Each year we compile a list of great reads by Australian women, originally inspired by the Australian Women Writers Challenge which begun in 2012 and continues to this day.

Below you will find 100 great reads by Australian women authors published in 2021. The following books are displayed in no particular order and include fiction, biography, poetry, children’s novels, history and more.

Please note that as ever, this is not a complete list of every such read published this year.

1. The Imitator by Rebecca Starford
As war looms in 1939 England, Oxford graduate Evelyn is recruited to an elite unit in MI5 and tasked with infiltrating a dangerous underground group of Nazi sympathisers. A powerfully insightful addition to the espionage canon.

2. The Gaps by Leanne Hall
In this searing psychological YA novel, a group of teenage girls reckon with grief, fear and rage in the wake of a schoolmate’s abduction. For ages 13 and up.

3. It’s Not You, It’s Me by Gabrielle Williams
Freaky Friday meets Pretty Little Liars in this original body-swap/time-slip YA that spans contemporary Melbourne and 1980s Los Angeles by way of a mysterious orange typewriter. For ages 13 and up.

4. Devotion by Hannah Kent
This long-awaited novel from Hannah Kent follows two young women as they flee religious persecution in 19th century Prussia for a new colony in South Australia. Filled with sublime language and immersive historical detail.

5. The Last Woman in the World by Inga Simpson
When Rachel’s off-grid fortress in the forest is breached by a stranger and her baby, she is drawn back into a society on the brink of chaos. A look at how we treat our world and each other.

6. Doing Politics by Judith Brett
If you want to reign victorious at the Christmas table’s political stoush, this is the book for you. In this collection of essays, Brett writes clearly and concisely on a range of important issues from the climate crisis to republic that are sure to be topics of conversation.

7. Sugar Town Queens by Malla Nunn
Friendship, love and family collide in this compassionate coming-of-age story about a biracial teenager growing up, finding love and confronting racism among the shanty towns of Durban, South Africa. For ages 13 and up.

8. How Decent Folk Behave by Maxine Beneba Clarke
A searing new collection of poetry by multi-award-winning writer, artist and poet Maxine Beneba Clarke. These poems speak of the world that is, and sing for a world that may one day be.

9. The Hush by Sara Foster
Centred on a group of women determined to triumph against the odds, this is a new breed of near-future thriller, an unflinching look at a society close to tipping point and a story for our times.

10. Another Day in the Colony by Chelsea Watego
Rooted in Professor Chelsea Watego’s decades of experience as a health worker, academic and activist for First Nations sovereignty, this ground-breaking work - and a call to arms - exposes the ongoing colonial violence experienced by First Nations people.

11. Adrift in Melbourne by Robyn Annear
Roam the streets of Melbourne with these erudite and richly detailed walking tours. Our reviewer, Chris Gordon, says: ‘This fantastic book gifts you the gossip held in our streets. Before you know it, you’ll be completely enchanted again by our city’.

12. The Three Burials of Lotty Kneen by Krissy Kneen
When her beloved grandmother Lotty dies, Krissy Kneen travels to Slovenia and Europe intent on retracing her grandmother’s life, and perhaps find answers to some family secrets. What she discovers is a history and community of extraordinary women.

13. How We Love by Clementine Ford
A heartfelt, funny, confessional, revelatory, compassionate - and essential - book. Ford shows us in all our moments of unwavering truth and undeniable joy.

14. How to End a Story: Diaries 1995–1998 by Helen Garner
The third volume of Helen Garner’s diaries reveals a woman’s resilience in the face of disintegration. Our reviewer, Tye Cattanach, calls it ‘a devastating yet enlightening look into the private thoughts and feelings of an incredible woman’.

15. Welcome to Country (2nd Edition) by Marica Langton
Welcome to Country was the first book of its kind - a cultural travel guide showcasing First Nations-owned or -operated businesses. This updated edition is a must-have for every Australian home.

16. Bodies of Light by Jennifer Down
Former Readings Prize-winner Jennifer Down’s third book builds on the sophistication of her previous novels and stories to create a masterwork of tragedy and heartbreak, and the story of a life in full.

17. Wild Abandon by Emily Bitto
This lyrical and devastating new novel from the Stella Prize-winning author of The Strays offers us startling and profound visions of the world and our place in it.

18. Wandi by Favel Parrett
A children’s literary classic-in-the-making from one of Australia’s most-loved authors, this animal rescue story follows the trials and triumphs of an alpine dingo cub.

