The Victorian Premier's Literary Awards were created by the Victorian Government with the aim of raising the profile of contemporary creative writing and

Australia's Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country comprising mainland Australia, the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania and list of islands of Australia, numerous smaller isl ...

publishing industry. As of 2013, it is reportedly Australia's richest literary prize with the top winner receiving 125,000 and category winners 25,000 each. The awards were established in 1985 by John Cain,

Premier of Victoria The premier of Victoria is the head of government of the state of Victoria in Australia. The premier leads the Cabinet of Victoria and selects its ministers. The premier is appointed by the governor of Victoria, must be a member of the Vic ...

, to mark the centenary of the births of Vance and Nettie Palmer, two of Australia's best-known writers and critics who made significant contributions to Victorian and Australian literary culture. From 1986 till 1997, the awards were presented as part of the

Melbourne Writers Festival Melbourne Writers Festival (MWF) is an annual literary festival held in the Australian city of Melbourne, a UNESCO City of Literature. The Festival runs during early September each year. Melbourne Writers Festival is part of the Word Alliance, a ...

. In 1997 their administration was transferred to the

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. By 2004, the total prize money was 180,000. In 2011, stewardship was taken over by the

Wheeler Centre The Wheeler Centre, originally Centre of Books, Writing and Ideas, is a literary and publishing centre founded as part of Melbourne's bid to be a Unesco Creative City of Literature, which designation it earned in 2008. It is named after its pa ...

Winners 2011–present

Beginning in 2011, the awards were restructured into five categories: Fiction, Nonfiction, Poetry, Drama and Young People's. The winner of each receives $25,000. Of those five winners, one is chosen as the overall winner of the Victorian Prize for Literature and receives an additional $100,000. There are two other categories with different prize amounts: an honorary People's Choice Award voted on by readers, and an Unpublished Manuscript Award with a prize amount of $15,000. In 2022 an Award for Children's Literature valued at $25,000 was added, with entries being accepted in 2023. Another category was added in 2024, the John Clarke Prize for Humour Writing, honouring satirist John Clarke, for fiction, nonfiction and poetry. Shortlists are maintained in the main article for each category.

Victorian Prize for Literature

Fiction

For winners from 1985 to 2010, see

Vance Palmer Prize for Fiction Vance may refer to: Locations United States *Vance, Alabama, a town * Vance Township, Vermilion County, Illinois * Vance, Mississippi, an unincorporated community * Vance, Nebraska, an unincorporated community * Vance County, North Carolina * Van ...

Nonfiction

For winners from 1985 to 2010, see the Nettie Palmer Prize for Non-fiction.

Poetry

For winners from 1985 to 2010, see the C. J. Dennis Prize for Poetry.

Writing for Young Adults

For winners from 1985 to 2010, see the Victorian Premier's Prize for Young Adult Fiction.

Drama

For winners from 1985 to 2010, see the Louis Esson Prize for Drama.

People's Choice Award

Unpublished Manuscript

For winners from 2003 to 2010, see the main article. No award was presented in 2011.

Indigenous Writing

Children's Literature

John Clarke Prize for Humour Writing

Defunct award categories (1985–2010)

From 1985 to 2010 prizes were offered in some or all of the below categories. *

* Nettie Palmer Prize for Non-fiction * Prize for Young Adult Fiction * C. J. Dennis Prize for Poetry * Louis Esson Prize for Drama * Alfred Deakin Prize for an Essay Advancing Public Debate (after

Alfred Deakin Alfred Deakin (3 August 1856 – 7 October 1919) was an Australian politician who served as the second Prime Minister of Australia, prime minister of Australia from 1903 to 1904, 1905 to 1908, and 1909 to 1910. He held office as the leader of th ...

) * Prize for Science Writing (biennial) *

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Prize for Screen Writing * Grollo Ruzzene Foundation Prize for Writing about Italians in Australia *

John Curtin John Curtin (8 January 1885 – 5 July 1945) was an Australian politician who served as the 14th prime minister of Australia from 1941 until his death in 1945. He held office as the leader of the Australian Labor Party (ALP), having been most ...

Prize for Journalism * Prize for Best Music Theatre Script * Prize for Indigenous Writing (Biennial) * Prize for a First Book of History (Biennial) * Dinny O'Hearn Prize for Literary Translation (Triennial) * A.A. Phillips Prize for Australian Studies * Alan Marshall Prize for Children's Literature * Prize for First Fiction

Notes

External links

State Library of Victoria
{{Victorian Premier's Literary Awards Australian literary awards Australian non-fiction book awards Australian history awards Awards established in 1985 1985 establishments in Australia