ACT Book of the Year Award


Applications for the 2024 ACT Book of the Year Award open Thursday 15 February and close 5:00pm on Thursday 28 March 2024.

2024 ACT Book of the Year Award

The ACT Government offers an ACT Book of the Year Award for excellence in literature, valued at $10,000 for the winner, $2,000 for any highly commended book and $1,000 for each shortlisted book. The Award aims to support the development of ACT-based writers, promotes writing in the ACT, and contributes to a positive writing culture for the ACT. The ACT Book of the Year Award recognises quality contemporary literary works including fiction, non-fiction and poetry by ACT-based authors published in the previous calendar year. The ACT Book of the Year Award is for books written by authors who reside in the ACT, or can specifically and strongly demonstrate an ACT-based arts practice.

Books are considered by an independent judging panel, which recommends a shortlist and winning author to the Minister for Arts, Culture and the Creative Economy. Previous literary contributions by the author may be taken into consideration during the judging process. All decisions are final and no discussion or correspondence will be entered into regarding the judging process. The ACT Government reserves the right not to accept a nomination.

For further information on the ACT Book of the Year Award, please contact artsACT on (02) 6207 2384 or email artsACT@act.gov.au.

Book of the Year Award - Conditions of entry

Nominations must meet the ACT Book of the Year Award eligibility requirements and the Conditions of Entry listed below.

More information on previous winners

Dreams and Schemers by Frank Bongiorno has been awarded 2023 ACT Book of the Year. Dreams and Schemers is a captivating account of Australia's political history. The ACT Book of the Year celebrates outstanding literary talent in the ACT and the valuable contribution it makes to Canberra’s cultural life.

The judges also awarded two highly commended and three shortlisted novels from local authors:

Previous winning nominations to the ACT Book of the Year Award (page hosted by Libraries ACT).