19. Love and Virtue by Diana Reid
Set in a prestigious residential college, this outstanding debut novel throws up fascinating questions of consent, class, gender and power that will provoke endless discussions among friends and book clubs.

20. Scary Monsters by Michelle de Kretser
Combining two narratives in one book, Scary Monsters is Michelle de Kretser at her sharpest and most eviscerating, as she examines the ‘scary monsters’ - racism, misogyny and ageism - at the heart of our culture.

21. Fishing for Lightning by Sarah Holland-Batt
Dazzling in its erudition but always accessible and entertaining, Fishing for Lightning convinces us of the power of poetry to change our lives.

22. The Shadow House by Anna Downes
Bestselling crime writer Anna Downes’ new thriller lures you to a small eco-village in regional New South Wales and keeps you on edge at every turn.

23. The Luminous Solution by Charlotte Wood
Drawing on keen insight and decades of research, Charlotte Wood explores what the arts, reading and the creative process can teach us about inspiration, work and maintaining a rich inner life.

24. Signs and Wonders by Delia Falconer
This book of essays is a searching and poetic examination of the ways we are thinking about how, and why, to live now.

25. Lies, Damned Lies by Claire G. Coleman
A deeply personal exploration of Australia’s past, present and future that topples the lies that continue to underpin the ongoing colonisation of Australia.

26. Well Hello by Leigh Sales and Annabel Crabb
Whether you’re a devoted listener of Chat 10 Looks 3, curious as to what all the fuss is about, or simply looking to cry-laugh on public transport, Well Hello feels like sitting in on a wide-ranging and witty conversation with your best friends.

27. The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Peculiar Pairs in Nature by Sami Bayly
Come along for another fresh take on the animal kingdom in this lush children’s information book from bestselling author and illustrator Sami Bayly. For ages 7 and up.

28. Muddy People: A Memoir by Sara El Sayed
This clever and warm-hearted memoir introduces readers to Sara El Sayed’s hilarious, sometimes eccentric family, and her memories of growing up in turn-of-the-millennium Queensland in a household full of rules.

29. She Is Haunted by Paige Clark
A bold and defiant debut short-story collection that spans Australia and America, She Is Haunted announces an entrancing new literary voice as contemporary as it is unique.

30. Echolalia by Briohny Doyle
Emma Cormac thought getting married and having a family would mean security, but the stultifying feeling of living with the Cormacs, the baked-out heat of the near-future and the pressure of raising three children is causing her to crumble. Then she commits the unthinkable.

31. New Animal by Ella Baxter
Amelia loves being a cosmetician in her family’s mortuary business but when trauma and grief strike too close for comfort, she finds herself needing to escape. Deadpan, wise and heartbreakingly funny, New Animal is a stunning debut.

32. Apples Never Fall by Liane Moriarty
A delicious new family drama from the master of the genre. Our reviewer, Lian Hingee, says it’s ‘a perfect balance between light and dark; a nuanced portrayal of people you could swear were based on someone you know; and a story that will keep you turning pages well past your bedtime’.

33. How to Make a Basket by Jazz Money
Writing in both Wiradjuri and English language, Jazz Money explores how places and bodies hold memories, and the ways ancestors walk with us, speak through us and wait for us.

34. I Shot the Devil by Ruth McIver
An unforgettable story of murder, trauma and childhoods lost, I Shot the Devil is a taut, page-turning debut novel from an electrifying new talent.

35. Why You Should Give a F*ck about Farming by Gabrielle Chan
Do we really know and understand where our food comes from? Gabrielle Chan’s investigation into the past, present and future of farming in Australia will change your thinking around food and how you eat.

36. Currowan: The Story of Fire and Community During Australia’s Worst Summer by Bronwyn Adcock
Currowan is about tragedy, survival and the power of community. It is the story of a fire, and of a nation in the grip of an intensifying crisis we must all work together to solve.

37. My Friend Fox by Heidi Everett
When Heidi Everett meets a fox on a rainy night, she sees herself - living on the outer as she struggles with a life-long history of mental illness. With fox as her guide, Heidi comes to know how to live authentically, which she details this lyrical memoir.

38. My Body Keeps Your Secrets by Lucia Osborne-Crowley
A necessary and empathetic work exploring the intricacies of abuse, trauma and shame, My Body Keeps Your Secrets reveals how trauma can rewrite our biology, our relationship with sex, and how we connect with others.

