The Australian Book Industry Awards (ABIA) are

publisher Publishing is the activity of making information, literature, music, software and other content available to the public for sale or for free. Traditionally, the term refers to the creation and distribution of printed works, such as books, newsp ...

s' and

literary award A literary award or literary prize is an award presented in recognition of a particularly lauded literary piece or body of work. It is normally presented to an author. Organizations Most literary awards come with a corresponding award ceremony. Ma ...

s held by the Australian Publishers Association annually in

Sydney Sydney ( ) is the capital city of the state of New South Wales, and the most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Located on Australia's east coast, the metropolis surrounds Sydney Harbour and extends about towards the Blue Mountain ...

"to celebrate the achievements of authors and publishers in bringing Australian books to readers". Works are first selected by an academy of more than 200 industry professionals, and then a shortlist and winners are chosen by judging panels. The inaugural event was held in July 2006.

2018 winners

The 2018 ABIA winners were announced on 3 May, with Jessica Townsend's '' Nevermoor'' receiving three awards: * ABIA book of the year: ''Nevermoor'', Jessica Townsend * Biography of the year award: ''Working Class Man,''

Jimmy Barnes James Dixon "Jimmy" Barnes (née Swan; born 28 April 1956) is a Scottish-born Australian rock singer. His career, both as a solo performer and as the lead vocalist with the rock band Cold Chisel, has made him one of the most popular and best-s ...

* General fiction book of the year: ''The Secrets She Keeps,''

Michael Robotham Michael Robotham (born 9 November 1960) is an Australian crime fiction writer who has twice won the CWA Gold Dagger award for best novel and twice been shortlisted for the Edgar Award for best novel. His eldest child is Alexandra Hope Robotham, ...

* General non-fiction book of the year: ''The Trauma Cleaner,''

Sarah Krasnostein Sarah Krasnostein is an American-Australian non-fiction writer and legal academic. Education Krasnostein completed a BA/LLB (honours) degree from the University of Melbourne in 2005. She was admitted as an attorney of the State of New York i ...

* Literary fiction book of the year: ''See What I Have Done,'' Sarah Schmidt * Illustrated book of year: ''Maggie's Recipe for Life,''

Maggie Beer Maggie Beer (born Margaret Anne Ackerman, 19 January 1945) is an Australian chef, food author, restaurateur, and food manufacturer. Beer is one of the judges on '' The Great Australian Bake Off'' alongside Matt Moran and is also a regular gues ...

and Ralph Martins * International book of year: ''Good Night Stories for Rebel Girls,'' Elena Favilli and

Francesca Cavallo Francesca Cavallo is an Italian bestselling author, entrepreneur and activist. She is best known as the co-creator of '' Good Night Stories for Rebel Girls'' series, which has broken records on the crowdfunding website Kickstarter for publishing ...

* Small publisher adults book of the year: ''The Australian Bird Guide,'' Peter Menkhorst, Danny Rogers, Rohan Clarke et al * Small publisher children’s book of the year: ''It's OK to Feel the Way You Do,'' Josh Langley * The Matt Richell award for new writer of the year: ''Nevermoor,'' Jessica Townsend * Book of the year for older children (ages 13+): ''Begin, End, Begin: A #LoveOzYA Anthology,'' edited by Danielle Binks * Book of the year for younger children (ages seven to 12): ''Nevermoor,'' Jessica Townsend * Children's picture book of the year (ages up to six): ''No One Likes a Fart,''

Zoë Foster Blake Zoë Blake née Foster is an Australian author, skin care founder and entrepreneur. Early life Zoë Foster Blake was born Zoë Foster on in Bowral, New South Wales, and was raised in Bundanoon, New South Wales. Her father is the novelist Da ...

* Audiobook of the year: ''The 91-Storey Treehouse,'' Andy Griffiths and

Terry Denton Terry Denton (born 26 July 1950) is an Australian illustrator and author. He is married and has three children. He is the second youngest of five boys and was born and grew up in Melbourne, Victoria. Denton now lives in Mornington, Victoria. Den ...

, narrated by Stig Wemyss * The Lloyd O'Neill hall of fame award for services to the Australian book industry: Suzy Wilson * The Pixie O'Harris award for outstanding commitment to children's literature: Jane Covernton * Publisher of the year: HarperCollins * Small publisher of the year: Thames & Hudson Australia * National book retailer of the year: Dymocks * Independent book retailer of the year: Readings * Rising star award: Shalini Kunahlan, marketing manager at

Text Publishing Text Publishing is an independent Australian publisher of fiction and non-fiction, based in Melbourne, Victoria (Australia), Victoria. Company background Text Media was founded in Melbourne in 1990 by Diana Gribble and Eric Beecher, along wit ...

