Australian independent booksellers announced Runt by Craig Silvey as their favourite book from last year, and the winner of The Indie Book Awards 2023 Book of the Year.

The Awards recognise and celebrate indie booksellers as the number one supporters of Australian authors. Bookseller judge Jessie Hilton stated: ‘Runt is a modern classic that reminded me of the work of EB White with a touch of Roald Dahl. Charming and full of heart, the characters that Craig Silvey has created are as memorable as those from his adult fiction. Annie Shearer and Runt gift the audience a story of friendship and courage that left me with tears in my eyes by the end of the book.’

On winning the award, Craig Silvery said: ‘My appreciation has never been more pronounced than now. I am profoundly honoured and deeply proud that RUNT has won the 2023 Indie Book Awards Book Of The Year. I began writing RUNT in a time when I needed my own dose of comfort and guidance, and I found it in the admirable determination and relentless optimism of Annie Shearer and her best friend, Runt.’

The individual category winners in Fiction, Debut Fiction, Non-Fiction, Illustrated Non-Fiction, Children’s and Young Adult were also announced.