The Australian Prime Minister's Literary Awards (PMLA) were announced at the end of 2007 by the incoming First Rudd Ministry following the 2007 election. They are administered by the Minister for the Arts.
The awards were designed as "a new initiative celebrating the contribution of Australian literature to the nation's cultural and intellectual life." The awards are held annually and initially provided a tax-free prize of A$100,000 in each category, making it Australia's richest literary award in total. In 2011, the prize money was split into $80,000 for each category winner and $5,000 for up to four short-listed entries. The award was initially given in four categories – fiction, non-fiction, young adult and children's fiction – as selected by three judging panels. In 2012, a poetry category was added and the former Prime Minister's Prize for Australian History was incorporated into the award. "The awards are open to works written by Australian citizens and permanent residents. Authors, publishers and literary agents are eligible to enter works, first published in the calendar year prior to the awards."
For the inaugural 2008 awards, six Australians were appointed by the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and the Arts to the judging panels: three each for the fiction and non-fiction awards.
2008 shortlist and winners
The final decisions on the shortlist and winners for the awards was made by Prime Minister (Kevin Rudd) based on the judging panels’ recommendations. The following entries, out of more than 170 received, were selected for the shortlist:
Listed in official shortlist order; winners in bold type.
Burning In by Mireille Juchau
El Dorado by Dorothy Porter
Jamaica : a novel by Malcolm Knox
Sorry by Gail Jones
The Complete Stories by David Malouf
The Widow and Her Hero by Tom Keneally
The Zookeeper's War by Steven Conte
A History of Queensland by Raymond Evans
Cultural Amnesia: Notes in the Margin of My Time by Clive James
My Life as a Traitor by Zarah Ghahramani with Robert Hillman
Napoleon: The Path to Power, 1769–1799 by Philip Dwyer
Ochre and Rust: Artefacts and Encounters on Australian Frontiers by Philip Jones
Shakespeare's Wife by Germaine Greer
Vietnam: the Australian War by Paul Ham
On 15 May 2009 the panels for the 2009 awards were announced.
2009 shortlist and winners
The 2009 shortlist from more than 250 entries was announced on Friday 18 September 2009 in Melbourne. The winners were announced on 2 November 2009. Two works shared the non-fiction award.
Listed in official shortlist order; winners in bold type.
The Pages by Murray Bail
People of the Book by Geraldine Brooks
Wanting by Richard Flanagan
Everything I Knew by Peter Goldsworthy
One Foot Wrong by Sofie Laguna
The Boat by Nam Le
The Good Parents by Joan London
Van Diemen's Land by James Boyce
Doing Life: A Biography of Elizabeth Jolley by Brian Dibble
Gough Whitlam: A Moment in History by Jenny Hocking
The Tall Man: Death and Life on Palm Island by Chloe Hooper
House of Exile: The Life and Times of Heinrich Mann and Nelly-Kroeger Mann by Evelyn Juers
Drawing the Global Colour Line by Marilyn Lake and Henry Reynolds
The Henson Case by David Marr
American Journeys by Don Watson
On 30 March 2010 two new award categories were announced: "young adults' fiction" and "children's fiction". The prize for both new awards was also $100,000; its entries were judged by one judging panel.
On 14 May 2010 the panels for the 2010 awards were announced.
2010 shortlist and winners
From over 330 entries, the 2010 shortlist of 29 titles was announced on 15 July 2010. The winners were announced on 8 November 2010.
Listed in official shortlist order; winners in bold type.
