Historical Novel Society Australasia (HNSA) have announced the Shortlists for the 2023 ARA Historical Novel Prize.
This year’s shortlisted titles weave a rich tapestry of narratives, transporting readers across different times and places, exploring the depths of human spirit, resilience, and the complex dance of survival and identity amidst adversity. From the haunting lanes of wartime Europe and the magical corners of 19th century Melbourne, to the fiery landscapes of conflict-ridden Macedonia and the raw, untamed edges of colonial lands, these stories span a spectrum of experiences, emotions, and histories.
This year’s shortlisted titles are:
ADULT CATEGORY
Salonika Burning by Gail Jones READ OUR REVIEW
Iris by Fiona Kelly McGregor READ OUR REVIEW
The Settlement by Jock Serong READ OUR REVIEW
CHILDREN AND YOUNG ADULT CATEGORY
Running with Ivan by Suzanne Leal
The Bookseller’s Apprentice by Amelia Mellor. READ OUR REVIEW
Waiting for the Storks by Katrina Nannestad
The ARA Historical Novel Prize is worth a total of $100,000 in prize monies. The Prize will award $50,000 to the Adult category winner, with an additional $5,000 to be awarded to each of the remaining two shortlisted authors. In the Children and Young Adult (CYA) category, the winner will receive $30,000, while the two shortlisted authors will receive $5,000 each.
The Winners of the 2023 ARA Historical Novel Prize will be announced on 19 October 2023. For more information about the awards and to see last year’s winners, please visit the HNSA website.
MORE INFORMATION
The ARA Historical Novel Prize has been made possible by the generosity of a Foundation Partner, ARA Group. The ARA Group, and its Founder, Executive Chair and Chief Executive Officer, Edward Federman, are committed to supporting the arts and literature. They do this in a number of ways – as a Principal Partner of the Sydney Writers’ Festival, the Melbourne Writers’ Festival, the National Institute of Dramatic Art, and the Monkey Baa Theatre, and as Significant Partner of the Story Factory and as a sponsor of the Historical Novel Society Australia’s biennial conferences – and now as the sponsor of this very significant literary prize.
