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The winners of the 2026
Victorian Premier's Literary Awards

The winners of the 2026 Victorian Premier's Literary Awards have been announced.

Winners include Omar Musa's powerful family saga, Fierceland; Micaela Sahhar's tender memoir of the the Palestinian diaspora, Find Me at the Jaffa Gate; Zeno Sworder's luminescent tale about our living natural world, Once I was a Giant; and Margot McGovern's gripping feminist thriller, This Stays Between Us. Evelyn Araluen won both the Prize for Indigenous Writing, and the overall Victorian Prize for Literature for her searing exploration of the ongoing violence of colonial Australia, The Rot. Other winners include Eunice Andrada for KONTRA, Charlotte Guest for Kookaburra, and Emilie Collyer for Super. Randa Abdel-Fattah took home to People's Choice Award for her novel, Discipline.

Discover the winners and read the Judges' comments below.

'A glorious family saga, it stood out to the judges for its glittering prose and sweeping, ambitious form.'

'A gift, a remarkable debut memoir that is simultaneously a work of poetry in its lyricism and feeling.'

'Araluen pushes contemporary Indigenous writing into new territory, blending lyric, critique and cultural memory with precision and risk.'

‘A profoundly moving picture book that invites us to sit with loss and gently imagine futures rooted in tenderness and return.’

'At once tender and defiant, KONTRA is a testament to lyrical mastery.'

‘A taut, gripping horror novel, flawless in its execution.’

'With prose as lyrical as it is assured, The Kookaburra is a moving and authentically drawn portrait of grief, care and growing old.'

'Chewy and entertaining, the play's critique of a culture that venerates power and hero narratives will resonate with many today.'

The winner of the People's Choice Award is Discipline, by Randa Abdel-Fattah.

With a focus on two of today's most contested fields, academia and the media, Discipline tallies the price we all pay when those with privilege choose to remain silent.

Readings acknowledges the Traditional Owners and Custodians of the land on which we work. We pay respects to all First Nations people of Australia, and recognise their connection to the land. Sovereignty was never ceded.

Australian Book Retailer of the Year 2020, 2021
International Bookstore of the Year 2016

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