39. Tiny Explorers by Kat Macleod
Kat Macleod’s luscious mixed-media artwork explores the natural world up close in this picture book about a group of miniature beings playing and discovering delights in a garden. For ages 3 and up.

40. After Story by Larissa Behrendt
On a tour of revered literary sites in England, lawyer Jasmine immerses herself in the land of Jane Austen, the Brontë sisters and Virginia Woolf, while her mother Della is inspired to rediscover the wisdom of her own culture and storytelling.

41. The Mother Wound by Amani Haydar
A deeply personal and devastating exploration of domestic violence, motherhood, and female resilience. Our reviewer, Alison Huber, says, ‘this is an important and outstanding book, one that deserves a wide readership ready to accept its lessons with the same open-heartedness in which they are offered’.

42. Late Bloomer by Clem Bastow
When Clem Bastow was diagnosed as autistic at age 36, the world felt like it came into focus. In this heartfelt coming-of-age memoir, Clem reflects as an autistic adult on her formative experiences as an undiagnosed young person.

43. The Newcomer by Laura Elizabeth Woollett
A mother searches for answers when her daughter’s body is discovered in a sleepy island community. A riveting crime novel that also challenges gender stereotypes and ‘sympathetic’ victim narratives.

44. The Rabbits by Sophie Overett
A multigenerational family story with a dose of magical realism. It is about family secrets, art, very mild superpowers, loneliness and the strange connections we make in the places we least expect.

45. Trigger Warning by Maria Takolander
Maria Takolander’s fourth collection of poems balances ruthlessness, literary playfulness and lyrical beauty to explore the elemental realities of domestic violence and environmental catastrophe.

46. Elsewhere Girls by Emily Gale and Nova Weetman
Cat and Fanny both live in the same Sydney suburb but 100 years apart. One day, time slips and they swap places. This middle-grade novel is a passionate reminder of young women’s ambitions across time. For ages 10 and up.

47. Gunk Baby by Jamie Marina Lau
Suffused with the harsh fluorescent sheen of an anonymous shopping centre, Gunk Baby is an inventive, confronting and unforgettable novel of late capitalism.

48. Fury by Kathryn Heyman
A reflection on the wider stories of class, and of growing up female with all its risks and rewards, Fury is a memoir of courage and determination, of fighting back and finding joy.

49. The Winter Road by Kate Holden
Kate Holden brings her discerning eye to a gripping tale of law, land and inheritance in this account of the brutal killing of environmental officer Glen Turner in regional New South Wales in 2014.

50. Bila Yarrudhanggalangdhuray by Anita Heiss
Set on timeless Wiradyuri country, Bila Yarrudhanggalangdhuray (River of Dreams) is an epic story of love, loss and belonging.

51. The Performance by Claire Thomas
Three women sit down to watch a performance of Beckett’s Happy Days in Melbourne. Outside the city, bushfires are raging. Told over one night, Claire Thomas’ second novel is an extraordinary meditation on art and crisis.

52. Emotional Female by Yumiko Kadota
After 14 years of studying and working to become a surgeon, and 70-hour weeks at a public hospital, Yumiko Kadota walked away from it all. In this memoir, Kadota exposes the unsustainable work cultures in health that so often lead to burnout.

53. Lapsed by Monica Dux
The story of one woman’s attempt to exorcise her religious upbringing, and to answer the question, is Catholicism like a blood group and, if so, is it possible to get a total transfusion?

54. Sex, Lies and Question Time by Kate Ellis
A powerful call to demand more of our leaders and our institutions. It reminds us we need greater diversity to shape a fairer Australia, where ‘women’s issues’ are everyone’s issues.

55. Love Objects by Emily Maguire
A clear-eyed, heart-wrenching and deeply compassionate novel about love and family, betrayal and forgiveness, and the things we do to fill our empty spaces.

56. A Million Things by Emily Spurr
A story of grief and resilience, told with eloquent simplicity. In brave, spiky Rae, Emily Spurr has created a character you will never forget.

57. The Truth About Her by Jacqueline Maley
A gifted storyteller, Jacqueline Maley expertly guides us through the inner-turmoil and self-realisation of Suzy Hamilton, journalist and single mother, who wakes to find a subject one of her investigative exposes has killed themselves over night.

58. Smokehouse by Melissa Manning
Set in southern Tasmania, these interlinked stories bring into focus the inhabitants of small communities, and capture the moments when life turns and one person becomes another.

