We are thrilled to share the books, authors and illustrators on The Readings Prize 2025 shortlists for the best new works of Australian literature for children, young adults and adults.
Did you know there are hundreds of new novels by Australian authors published each year? Sadly, many of these books sit on the shelves of bookshops for just three months before they are then sent back to the publisher to languish in a warehouse.
It is extremely difficult for an emerging Australian author to even sell a few hundred copies, let alone become a bestseller. Australian bestseller lists are still heavily dominated by international authors. As I write this, Stephen King and Taylor Jenkins Reid are at the top of the fiction charts and the children’s and young adult bestseller lists are overrepresented by American authors Suzanne Collins, Peter Brown and Lauren Roberts.
Australian authors need all the help they can get to make a dent in the consciousness of readers. Word of mouth recommendations, BookTok, and (ahem!) being shortlisted for an award all boost awareness and sales enormously. Many of the authors on the following shortlists did not enjoy big sales for these books when they first came out, but with the attention and dedication of our judges, who have read them carefully, discussed their merits with one another and given them the booksellers’ stamp of approval, they will now have a moment in the sun and be championed both at Readings shops and in the wider community.
These stories that we have chosen to bring to your attention reflect a wide variety of Australian voices. There are tales of long journeys across oceans, and people who feel like they don’t belong, whether that is within their own family or their community. There are stories of reluctant heroes who have answered the call to adventure, of quiet battlers who are just trying to survive, and of people desperately trying to secure a better future. And there are a lot of laughs within these stories, because we all deserve to have a good laugh.
Every one of these books deserves to have more attention given to it and we look forward to sharing our passion for them with you in our shops and online. Please do read the judges’ quotes about each title, on our blog or in the September Readings Monthly, which gives you a taste of their enthusiasm for them.
Stay tuned for the announcement of the winner in each category, as well as the winner of the Gab Williams Prize, at our own special A Day in Carlton festival in November.
Discover The Readings New Australian Fiction Prize shortlist for the best new contribution to Australian literature.
Discover The Readings Young Adult Prize shortlist for the best new contribution to young adult literature – to be announced Thursday 28 August.
Discover The Readings Children’s Prize shortlist for the best new contribution to Australian children’s literature – to be announced Friday 29 August.
The 2025 prize winners will be announced on Friday 14 November as part of the A Day in Carlton festival!