2019 winners

Trent Dalton's ''Boy Swallows Universe'' picked up four awards in the 2019 ABIA awards. Winners were: *ABIA book of the year: ''Boy Swallows Universe'',

Trent Dalton Trent Dalton is an Australian journalist and literary fiction author. Early life Trent Dalton grew up in a Housing Commission house in Bracken Ridge, a suburb on the northern outskirts of Brisbane. Journalism Dalton worked as a journalist ...

*Biography of the year award: ''

Eggshell Skull The eggshell rule (also thin skull rule, papier-mâché-plaintiff rule, or talem qualem rule) is a well-established legal doctrine in common law, used in some tort law systems, with a similar doctrine applicable to criminal law. The rule stat ...

'',

Bri Lee Brianna "Bri" Lee (born 13 December 1991) is an Australian author, journalist, and activist, known for her 2018 memoir ''Eggshell Skull''. Career Writing and journalism Lee's early writing work included a short story published in Voicewor ...

*General fiction book of the year: ''The Lost Flowers of Alice Hart'', Holly Ringland *General non-fiction book of the year: '' No Friend But the Mountains: Writing from Manus Prison'',

Behrouz Boochani Behrouz Boochani ( fa, بهروز بوچانی; born 23 July 1983) is a Iranian Kurdistan, Kurdish-Iranian journalist, human rights defender, writer and film producer living in New Zealand. He was held in the Australian-run Manus Regional Proce ...

Omid Tofighian Omid Tofighian (Persian: امید توفیقیان) is an Iranian-Australian philosopher and Honorary Research Associate at the University of Sydney. He is known for his research on ancient Greek philosophy and his translation of the award- ...

(translator) *Honourable mention for non-fiction book of the year: ''Any Ordinary Day'',

Leigh Sales Leigh Peta Sales (born 10 May 1973) is an Australian journalist and author, best known for her work with the Australian Broadcasting Corporation.Andrew Sean Greer Andrew Sean Greer (born November 1970) is an American novelist and short story writer. Greer received the 2018 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction for his novel ''Less''. He is the author of ''The Story of a Marriage'', which ''The New York Times'' has ...

*Small publisher adults book of the year: ''Growing Up Aboriginal in Australia'', Dr

Anita Heiss Anita Marianne Heiss (born 1968) is an Aboriginal Australian author, poet, cultural activist and social commentator. She is an advocate for Indigenous Australian literature and literacy, through her writing for adults and children and her mem ...

(ed.) *Small publisher children's book of the year: ''Whisper'', Lynette Noni *The Matt Richell award for new writer of the year: ''Boy Swallows Universe'', Trent Dalton *Book of the year for older children (ages 13+): ''Jane Doe and the Cradle of All Worlds'', Jeremy Lachlan *Book of the year for younger children (ages seven to 12): ''The 104-Storey Treehouse'', Andy Griffiths,

*Children's picture book of the year (ages up to six): ''All the Ways to be Smart'',

Davina Bell Davina Bell is an Australian literary editor and children's writer. Her 2020 book, ''The End of the World Is Bigger than Love'', won a New South Wales Premier's Literary Award in 2021. Early life and education Bell was born in Perth, Western ...

and Allison Colpoys *Audiobook of the year: ''Boy Swallows Universe'', Trent Dalton, Narrator Stig Wemyss *The Lloyd O'Neill hall of fame award for services to the Australian book industry: Richard Walsh *The Pixie O'Harris award for outstanding commitment to children’s literature: Kathy Kozlowski *Publisher of the year:

Pan Macmillan Australia Macmillan Publishers (occasionally known as the Macmillan Group; formally Macmillan Publishers Ltd and Macmillan Publishing Group, LLC) is a British publishing company traditionally considered to be one of the 'Big Five' English language publi ...

*Small publisher of the year:

Affirm Press Affirm Press is an independent Melbourne-based book publisher. History In 2010, Affirm Press began publishing several books a year as a part-time operation between Martin Hughes, former editor of ''The Big Issue'', and Graeme Wise, founder of Th ...

*Honourable mention:

Magabala Books Magabala Books is an Indigenous publishing house based in Broome, Western Australia. It started in the late 1980s and early 1990s. The name ''Magabala'' is a Yawuru, Karrajari and Nyulnyul word for the bush banana. In 1990, Magabala Books be ...