59. Homecoming by Elfie Shiosaki
Piecing together fragments of stories about four generations of Noongar women, Elfie Shiosaki has restored humanity and power to her family in this beautifully articulated collection and has given voice to those silenced by our brutal past.

60. A Thousand Crimson Blooms by Eileen Chong
Eileen Chong’s luminous poetry examines the histories - personal, familial and cultural - that form our identities and obsessions. Viewed as a whole, this collection is a field of flowers, aflame with light.

61. Radicals: Remembering the Sixties by Meredith Burgmann & Nadia Wheatle
Radicals: Remembering the Sixties will make you feel like you were there, whether or not you really were.

62. Black and Blue: A Memoir of Racism and Resilience by Veronica Gorrie
Black and Blue is a memoir of remarkable fortitude and resilience, told with wit, wisdom, and great heart.

63. Hold Your Fire by Chloe Wilson
The debut of an unforgettable new voice in Australian fiction, Hold Your Fire is a darkly funny collection of short stories that exposes the battles we wage beneath the surface.

64. A Room Called Earth by Madeleine Ryan
Over one sticky, summer night, our protagonist gets ready for and attends a party. Our reviewer, Alison Huber, says, ‘this is a knockout debut novel from an author with a refreshing, neurodiverse perspective, and a skilled writerly hand’.

65. The Family Doctor by Debra Oswald
A riveting, provocative novel about women’s fury, traumatic grief, new love, deep friendship, and the preciousness of life.

66. Tipping by Anna George
Light-hearted and optimistic, Tipping is a novel for our times. It’s a story of domestic activism. Mum and dad activism. Because real change is possible. Sometimes all it takes is a tweak. And the will. And a bit of fun.

67. The Believer by Sarah Krasnostein
In this intensely personal and gorgeously written new book, Sarah Krasnostein, talks with her trademark compassion and empathy to people who believe - and finds out what happens when their beliefs crash into her own.

68. The Care Factor by Ailsa Wild
This is a celebration of nursing, of friendship, and of the layers of connection and care that allow us to keep going when it feels impossible.

69. Tomorrow Is a Brand New Day by Davina Bell and Allison Colpoys
A healing and uplifting tribute to learning and growing - to making mistakes and making amends. For ages 3 and up.

70. Social Queue by Kay Kerr
A funny and heart-warming story about deciphering the confusing signals of attraction and navigating a path to love. For ages 13 and up.

71. The Monster of Her Age by Danielle Binks
A story of love, loss, family and film - a stirring, insightful novel about letting go of anger and learning to forgive without forgetting. And about embracing the things that scare us, in order to be braver. For ages 12 and up.

72. House of Hollow by Krystal Sutherland
Our reviewer, Angela Crocombe, calls it ‘a dark and twisty modern-day fairytale that expertly melds the fantastical with the real as the Hollow sisters discover just how much horror can lie beneath the surface’. For ages 13 and up.

73. Leaping into Waterfalls: The Enigmatic Gillian Mears by Bernadette Brennan
This meticulous and moving biography reads Mears’ life and work within a broader cultural context to celebrate her truly extraordinary achievements and adventures.

74. Henry Hamlet’s Heart by Rhiannon Wilde
From an exciting debut author comes this passionate story of growing up, letting go, and learning how to love. For ages 14 and up.

75. Perfect on Paper by Sophie Gonzales
A sweet and funny ‘enemies to lovers’ YA novel about how dating advice can go oh-so-wrong. Our reviewer, Kealy Siryj, said ‘Gonzales is a master of YA romance that is as fun and light-hearted as it is thoughtful’. For ages 14 and up.

76. Believe in Me by Lucy Neave
Lucy Neave’s second novel explores the relationships between mothers and daughters across three generations. Our reviewer, Tye Cattanach, said ‘Neave reminds us there is great healing to be found by carefully listening to the stories of strangers and the people we think we know’.

77. Eating with My Mouth Open by Sam van Zweden
This collection of essays empowers and challenges readers with its critical eye on how we engage with food and wellbeing. Our reviewer, Chris Gordon, called it ‘an invitation to a seat at van Zweden’s very own table and it is an invitation that should not be refused’.

78. Coming of Age in the War on Terror by Randa Abdel-Fattah
The generation born at the time of the 9/11 attacks are turning 18. What has our changed world meant for them? Randa Abdel-Fattah gives voice to a generation who have grown up only knowing a world at war on terror.