Summertime by J. M. Coetzee
The Book of Emmett by Deborah Forster
The Lakewoman by Alan Gould
Dog Boy by Eva Hornung
Ransom by David Malouf
Lovesong by Alex Miller
As the Earth Turns Silver by Alison Wong
The Water Dreamers: The Remarkable History of Our Dry Continent by Michael Cathcart
Strange Places: A Memoir of Mental Illness by Will Elliott
The Colony: A History of Early Sydney by Grace Karskens
The Life and Death of Democracy by John Keane
The Blue Plateau: A Landscape Memoir by Mark Tredinnick
The Ghost at the Wedding by Shirley Walker
Stolen by Lucy Christopher
The Winds of Heaven by Judith Clarke
Confessions of a Liar, Thief and Failed Sex God by Bill Condon
The Museum of Mary Child by Cassandra Golds
Swerve by Phillip Gwynne
Jarvis 24 by David Metzenthen
Beatle Meets Destiny by Gabrielle Williams
Cicada Summer by Kate Constable
The Terrible Plop by Ursula Dubosarsky, illustrated by Andrew Joyner
Just Macbeth! by Andy Griffiths, illustrated by Terry Denton
Mr Chicken Goes to Paris by Leigh Hobbs
Running with the Horses by Alison Lester
Star Jumps by Lorraine Marwood
Mannie and the Long Brave Day by Martine Murray, illustrated by Sally Rippin
Tensy Farlow and the Home for Mislaid Children by Jen Storer
Harry and Hopper by Margaret Wild, illustrated by Freya Blackwood
Entries for the 2011 awards opened in January 2011 and an annual timetable was implemented: the shortlist was announced in late May and winners in early July. The awards were restructured to provide greater recognition for shortlisted authors. In each category, the winning book was awarded $80,000; $5,000 was awarded to up to four shortlisted titles. The eligibility criteria were extended to include e-books, and wordless picture books were eligible in the children's fiction category. The panellists from 2010 were returned for 2011.
2011 shortlist and winners
From 379 entries, the 2011 shortlist of 20 titles was announced on 26 May 2011. The winners, listed below in bold type, were announced on 8 July 2011.
Traitor by Stephen Daisley
Notorious by Roberta Lowing
When Colts Ran by Roger McDonald
Glissando by David Musgrave
That Deadman Dance by Kim Scott
Sydney by Delia Falconer
How To Make Gravy by Paul Kelly
The Party by Richard McGregor
The Hard Light of Day by Rod Moss
Claude Lévi-Strauss: The Poet in the Laboratory by Patrick Wilcken
Good Oil by Laura Buzo
Graffiti Moon by Cath Crowley
The Three Loves of Persimmon by Cassandra Golds
About a Girl by Joanne Horniman
The Piper's Son by Melina Marchetta
Why I Love Australia by Bronwyn Bancroft
Flyaway by Lucy Christopher
Now by Morris Gleitzman
April Underhill, Tooth Fairy by Bob Graham
Shake a Leg by Boori Monty Pryor and Jan Ormerod
The 2012 awards were launched in early December 2011; entries closed on 1 February 2012. A new award for poetry was announced and the Prize for Australian History was incorporated. The winners, listed below in bold type, were announced on 23 July 2012.
The panels for the 2012 awards consist of:
2012 shortlist and winners
From 509 entries, the 2012 shortlist of 25 titles was announced on 20 March 2012.
All That I Am by Anna Funder
Sarah Thornhill by Kate Grenville
Foal's Bread by Gillian Mears
Autumn Laing by Alex Miller
Forecast: Turbulence by Janette Turner Hospital
Ashes in the Air by Ali Alizadeh
Interferon Psalms by Luke Davies
Armour by John Kinsella
Southern Barbarians by John Mateer
New and Selected Poems by Gig Ryan
A Short History of Christianity by Geoffrey Blainey
Michael Kirby Paradoxes and Principles by Alexander Jonathan (A. J.) Brown
Kinglake-350 by Adrian Hyland
When Horse Became Saw by Anthony Macris
An Eye for Eternity: The Life of Manning Clark by Mark McKenna
1835: The Founding of Melbourne and the Conquest of Australia by James Boyce
The Biggest Estate on Earth by Bill Gammage
Breaking the Sheep's Back by Charles Massy
Indifferent Inclusion: Aboriginal people and the Australian Nation by Russell McGregor
Immigration Nation: The Secret History of Us by Renegade Films Australia
A Straight Line to My Heart by Bill Condon
Being Here by Barry Jonsberg
Pan's Whisper by Sue Lawson
When We Were Two by Robert Newton
Alaska by Sue Saliba
Evangeline, The Wish Keeper's Helper by Maggie Alderson
The Jewel Fish of Karnak by Graeme Base
Father's Day by Anne Brooksbank
Come Down, Cat!, written by Sonya Hartnett and illustrated by Lucia Masciullo
Goodnight, Mice!, written by Frances Watts and illustrated by Judy Watson
The 2013 awards were launched in late 2012; entries closed on 17 January 2013.
