The Western Australian Premier's Book Awards (PBA) is an award for books, scripts, digital narrative and a People's Choice. Awards are provided by the Government of Western Australia, and the awards process is managed by the State Library of Western Australia. Awards are given in fiction, poetry, non-fiction, Western Australian History, children's book, writing for Young Adults, scripts and digital narrative. An overall winner is awarded the Premier's Prize.
The title of the award refers to the year of publication, rather than the year in which the awards were announced. So, the 2011 awards were announced in 2012, for works published in 2011.
The Award includes prize amounts as follows: $15,000 for Fiction, Non-fiction and Children's Books. $10,000 for Young Adults, WA History, Poetry and Scripts. $5,000 for People's Choice and Digital Narrative. The Premier's Prize carries prize money of $25,000.
In 2015, the state government downgraded the awards from an annual event to biannual, to the disappointment of the WA arts sector.
The 2014 winners were announced on 22 September 2014. The overall winner was Richard Flanagan's The Narrow Road to the Deep North.
Fiction: Richard Flanagan, The Narrow Road to the Deep NorthPeople's Choice: Tim Winton, EyriePoetry: Paul Hetherington, Six Different WindowsNon-fiction: Kristina Olsson, Boy, Lost: A Family MemoirWestern Australian History: Margaret Simons, Kerry Stokes: Self-Made ManChildren's book:(tie) Dianne Wolfer & Brian Simmonds, Light Horse Boy and Jan Ormerod & Andrew Joyner, The SwapWriting for Young Adults: Alyssa Brugman, Alex as WellScript: Van Badham, The Bull, the Moon and the Coronet of StarsDigital Narrative: Christy Dena, AUTHENTIC IN ALL CAPSEmerging Writer's Award: Yvette Walker, Letters to the End of LoveThe 2012 winners were announced on 16 September 2013. The overall winner was Michelle de Kretser's Questions of Travel.
Fiction: Michelle de Kretser, Questions of TravelPeople's Choice: Deborah Forster, The Meaning of GracePoetry: Robert Gray, CumulusNon-fiction: Roger Averill, Exile: The Lives and Hopes of Werner PelzWestern Australian History: Aboriginal Studies Press, Kurlumarniny: We come from the DesertChildren's book:(tie) Stephen Herrick, Pookie Aleera Is Not My Boyfriend & Peter Macinnis, Australian Backyard NaturalistWriting for Young Adults: Margo Lanagan, Sea HeartsScript: Ingle Knight, The Fremantle CandidateDigital Narrative: David Reiter, My Planets Reunion MemoirThe 2011 winners were announced on 17 September 2012. The overall winner was Fiona Skyring's Justice: A History of the Aboriginal Legal Service of Western Australia (ISBN 978-1921401633)
Fiction: Anna Funder, All That I AmPeople's Choice: Anna Funder, All That I AmPoetry: Tracy Ryan, The ArgumentNon-fiction: Alice Pung, Her Father's DaughterWestern Australian History: Fiona Skyring, Justice: A History of the Aboriginal Legal Service of Western AustraliaChildren's book: Michelle Gillespie & Sonia Martinez, Sam, Grace and the ShipwreckWriting for Young Adults: Penni Russon, Only Ever AlwaysScript: Tim Winton & Ellen Fontana, Cloudstreet: The ScreenplayDigital Narrative: Max Barry, Machine ManThe 2010 winners were announced on 30 September 2011. The overall winner was Kim Scott's That Deadman Dance
Fiction: Kim Scott, That Deadman DancePeople's Choice: Lisa Lang, Utopian ManPoetry: Mark Tredinnick, Fire DiaryNon-fiction: Jim Davidson, The Historian: W K HancockWestern Australian History: Susanna Iuliano, Vite Italiane, Italian Lives in Western AustraliaChildren's book: Sally Murphy & Rhian Nest James, TopplingWriting for Young Adults: Scot Gardner, Happy as Larry and James Roy, Anonymity JonesScript: Tommy Murphy, Gwen in PurgatoryDigital Narrative: Robin Craig Clark, The GardenThe 2008 & 2009 winners were announced September 2010. The overall winner was Shirley Barrett's South Solitary.
Fiction:Craig Silvey, Jasper JonesJ. M. Coetzee, SummertimePoetry: Kate Middleton, Fire SeasonNon-fiction: Iain McCalman, Darwin's ArmadaWestern Australian History: Penelope Hetherington, Paupers, Poor Relief & Poor HousesChildren's book: Margaret Wild & Freya Blackwood, Harry & HopperWriting for Young Adults: Justine Larbalestier, LiarScript: Shirley Barrett, South SolitaryThe 2008 & 2009 winners were announced September 2010. The overall winner was Chloe Hooper's The Tall Man.
