The winners of the Indie Book Awards 2015 have been announced!

Each year, independent booksellers from around the nation get together and vote for their favourite titles in four different categories, as well as their favourite book overall.

Here are the winners for each category, along with comments from booksellers across Australia and thoughts from our own staff:

The Non-Fiction winner and the overall Indie Book of the Year winner is…
The Bush: Travels in the Heart of Australia by Don Watson

“Only Don Watson would be brave enough to attempt to define what the meaning of ‘The Bush’ is to Australians. He takes us on a journey through both time and place to explore the many facets of the outback.”
– Mark Steedman from Cairns Bookshop in Queensland

“I love this book; I love the writing, I love the language, I love the breadth and the insights.”
- Mark Rubbo, Readings

The Fiction winner is…
Golden Boys by Sonya Hartnett

“A suburban psychological horror novel deserving of a place alongside Christos Tsiolkas’ The Slap. Here is family dysfunction under a microscope – not only the concrete details of it, but also the intangible, the emotional, the intuitive, all rendered into prose with near-impossible clarity.”
– Samuel Williams from Mostly Books in South Australia

“…as I made my way through this novel, my heart was in my throat, the tension palpable.”
– Bronte Coates, Readings

The Debut Fiction winner is…
Foreign Soil by Maxine Beneba Clark

“Ten short stories, raw, gritty and well-crafted confirm Clarke as a startling new talent. Clarke gets each voice pitch-perfect. Clarke’s assures, lyrical prose gives a voice to the voiceless. The stories at times make for an uncomfortable read as the characters – disenfranchised, lost, abused and downtrodden - hold a mirror to our society.”
– Bonnie Serov in Your Bookshop in New South Wales

“Marks the arrival of a major new voice in the Australian literary landscape.”
– Martin Shaw, Readings

The Children’s winner is…
Withering-By-Sea: A Stella Montgomery Intrigue by Judith Rossell

“This gorgeously produced book is a lovely object in itself. The story is about Stella Montgomery, an unloved but resilient orphan. There are many colourful characters in the book, and singing cats, sideshow acts and a sad boy all play their part. The illustrations, also by the author Judith Rossell are lovely, and make this book a very special item.”
– Heather Dyer from Fairfield Books in Victoria

“A fun mystery with interesting characters, thrilling chases and singing cats!”
– Katherine Dretzke, Readings

You can read more about Indie Book Awards here.