The panels for the 2013 awards consist of:
2013 shortlist and winners
The 2013 shortlist of 29 titles was announced on 17 June 2013. The winners, listed below in bold type, were announced on 15 August 2013 at the State Library of Queensland.
Floundering by Romy Ash
The Chemistry of Tears by Peter Carey
Questions of Travel by Michelle de Kretser
Lost Voices by Christopher Koch
Mateship with Birds by Carrie Tiffany
Burning Rice by Eileen Chong
The Sunlit Zone by Lisa Jacobson
Jam Tree Gully: Poems by John Kinsella
Liquid Nitrogen by Jennifer Maiden
Crimson Crop by Peter Rose
Bradman's War by Malcolm Knox
Uncommon Soldier by Chris Masters
Plein Airs and Graces by Adrian Mitchell
The Australian Moment by George Megalogenis
Bold Palates by Barbara Santich
The Sex Lives of Australians: A History by Frank Bongiorno
Sandakan by Paul Ham
Gough Whitlam by Jenny Hocking
Farewell, dear people by Ross McMullin
The Censor's Library by Nicole Moore
Everything Left Unsaid by Jessica Davidson
The Children of the King by Sonya Hartnett
Grace Beside Me by Sue McPherson
Fog a Dox by Bruce Pascoe
Friday Brown by Vikki Wakefield
Red by Libby Gleeson
Today We Have No Plans by Jane Godwin and illustrated by Anna Walker
What's the Matter, Aunty May? by Peter Friend and illustrated by Andrew Joyner
The Beginner's Guide to Revenge by Marianne Musgrove
The 2014 awards were launched in December 2013; entries closed on 28 February 2014. The winners, listed below in bold type, were announced on 8 December 2014.
The panels for the 2014 awards consist of:
2014 shortlist and winners
The 2014 shortlist of 30 titles was announced on 19 October 2014.
A World of Other People by Steven Carroll (joint winner)
The Narrow Road to the Deep North by Richard Flanagan (joint winner)
The Night Guest by Fiona McFarlane
Coal Creek by Alex Miller
Belomor by Nicolas Rothwell
Tempo by Sarah Day
Eldershaw by Stephen Edgar
1953 by Geoff Page
Drag Down to Unlock or Place an Emergency Call by Melinda Smith
Chains of Snow by Jakob Ziguras
Moving Among Strangers by Gabrielle Carey (joint winner)
The Lucky Culture by Nick Cater
Citizen Emperor by Philip Dwyer
Rendezvous with Destiny by Michael Fullilove
Madeleine: A Life of Madeleine St John by Helen Trinca (joint winner)
Broken Nation: Australians in the Great War by Joan Beaumont (joint winner)
First Victory 1914 by Mike Carlton
Australia's Secret War: How Unionists Sabotaged Our Troops in World War II by Hal G.P. Colebatch (joint winner)
Arthur Phillip: Sailor, Mercenary, Governor, Spy by Michael Pembroke
The Forgotten Rebels of Eureka by Clare Wright
The Incredible Here and Now by Felicity Castagna
Pureheart by Cassandra Golds
Girl Defective by Simmone Howell
Life in Outer Space by Melissa Keil
The First Third by Will Kostakis
Silver Buttons by Bob Graham
Song for a Scarlet Runner by Julie Hunt
My Life as an Alphabet by Barry Jonsberg
Kissed by the Moon by Alison Lester
Rules of Summer by Shaun Tan
The 2015 awards were launched in December 2014; entries closed on 28 February 2015.