Fiction: Richard Flanagan, WantingPoetry: Bronwyn Lea, The Other Way OutNon-fiction: Chloe Hooper, The Tall ManWestern Australian History: Brian Dibble, Doing Life: A biography of Elizabeth JolleyChildren's book: Bob Graham, How to Heal a Broken WingWriting for Young Adults: Shaun Tan, Tales from Outer SuburbiaScript: Damien Millar, The Modern International DeadThe winners were announced in 2008. The overall winner was Liz Lofthouse and Robert Ingpen's Ziba Came on a Boat.
Fiction: Stephen Scourfield, Other Country (Allen & Unwin)Poetry: Hal Colebatch, The Light River (Connor Court Publishing)History Section: Lucy Taksa, Bobbie Oliver and Patrick Bertola, The History of the Westrail Midland Railway Workshops (University of Western Australia Press)Non-fiction: Antonio Buti, Sir Ronald Wilson: A Matter of Conscience (University of Western Australia Press)Western Australian History: Ruth Marchant James, Cottesloe: A Town of Distinction (Town of Cottesloe)Children's book: Liz Lofthouse and Robert Ingpen, Ziba Came on a Boat (Viking Books)Writing for Young Adults: Ken Spillman, Love is a UFO (Pan Macmillan Australia)Script: Elissa Down and Jimmy the Exploder, The Black Balloon (Black Balloon Film Productions)The overall winner was Shaun Tan's The Arrival.
Fiction: Simone Lazaroo, The Travel Writer (Pan Macmillan Australia)Poetry: Dennis Haskell, All the Time in the World (Salt Publishing)Non-fiction:Quentin Beresford, Rob Riley: an Aboriginal Leader's Quest for Justice (Aboriginal Studies Press)Peter Edwards, Arthur Tange: Last of the Mandarins (Allen & Unwin)Western Australian History: Bobbie Oliver and Patrick Bertola, The Workshops: A History of the Midland Government Railway Workshops (University of Western Australia Press)Children's book: Shaun Tan, The Arrival (Hachette Livre Australia)Writing for Young Adults: Kate McCaffrey Destroying Avalon (Fremantle Arts Centre Press)Script: Hellie Turner, Sardines (Tropic Sun Theatre Queensland)The overall winner was Davenport etc.. Cleared Out: First Contact in the Western Desert
Fiction: Carrie Tiffany, Everyman's Rules for Scientific Living (Picador)Poetry: Rod Moran, The Paradoxes of Water: Selected and New Poems, 1970-2005 (Salt Publishing)Non-fiction:Richard Bosworth, Mussolini's Italy: Life Under the Dictatorship 1915-1945 (Allen Lane/Penguin)Philippa Nikulinsky and Stephen D Hopper, Soul of the Desert (Fremantle Arts Centre Press)Western Australian History: Sue Davenport, Peter Johnson and Yuwali, Cleared Out: First Contact in the Western Desert (Aboriginal Studies Press)Children's book: Wendy Binks, Where's Stripey? (Stunned Emu Press)Writing for Young Adults: Kirsty Murray, A Prayer for Blue Delaney (Allen & Unwin)Script: Reg Cribb, Last Train to Freo (Sue Taylor Media)The overall winner was Gail Jones' Sixty Lights
Fiction: Gail Jones, Sixty Lights (Random House Australia)Poetry: Miriam Wei Wei Lo, Against Certain Capture (Five Islands Press)Non-fiction:Greg Craven, Conversations with the Constitution (University of New South Wales)Kate Lance, Redbill: From Pearls to Peace - The Life and Times of a Remarkable Lugger (Fremantle Arts Centre)Western Australian History: Anthony Barker, Behind the Play (West Australian Football Commission)Children's book: Joanne Crawford and Grace Fielding, A Home for Bilby (Magabala Books)Writing for Young Adults: Anthony Eaton, Fireshadow (University of Queensland)Script: Jolly Read, Yandy (Black Swan Theatre Company)The overall winner was Reg Cribb's Last Cab to Darwin
Fiction: Brett D'Arcy The Mindless Ferocity of Sharks (Vintage)Poetry: John Kinsella Peripheral Light (Fremantle Arts Centre)Non-fiction:John Dowson Old Fremantle (University of Western Australia)Stephen Kinnane Shadow Lines (Fremantle Arts Centre)Children's book: Mark Greenwood The Legend of Lasseter's Reef (Cygnet/University of Western Australia)Writing for Young Adults: Colin Bowles Nights in the Sun (Penguin)Script: Reg Cribb Last Cab to Darwin (Pork Chop Productions/Black Swan Theatre Company)The overall winner was Richard Bosworth's Mussolini