*National book retailer of the year: Booktopia *Independent book retailer of the year: Mary Martin Bookshops *Rising star award: Ella Chapman, head of marketing communications at Hachette Australia

2020 winners

The 2020 awards were announced at a virtual event hosted by

Casey Bennetto Casey Bennetto is an Australian writer, musician, performer and radio broadcaster. Bennetto was born in 1969 in Mildura, Victoria, and grew up in Greensborough, Melbourne. He wrote and composed the musical ''Keating!'' for the Melbourne Interna ...

on 13 May. Winners were: * ABIA book of the year: '' Bluey: The Beach'', Ludo Studio, BBC Studios and PRH Australia *Biography of the year award: ''When All is Said & Done'' by

Neale Daniher Neale Francis Daniher (born 15 February 1961) is a former Australian rules footballer who played with the Essendon Football Club in the Australian Football League (AFL). He was later the coach of the Melbourne Football Club between 1998 an ...

*General fiction book of the year: ''Bruny'',

Heather Rose Heather Rose (born 1964) is an Australian author born in Hobart, Tasmania. She is the author of the acclaimed memoir Nothing Bad Ever Happens Here. She is best known for her novels ''The Museum of Modern Love'', which won the 2017 Stella Prize, ...

*General non-fiction book of the year: ''Kitty Flanagan’s 488 Rules for Life,''

Kitty Flanagan Kitty Flanagan (born 1968) is an Australian comedian, writer and actress who works in Australia and the United Kingdom. She has also performed in France, Germany, the Netherlands, South Africa, and Japan and at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe and ...

*Literary fiction book of the year: ''The Weekend'',

Charlotte Wood Charlotte Wood (born 1965) is an Australian novelist. ''The Australian'' newspaper described Wood as "one of our ustralia'smost original and provocative writers". Biography Wood was born in Cooma, New South Wales. She is the author of six ...

*Illustrated book of year: ''The Whole Fish Cookbook,'' Josh Niland *International book of year: ''The Testaments,''

Margaret Atwood Margaret Eleanor Atwood (born November 18, 1939) is a Canadian poet, novelist, literary critic, essayist, teacher, environmental activist, and inventor. Since 1961, she has published 18 books of poetry, 18 novels, 11 books of non-fiction, nin ...

*Small publisher adults book of the year: ''Sand Talk,'' Tyson Yunkaporta *Small publisher children's book of the year: ''Love Your Body,'' Jessica Saunders, illustrated by Carol Rossetti *The Matt Richell award for new writer of the year: ''Your Own Kind of Girl,''

Clare Bowditch Clare Bowditch (born 1975) is an Australian musician, actress, radio presenter and business entrepreneur. At the ARIA Music Awards of 2006, Bowditch won the ARIA Award for Best Female Artist and was nominated for a Logie Award for her work on ...

*Book of the year for older children (ages 13+): ''Welcome To Your Period,''

Yumi Stynes Yumi Tasma Stynes (born 2 June 1975) is a feminist television and radio presenter, podcaster and author. She is the co-host of KIIS FM's 3PM Pick-Up radio show and presenter of the ABC Radio podcast ''Ladies, We Need to Talk'' about female heal ...

and Melissa Kang *Book of the year for younger children (ages seven to 12): ''The 117-Storey Treehouse'', Andy Griffiths,

*Children's picture book of the year (ages up to six): ''Bluey: The Beach'', Ludo Studio, BBC Studios and PRH Australia *Audiobook of the year: '' No Friend But the Mountains: Writing from Manus Prison'',

. Narrators: Benjamin Law,

Isobelle Carmody Isobelle Jane Carmody (born 16 June 1958) is an Australian writer of science fiction, fantasy, children's literature, and young adult literature. She is recipient of the Aurealis Award for best children's fiction. Biography Isobelle Carmody wa ...

, Janet Galbraith, Mathilda Imlah,

Geoffrey Robertson Geoffrey Ronald Robertson (born 30 September 1946) is a human rights barrister, academic, author and broadcaster. He holds dual Australian and British citizenship.

Richard Flanagan Richard Miller Flanagan (born 1961) is an Australian writer, who has also worked as a film director and screenwriter. He won the 2014 Man Booker Prize for his novel '' The Narrow Road to the Deep North''. Flanagan was described by the ''Washing ...

, Sarah Dale,

Thomas Keneally Thomas Michael Keneally, AO (born 7 October 1935) is an Australian novelist, playwright, essayist, and actor. He is best known for his non-fiction novel ''Schindler's Ark'', the story of Oskar Schindler's rescue of Jews during the Holocaust, wh ...

and

*The Lloyd O'Neill hall of fame award for services to the Australian book industry:

Helen Garner Helen Garner (née Ford, born 7 November 1942) is an Australian novelist, short-story writer, screenwriter and journalist. Garner's first novel, ''Monkey Grip (novel), Monkey Grip'', published in 1977, immediately established her as an origina ...

* The Pixie O'Harris award for outstanding commitment to children’s literature:

Erica Wagner Erica Wagner is an American author and critic, living in London, England. She is former literary editor of ''The Times''. Biography Erica Wagner was born in New York City in 1967. She grew up on the Upper West Side and went to the Brearley Sc ...