The panels for the 2015 awards consist of:
2015 shortlist and winners
The 2015 shortlist of 30 titles was announced on 23 November 2015. The winners were announced in Sydney on 14 December 2015.
Amnesia by Peter Carey
In Certain Circles by Elizabeth Harrower
Golden Boys by Sonya Hartnett
The Golden Age by Joan London
To Name Those Lost by Rohan Wilson
Devadatta's Poems by Judith Beveridge
Earth Hour by David Malouf
Exhibits of the Sun by Stephen Edgar
Poems 1957–2013 by Geoffrey Lehmann
Towards the Equator: New & Selected Poems by Alex Skovron
Encountering the Pacific: In the Age of Enlightenment by John Gascoigne
John Olsen: An Artist's Life by Darleen Bungey
Private Bill by Barrie Cassidy
This House of Grief: The Story of a Murder Trial by Helen Garner
Wild Bleak Bohemia: Marcus Clarke, Adam Lindsay Gordon and Henry Kendall by Michael Wilding
Charles Bean by Ross Coulthart
Descent into Hell by Peter Brune
Menzies at War by Anne Henderson
The Europeans in Australia—Volume Three: Nation by Alan Atkinson
The Spy Catchers — The Official History of ASIO Vol 1 by David Horner
Are You Seeing Me? by Darren Groth
The Astrologer's Daughter by Rebecca Lim
The Minnow by Diana Sweeney
The Protected by Claire Zorn
Tigers on the Beach by Doug MacLeod
My Dad is a Bear by Nicola Connelly and illustrated by Annie White
My Two Blankets by Irena Kobald and illustrated by Freya Blackwood
One Minute's Silence by David Metzenthen and illustrated by Michael Camilleri
Two Wolves by Tristan Bancks
Withering-by-Sea by Judith Rossell
2016 shortlist and winners
The 2016 shortlist of 30 titles was announced on 17 October 2016. The winners were announced on 9 November 2015.
Forever Young by Steven Carroll
The Life of Houses by Lisa Gorton
The World Repair Video Game by David Ireland
Quicksand by Steve Toltz
The Natural Way of Things by Charlotte Wood
Net Needle by Robert Adamson
Cocky's Joy by Michael Farrell
The Hazards by Sarah Holland-Batt
Waiting for the Past by Les Murray
The Ladder by Simon West
The Story of Australia's People. The Rise and Fall of Ancient Australia by Geoffrey Blainey
Let My People Go: The untold story of Australia and the Soviet Jews 1959–89 by Sam Lipski and Suzanne D Rutland
Red Professor: The Cold War Life of Fred Rose by Peter Monteath and Valerie Munt
Ned Kelly: A Lawless Life by Doug Morrissey
The War with Germany: Volume III – The Centenary History of Australia and the Great War by Robert Stevenson
Tom Roberts and the Art of Portraiture by Julie Cotter
On Stalin's Team: The Years of Living Dangerously in Soviet Politics by Sheila Fitzpatrick
Thea Astley: Inventing her own Weather by Karen Lamb
Second Half First by Drusilla Modjeska
Island Home by Tim Winton
Adelaide's Secret World by Elise Hurst
Sister Heart by Sally Morgan
Perfect by Danny Parker and Freya Blackwood
The Greatest Gatsby: A visual book of grammar by Tohby Riddle
Mr Huff by Anna Walker
Becoming Kirrali Lewis by Jane Harrison
Illuminae: The Illuminae Files_01 by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff
A Single Stone by Meg McKinlay
In Between Days by Vikki Wakefield
Green Valentine by Lili Wilkinson