Fiction: Gail Jones Black Mirror (Picador)Poetry: Barbara Temperton Going Feral (Fremantle Arts Centre)Non-fiction:Richard Bosworth Mussolini (Edward Arnold)Walmajarri storytellers, ed. Joyce Hudson, Pat Lowe & Eirlys Richards Out of the Desert: Stories from the Walmajarri Exodus (Magabala Books)Children's book: Mark Greenwood & Frané Lessac The Legend of Moondyne Joe (Cygnet/University of Western Australia)Writing for Young Adults: Pat Lowe Feeling the Heat (Penguin)Script: Hellie Turner BenchThe overall winner was Tim Winton's Dirt Music
Fiction: Tim Winton Dirt Music (Picador)Poetry: Dorothy Hewett Halfway up the Mountain (Fremantle Arts Centre)Non-fiction:John Bailey (writer) The White Divers of Broome (Macmillan)Jan Gothard Blue China: Single Female Migration to Colonial Australia (Melbourne University)Children's book: Deborah Lisson The Yankee Whaler (Scholastic)Writing for Young Adults: Julia Lawrinson Obsession (Fremantle Arts Centre)Script: Sally Riley & Archie Weller Confessions of a HeadhunterThe overall winner was Michèle Drouart's Into the Wadi
Fiction: Simone Lazaroo The Australian Fiancé (Pan Macmillan)Poetry: Mark Reid Parochial (Fremantle Arts Centre)Non-fiction:Michèle Drouart Into the Wadi (Fremantle Arts Centre)Robert Drewe The Shark Net: Memories and Murder (Viking)Children's book: Kirsty Murray Zarconi's Magic Flying Fish (Allen & Unwin)Writing for Young Adults: Anthony Eaton The Darkness (University of Queensland)The overall winner was Kim Scott's Benang: From the Heart
Fiction: Kim Scott Benang: From the Heart (Fremantle Arts Centre)Poetry: Tracy Ryan The Willing Eye (Fremantle Arts Centre)Historical & Critical Studies: Estelle Blackburn Broken Lives (Stellar Publishing)Children's book: Reg Bolton Showtime: Over 75 Ways to Put on a Show (Dorling Kindersley)Writing for Young Adults: Glyn Parry Scooterboy (Hodder Headline)Special Award: Victor France, Larry Mitchell & Alison Wright Abrolhos Islands Conversations (Fremantle Arts Centre)Overall: Carolyn Polizzotto Pomegranate Season (Fremantle Arts Centre)Fiction: Pat Jacobs Going Inland (Fremantle Arts Centre)Poetry: (joint winners)Historical & Critical Studies: Quentin Beresford & Paul Omaji Our State of Mind: Racial Planning and the Stolen Generations (Fremantle Arts Centre)Children's book: Pat Lowe & Jimmy Pike Desert Dog (Magabala Books)Writing for Young Adults: Deborah Lisson Red Hugh (Lothian)Script Award: Ingle Knight Milk and Honey (Perth Theatre Company)Overall: (joint winners)Fiction: (joint winners)Poetry: Alec Choate The Wheels of Hama: Collected War Poems (Victor Publishing)Historical & Critical Studies: Phillip Playford Carpet of Silver: the Wreck of the Zuytdorp (University of WA Press)Children & Young Adult's Books: Deborah Lisson A Place of Safety (Mammoth (Reed Books))Special Award: Songs of Strength: Sixteen Women Talk About Cancer (Women's Cancer Group (Macmillan))Script Award: Dickon Oxenburgh and Andrew Ross Merry-Go-Round-In -the Sea (Black Swan Theatre)Overall: Banjo Woorunmurra & Howard Pedersen Jandamarra and the Bunuba Resistance (Magabala Books)Fiction: (joint winners)Poetry: Dorothy Hewett Collected Poems (Fremantle Arts Centre)Historical & Critical Studies: Banjo Woorunmurra and Howard Pedersen Jandamarra and the Bunuba Resistance (Magabala Books)Children & Young Adult's Books: Helen Bell Idjhil (University of Western Australia Press)Special Award: Mike Leonard The Kimberley - A journey through Northwest Australia (CIS Cardigan Street Publishers)Script Award: Sarah Rossetti Culture Clash (Rosenbaum Whitbread)