The Queensland Premier's Literary Awards were an Australian suite of literary awards inaugurated in 1999 and disestablished in 2012. It was one of the most generous suites of literary awards within Australia, with $225,000 in prize money across 14 categories with prizes up to $25,000 in some categories. The awards upon their establishment incorporated a number of pre-existing awards including the Steele Rudd Award for the best Australian collection of new short fiction and the David Unaipon Award for unpublished Indigenous writing.
The awards were established by Peter Beattie, the then Premier of Queensland in 1999"QLD Premier's Literary Awards axed" and abolished by Premier Campbell Newman, shortly after winning the 2012 Queensland state election."New premier tears up literary awards", 3 April 2012, The Sydney Morning Herald
In response, the Queensland writing community established the Queensland Literary Awards to ensure the Awards continued in some form."Qld Literary Awards to go ahead, organisers say" The judging panels remained largely the same, and University of Queensland Press committed to continue to publish the winners of the Emerging Queensland Author Manuscript Award and the Unpublished Indigenous Writer, David Unaipon Award."The Alternative Queensland Literary Award"
Fiction Book Award
Queensland Premier's Award for Fiction Year Title Author Ref 1999 Fredy Neptune: A Novel in Verse Les Murray 2000 Drylands Thea Astley 2001 True History of the Kelly Gang Peter Carey Beattie, Peter (2001), "Ministerial Statement (18 October 2001)", Legislative Assembly Hansard, Queensland. 2002 The Volcano Venero Armanno 2003 Due Preparations for the Plague Janette Turner Hospital 2004 Elizabeth Costello J. M. Coetzee 2005 The Turning Tim Winton 2006 The Garden Book Brian Castro 2007 Carpentaria Alexis Wright 2008 The Spare Room Helen Garner 2009 Wanting Richard Flanagan 2010 Summertime J. M. Coetzee 2011 Reading Madame Bovary Amanda Lohrey
Queensland Premier's Literary Award for Best Fiction Book Year Title Author Ref 2012 Cold Light Frank Moorhouse 2013 Mullumbimby Melissa Lucashenko 2014 The Narrow Road to the Deep North Richard Flanagan 2015 The Golden Age Joan London 2016 Between a Wolf and a Dog Georgia Blain 2017 The Birdman's Wife Melissa Ashley 2018 Taboo Kim Scott 2019 Exploded View Carrie Tiffany 2020 Stone Sky Gold Mountain Mirandi Riwoe 2021 Song of the Crocodile Nardi Simpson 2022 The Other Half of You Michael Mohammed Ahmad (Editor) 2023 Praiseworthy Alexis Wright 2024 The Great Undoing Sharlene Allsopp
Emerging Queensland Author – Manuscript Award 2011 The Beloved, Annah Faulkner 2010 RPM, Noel Mengel 2009 No Award. The prize was shared between four shortlisted authors: Inga Simpson, Rachel Claire, Chris Somerville and Pamela Douglas. Extracts from the shortlisted works were published in the 09:05 issue of Perilous Adventures: The Writer's Magazine.Perilous Adventures: The Writer's Magazine. 2008 Omega Park by Amy Vought Barker 2007 Life in the Bus Lane by Ian Commins 2006 The Anatomy of Wings by Karen Foxlee 2005 The Long Road of the Junkmailer by Patrick Holland 2004 An Accidental Terrorist by Steven Lang 2003 The Kingdom Where Nobody Dies by Kimberley Starr 2002 The Lambing Flat by Nerida Newton 2001 Mama Kuma: One Woman, Two Cultures by Deborah Carlyon 2000 The Bone Flute by Nike Bourke 1999 Shoelaces by Jillian Watkinson