* Publisher of the year:

Allen & Unwin George Allen & Unwin was a British publishing company formed in 1911 when Sir Stanley Unwin purchased a controlling interest in George Allen & Co. It went on to become one of the leading publishers of the twentieth century and to establish an ...

*Small publisher of the year:

*Bookshop of the year: Books Kinokuniya *Book retailer of the year: Readings *Rising star award: Hazel Lam, senior book designer at

HarperCollins HarperCollins Publishers LLC is one of the Big Five English-language publishing companies, alongside Penguin Random House, Simon & Schuster, Hachette, and Macmillan. The company is headquartered in New York City and is a subsidiary of News Cor ...

2021 winners

The 2021 awards were announced at

Carriageworks Carriageworks is a multi-arts urban cultural precinct located at the former Eveleigh Railway Workshops in Redfern, Sydney, Australia. Carriageworks showcases contemporary art and performing arts, as well as being used for filming, festivals, fa ...

on 28 April at an in-person and virtual event hosted by

. Winners were: * ABIA book of the year: ''Phosphorescence,''

Julia Baird Julia Baird (née Dykins; born 5 March 1947) is a British retired teacher and author. She is the younger half-sister of English musician John Lennon, and is the eldest daughter of his mother Julia Lennon and John 'Bobby' Albert Dykins. She also ...

* Biography of the year award: ''The Happiest Man on Earth,''

Eddie Jaku Edward Jaku (born Abraham Salomon Jakubowicz; 14 April 1920 – 12 October 2021) was a survivor of several German concentration camps during World War II, who wrote of his wartime experiences after emigrating to Australia. This memoir is called ...

* General fiction book of the year: ''

The Dictionary of Lost Words ''The Dictionary of Lost Words'' is the debut novel by Australian writer Pip Williams. It was sixth on the list of Australian fiction bestsellers for 2020 and as of 18 January 2021 it had sold more than 100,000 copies. Plot summary Esme's m ...

,'' Pip Williams * General non-fiction book of the year: ''Phosphorescence,'' Julia Baird * Literary fiction book of the year: ''A Lonely Girl is a Dangerous Thing,'' Jessie Tu * Illustrated book of year: ''In Praise of Veg,'' Alice Zaslavsky * International book of year: ''Such a Fun Age,'' Kiley Reid * Small publisher adults book of the year: ''The Animals in That Country,''

Laura Jean McKay Laura Jean McKay (born 1978) is an Australian author and creative writing lecturer. In 2021 she won the Victorian Prize for Literature and the Arthur C. Clarke Award for her novel '' The Animals in That Country''. Life and career McKay was bor ...

* Small publisher children's book of the year: ''Bindi,'' Kirli Saunders, illustrated by Dub Leffler * The Matt Richell award for new writer of the year: ''The Coconut Children,''

Vivian Pham Vivian Pham (/vɪvi.ən/; born October 22, 2000) is a Vietnamese-Australian author. In 2021 she won thThe Sydney Morning Herald Best Young Australian Novelists Awardand the Matt Richell Award for New Writer of the Year for her work. Her first bo ...

* Book of the year for older children (ages 13+): ''The Left-Handed Booksellers of London,''

Garth Nix Garth Richard Nix (born 19 July 1963) is an Australian writer who specialises in children's and young adult fantasy novels, notably the ''Old Kingdom'', '' Seventh Tower'' and '' Keys to the Kingdom'' series. He has frequently been asked if his ...

* Book of the year for younger children (ages seven to 12): ''The Grandest Bookshop in the World,'' Amelia Mellor * Children's picture book of the year (ages up to six): ''Our Home, Our Heartbeat'' (Adam Briggs, Kate Moon and Rachael Sarra * Audiobook of the year: ''Tell Me Why,''

Archie Roach Archibald William Roach (8 January 1956 – 30 July 2022) was an Australian singer, songwriter and Aboriginal Australian, Aboriginal activist. Often referred to as "Uncle Archie", Roach was a Gunditjmara and Western Bundjalung people, Bundjalu ...

, narrated by the author * The Lloyd O'Neill hall of fame award for services to the Australian book industry: Mandy Macky * The Pixie O'Harris award for outstanding commitment to children’s literature: Maryann Ballantyne * Publisher of the year: Penguin Random House Australia * Small publisher of the year:

University of Queensland Press Established in 1948, University of Queensland Press (UQP) is an Australian publishing house. Founded as a traditional university press, UQP has since branched into publishing books for general readers in the areas of fiction, non-fiction, poetr ...

* Bookshop of the year: Avid Reader, Brisbane * Book retailer of the year: Readings * Rising star award: Pooja Desai, head of design at Hardie Grant Children’s Publishing

References

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