongiorno. Poetry: Dr Paul Collis. Children's Book: Krys Saclier. The June Shenfield Poetry Award: Dan Hogan.
2023 AWARDS Fiction Small Press Winner: Then Eve by Tanya Davies Fiction Big Press Winner: The Tilt by Chris Hammer (Allen & Unwin) Nonfiction Small Press Winner: Neither King nor Saint by Helen Topor Nonfiction Big Press Winner: The Glass Cricket Ball by Jan Williams Smith (Big Sky) Highly Commended: Legitimate Sexpectations by Katrina Marson (Scribe Publications) Children's Small Press Winner: Charles the Gallery Dog by Barbie Robinson, ill. Ian Robertson (For Pity Sake Publishing) Children's Big Press Winner: Diary of a Rescued Wombat: The untold story by Jackie French, ill. Bruce Whatley (HarperCollins) Highly Commended: Swifty the Super-Fast Parrot by Stephanie Owen Reeder, ill. Astred Hicks (CSIRO Publishing) Highly Commended: Seree's Story by Irma Gold, ill. Wayne Harris (Walker Books Australia) Poetry Small Press Winner: Translating Loss: A haiku collection by Maurice Nevile Poetry Big Press Winner: Beloved by Penelope Layland (Recent Work Press) Highly Commended: Waterlines by Peter Ramm (Vagabond Press) The MARION Overall Special Book Award 2023 Winner: Whitefella Yella Tree by Dylan Van Den Berg (Currency Press) The June Shenfield Poetry Award First Place: Rhian Healy (WA) Second Place: Alana Kelsall (VIC) Third Place: Rebecca Fleming (ACT) Marion Fellowship Award 23/24 awarded to Maya Hodge (VIC)
JUDGES 2023 - Fiction: Lucy Neave. Nonfiction: Jessica Friedmann. Poetry: Subhash Jaireth. Children's Book: Anna Branford. The June Shenfield Poetry Award: Paul Hetherington.
2022 AWARDS Fiction Small Press Winner: Everything I Am by Jenny Bond (The Hard Word) Highly Commended: Dear Ibis by Kate Liston-Mills (Spineless Wonders) Fiction Big Press Winner: Milk by Dylan van den Berg (Currency Press/The Street Theatre) Nonfiction Small Press Winner: Coolamon Girl by Dianne Lucas (Ginninderra Press) Nonfiction Big Press Winner: Summertime by Danielle Celermajer (Penguin Books Australia) Children's Small Press Winner: Where the Heart Is by Irma Gold, ill. Susannah Crispe (Exisle Publishing) Highly Commended: All Dogs Bark by Catherine Meatheringham and Deb Hudson (Windy Hollow Books) Children's Big Press Winner: The Last Dragon by Charles Massy, ill. Mandy Foot (NLA Publishing) Highly Commended: Wiradjuri Country by Larry Brandy (NLA Publishing) Poetry Small Press Winner: It's the Sugar, Sugar by Sandra Renew (Recent Work Press) Highly Commended: Text/ure by Sarah Rice (Recent Work Press) Highly Commended: Chalk Borders by Sarah St Vincent Welch (Flying Island Books) Poetry Big Press Winner: The Wear of My Face by Lizz Murphy (Spinifex Press) The ACT Writers Overall Special Book Award 2022 Winner: Killernova by Omar Musa (Penguin Books Australia)
Winner: The Wear of My Face by Lizz Murphy (Spinifex Press) The June Shenfield Poetry Award First Place: If I Put It In A Poem by Rosa O’Kane (ACT) Second Place: In the Oxford book of ballads by Andrew Spiker (VIC) Third Place: Armillaris by Claire Miranda Roberts (VIC) The Anne Edgeworth Fellowship for Emerging Writers Joint Awards Winners: Julia Faragher and Samantha Tidy JUDGES 2022 - Fiction: Robyn Cadwallader, Shelley Burr. Nonfiction: Nicole Moore, Ginger Gorman. Poetry: Lucy Alexander, Samia Goudie. Children's: Tracey Hawkins, David Conley. The Marjorie Graber-McInnis Short Story Award, Beatrice Smith.
2021 AWARDS Fiction Small Press Winner: Neon Leviathan by TR Napper (Grimdark Magazine) Highly Commended: The Philosopher's Daughters by Alison Booth (RedDoor Press, UK) Fiction Big Press Winner: Desire Lines by Felicity Volk (Hachette Australia) NonFiction Small Press Winner: Pandemic: The Spanish Flu in Australia 1918-1920 by Ian W. Shaw (Woodslane Press)