Unpublished Indigenous Writer – The David Unaipon Award 2025 Finding Billy Brown, E.M. Crismani 2024 Native Rage, Dominic Guerrera 2023 To Give Them a Voice (published as Two Tongues), Maria van Neerven 2022 Always Will Be, Mykaela Saunders 2021 Mekauwe=Tears Volume #1 (Notes For Song) 1970-2020, Ngankiburka-mekauwe (Senior Woman of Water) Georgina Williams 2020 The Space Between the Paperbark, Jazz Money 2018 The Making of Ruby Champion, Kirstie Parker 2017 Mirrored Pieces, Lisa Fuller 2016 Dancing Home, Paul Collis 2015 The First Octoroon or Report of an Experimental Child, Andrew Booth 2014 It’s Not Just Black and White, Lesley and Tammy Williams 2013 Heat and Light, Ellen van Neerven 2011 Mazin Grace, Dylan Coleman 2010 Purple Threads, Jeanine Leane 2009 The Boundary by Nicole Watson 2008 Every Secret Thing by Marie Munkara 2007 Skin Painting by Elizabeth Eileen Hodgson 2006 Me, Antman and Fleabag by Gayle Kennedy 2005 Anonymous Premonition by Yvette Holt 2004 Dust on Waterglass by Tara June Winch (published as Swallow the Air) 2003 Whispers of This Wik Woman by Fiona Doyle 2002 Home by Larissa Behrendt 2001 The Mish by Robert Lowe 2000 Bitin' Back by Vivienne Cleven 1999 Of Muse, Meandering and Midnight by Samuel Wagan Watson 1998 Is That You Ruthie? by Ruth Hegarty 1997 When Darkness Falls by John Bodey 1996 Black Angels Red Blood by Steven McCarthy 1995 Warrigal's Way by Warrigal Anderson 1994 The Sausage Tree by Valda Gee and Rosalie Medcraft 1993 Bridge of Triangles by John Muk Muk Burke 1992 Sweet Water, Stolen Land by Philip McLaren 1991 Broken Dreams by Bill Dodd 1990 Caprice: A Stockman's Daughter by Doris Pilkington Garimara 1989 Holocaust Island by Graeme Dixon
Non-Fiction Book Award 2011 An Eye for Eternity: The Life of Manning Clark by Mark McKenna 2010 The Blue Plateau: A Landscape Memoir, Mark Tredinnick 2009 The Tall Man: Death and Life on Palm Island by Chloe Hooper 2008 Muck by Craig Sherborne 2007 Slicing the Silence: Voyaging to Antarctica by Professor Tom Griffiths 2006 Packer's Lunch by Neil Chenoweth 2005 Papunya: A Place Made After the Story by Geoffrey Bardon and James Bardon 2004 A Death in Brazil by Peter Robb 2003 Meeting of the Waters by Margaret Simons 2002 The Boyds: A Family Biography by Brenda Niall 2001 A Fine and Private Place by Brian Matthews
History Book Award – Faculty of Arts, University of Queensland Award 2011 Northern Voyagers: Australia’s Monsoon Coast in Maritime History, Alan Powell 2010 Sydney Harbour: A History, Ian Hoskins 2009 Stella Miles Franklin by Jill Roe 2008 Drawing the Global Colour Line by Professor Marilyn Lake and Professor Henry Reynolds 2007 Iron Kingdom by Christopher Clark 2006 Arthur Tange: The Last of the Mandarins by Peter Edwards 2005 The Sounds of Slavery: Discovering African History Through Songs, Sermons and Speech by Shane White and Graham White 2004 Dancing with Strangers by Inga Clendinnen 2003 Mussolini by Professor R. J. B. Bosworth 2002 Gallipoli by Les Carlyon 2001 The Colonial Earth by Tim Bonyhady 2000 John Curtin: A Life by David Day 1999 The Sky Travellers by Bill Gammage
Queensland Premier's Children's Book Award – Mary Ryan's Award Year Title Author Ref 1999 Unseen Paul Jennings 2000 The Family Tree Jane Godwin 2001 Fox Margaret Wild and Ron Brooks 2002 Blat Magic Michael Stephens 2003 Rain May and Captain Daniel Catherine Bateson 2004 Dragonkeeper Carole Wilkinson 2005 Camel Rider Prue Mason 2006 The Slightly Bruised Glory of Cedar B. Hartley Martine Murray 2007 Layla Queen of Hearts Glenda Millard 2008 The Peasant Prince Li Cunxin and Anne Spudvilas 2009 Little Blue Gaye Chapman 2010 Toppling Sally Murphy 2011 Just a Dog Michael Gerard Bauer
Young Adult Book Award 2011 Being Here by Barry Jonsberg 2010 Drink the Air by Richard Yaxley 2009 A Small Free Kiss in the Dark by Glenda Millard 2008 Requiem for a Beast by Matt Ottley 2007 One Whole and Perfect Day by Judith Clarke 2006 The Red Shoe by Ursula Dubosarsky 2005 Secret Scribbled Notebooks by Joanne Horniman 2004 How to Make a Bird by Martine Murray 2003 Boys of Blood and Bone by David Metzenthen 2002 When Dogs Cry by Markus Zusak
Science Writers – Department of State Development, Trade and Innovation Award 2011 Voyage to the Planets – Episodes 1, 2 and 3 – Mars, Jupiter and Saturn, Richard Smith 2010 Catching Cancer, Sonya Pemberton 2009 Pasteur's Gambit: Louis Pasteur, the Australasian Rabbit Plague and a Ten Million Dollar Prize by Stephen Dando-Collins 2008 Why is Uranus Upside Down? (and other Questions about the Universe) by Professor Fred Watson 2007 Crude by Richard Smith 2006 Good Health in the 21st Century by Carole Hungerford 2005 Stem Cells by Elizabeth Finkel 2004 Genius of Junk by Sonya Pemberton