79. Once There Were Wolves by Charlotte McConaghy
Part thriller, part redemptive love story, Charlotte McConaghy’s profoundly affecting novel about twin sisters Inti and Aggie will stay with you forever.

80. The Airways by Jennifer Mills
Known for her experimental style, Mills does not disappoint. This is a powerful, inventive, and immersive novel that will make you focus on the world at large, but also the most intimate elements of your body.

81. When Things Are Alive They Hum by Hannah Bent
Intensely moving and exquisitely written this is a novel that celebrates the bond between sisters and the sacrifices family make for each other.

82. Small Joys of Real Life by Allee Richards
Pat’s death forces Eva to question her life, her choices and her place in the world. A poignant novel that reminds you that life is unpredictable and can be taken away in an instant.

83. Tiger Daughter by Rebecca Lim
Tiger Daughter is a tense and gripping read about first-generation parents and families, the struggles to succeed and unbreakable bonds of friendship. Suitable for ages 11 and up.

84. Unsheltered by Clare Moleta
A brilliant feat of imagination that asks if our humanity is the only protection we have left, Unsheltered will affect you in ways a book hasn’t done in years.

85. Friends & Dark Shapes by Kavita Bedford
A novel of love and loss, of constancy and change. Most of all, it is about looking for connection in an estranged world.

86. One Hundred Days by Alice Pung
When 16-year-old Karuna falls pregnant, her mother confines her to their apartment and strictly supervises any of her movements outside. As Karuna finds solace in books and poetry, she begins to write a letter to her unborn child.

87. In My Defence, I Have No Defence by Sinead Stubbins
This is an hilarious insight into the mind of someone who is always trying hard to be a better, cooler version of themselves. It will give you solace that you are not alone in your insecurity.

88. Who Gets To be Smart by Bri Lee
A great launching point for an incredibly big question, and one that should be discussed at length. Lee questions the systems and beliefs around education, and how they perpetuate the idea of what and who is smart.

89. Welcome to Consent by Yumi Stynes and Dr Melissa Kang
An inclusive, frank and funny guide to navigating consent for tweens and teens of all genders, from the award-winning authors of Welcome to Your Period.

90. Turns Out, I’m Fine by Judith Lucy
Judith Lucy tackles some big issues in her wry and self-deprecating way, such why despite being a feminist, her hopes and expectations have been shaped by men.

91. Night Blue by Angela O’Keefe
Moving between New York and Australia with fluid ease, Night Blue is intimate and tender, yet surprisingly dramatic. It is a glorious exploration of how art must never be undervalued.

92. The Price of Two Sparrows by Christy Collins
Piercingly clear-eyed and deeply insightful, The Price of Two Sparrows explores what we hold sacred and why.

93. The Golden Book by Kate Ryan
A poignant debut, telling the story of childhood friendship, love and how a moment can change the course of two lives.

94. Nothing But My Body by Tilly Lawless
This stunning, unflinching and lyrical debut is both a rejection of romantic love, a euphoric celebration of the queer community and a reckoning with the body as both abject and joyous.

95. The Things We See in the Light by Amal Awad
Amal Awad writes beautifully of the complexity of marriage, human nature, female friendship and self discovery. The protagonist, Sahar’s journey is one of heartbreak, inner-conflict and ultimately growth. A great book for book clubs.

96. No Document by Anwen Crawford
No Document is an urgent work of non-fiction that reimagines the boundaries that divide us - as people, nations and species - and asks how we can create forms of solidarity that endure.

97. Cold Coast by Robyn Mundy
An icy blast of arctic adventure awaits in Robyn Mundy’s fictionalised account of the first female Norwegian trapper and her first winter in Svalbard. An ode to the raw power of nature.

98. The Shape of Sound by Fiona Murphy
Blending memoir with observations on the healthcare industry, The Shape of Sound is a story about the corrosive power of secrets, stigma and shame, and how Deaf experiences and disability are shaped by economics, social policy, medicine and societal expectations.

99. Too Migrant, Too Muslim, Too Loud by Mehreen Faruqi
In this essential book, Faruqi gives an honest account of what it takes as a migrant woman to break into a white man’s world. A world steeped in racism, sexism and privilege.

100. QAnon and On by Van Badham
QAnon and On is most definitely a book of our times, while it shocks it also confirms many suspicions around how the internet, algorithms and big tech feed disinformation and shape our world.