Poetry Collection – Arts Queensland Judith Wright Calanthe Award 2021 Terminally Ill by Ouyang Yu 2020 Heide by Pi O 2019 Blakwork by Alison Whittaker 2018 I Love Poetry by Michael Farrell 2017 Fragments by Antigone Kefala 2016 Anatomy of Voice by David Musgrave 2015 Waiting For the Past by Les Murray 2014 Earth Hour by David Malouf 2012 Crimson Crop by Peter Rose (poet) 2011 Starlight: 150 poems by John Tranter 2010 Apocrypha by Peter Boyle 2009 The Striped World by Emma Jones 2008 Typewriter Music by David Malouf 2007 The Passenger by Laurie Duggan 2006 The New Arcadia by Professor John Kinsella 2005 The Ship by Sarah Day 2004 Wolf Notes by Judith Beveridge 2001 and dug my fingers in the sand by Brook Emery
Australian Short Story Collection – Arts Queensland Steele Rudd Award
Year Title Author Ref 2004 Mahjar Eva Sallis 2005 Vincenzo's Garden John Clanchy 2006 A Funny Thing Happened at 27 000 Feet Craig Cormick 2007 Every Move You Make David Malouf 2008 Someone Else John Hughes 2009 The Boat Nam Le 2010 Little White Slips Karen Hitchcock 2011 Reading Madame Bovary Amanda Lohrey 2012 Forecast: Turbulence Janette Turner Hospital 2013 Like a House on Fire Cate Kennedy 2014 Only the Animals Ceridwen Dovey 2015 Merciless Gods Christos Tsiolkas 2016 A Few Days in the Country and Other Stories Elizabeth Harrower The High Places Fiona McFarlane 2017 The Circle and the Equator Kyra Giorgi 2018 Pulse Points Jennifer Down 2019 Zebra Debra Adelaide 2020 Lucky Ticket Joey Bui 2021 Ordinary Matter Laura Elvery
Literary Work Advancing Public Debate – the Harry Williams Award 2012 The Australian Moment, George Megalogenis 2011 Into the Woods: The Battle for Tasmania's Forests, Anna Krien 2010 Requiem for a Species: Why we resist the truth about climate change, Clive Hamilton 2009 Code of Silence by Sarah Ferguson 2008 In My Shoes by Quentin McDermott and Steve Taylor 2007 Jonestown by Chris Masters 2006 Asbestos House by Gideon Haigh 2005 Sickness in the System by Hedley Thomas 2004 The History Wars by Stuart Macintyre and Anna Clark 2003 Dark Victory by David Marr and Marian Wilkinson 2002 In Denial: The Stolen Generations and the Right by Robert Manne and Reconciliation: A Journey by Michael Gordon 2001 Borderline: Australia's Treatment of Refugees and Asylum Seekers by Peter Mares and Dossier Inside the ABC by David Fagan and Dossier Team 2000 Why Weren't We Told by Henry Reynolds 1999 The Moment the Laughter Died by Tony Koch
Film Script – the Pacific Film and Television Commission Award 2011 The Hunter by Alice Addison 2010 South Solitary by Shirley Barrett 2009 Mary and Max by Adam Elliot 2008 Prime Mover by David Caesar 2007 Lake Mungo by Joel Anderson 2006 Ten Canoes by Rolf de Heer 2005 Little Fish by Jacquelin Perske 2004 Look Both Ways by Sarah Watt 2003 Japanese Story by Alison Tilson 2002 The Tracker by Rolf de Heer 2001 Rabbit-Proof Fence by Christine Olsen 2000 Praise by Andrew McGahan 1999 Two Hands by Gregor Jordan
Television Script – QUT Creative Industries Award 2011 Paper Giants: The Birth of Cleo – Part 2 by Christopher Lee 2010 Sisters of War by John Misto 2009 False Witness by Peter Gawler 2008 Underbelly, Episode 7 – Wise Monkeys by Felicity Packard 2007 Bastard Boys by Sue Smith 2006 Unfolding Florence by Katherine Thomson 2005 RAN: Remote Area Nurse – Episode 5 – Blue Hawaii by Sue Smith 2004 The Cooks – Episode 12, Series 1 – Honey and Wounds by Blake Ayshford
Drama Script (Stage) Award 2012/2013 Trollop by Maxine Mellor 2011 Life Without Me by Daniel Keene 2009 Realism by Paul Galloway 2008 When the Rain Stops Falling by Andrew Bovell 2007 Embers by Campion Decent 2006 Mrs Petrov's Shoe by Noelle Janaczewska 2005 Black Hands/Dead Section by Van Badham 2004 Run Rabbit Run by Alana Valentine 2003 Last Cab to Darwin by Reg Cribb