The 2026 Stella Prize shortlist is here, and once again it’s an uncompromising celebration of Australian women and non-binary writers. This year’s six selections span poetry, fiction, memoir, non-fiction, and graphic novels, proving that contemporary Australian literature thrives on plenty of creativity and risk.
Out of 212 entries, these six works now move one step closer to the $60,000 Stella Prize, with each shortlisted author receiving $5,000 in recognition of their achievement. These books challenge assumptions, illuminate hidden histories, and showcase the extraordinary versatility of Australian storytelling.
Plan your next read and get acquainted with the shortlist in full, below.
Who made the 2026 Stella Prize shortlist?
- The Rot by Evelyn Araluen (Poetry)
- Memorial Days by Geraldine Brooks (Non-Fiction/Memoir)
- Fireweather by Miranda Darling (Fiction)
- Cannon by Lee Lai (Graphic Novel)
- 58 Facets: On violence and the law by Marika Sosnowski (Non-Fiction)
- I Am Nannertgarrook by Tasma Walton (Fiction)
Chair of Judges, Professor Sophie Gee highlights the shortlist’s range: “The 2026 shortlist comprises poetry, a graphic novel, a work of hybrid critical and creative writing, a memoir and two novels. Each of these gives readers an irresistible sense of being new, while at the same time showing the writers’ deep engagement and skill with their chosen genre. We encounter the thrill of innovation alongside the enduring pleasures of literary form.”
Stella Prize CEO and Creative Director Fiona Sweet echoed a similar sentiment, saying, “the books contained in this year’s Stella Prize shortlist remind us that women and non-binary writers contain multitudes. These six books contain big stories and little stories. Big stories that challenge and delight readers and introduce ideas that dismantle the very structures we take as fact. There are also little stories, small, tender, sensitive and beautiful moments that reflect on personhood, gender, relationships, trauma and loss. These little stories stay with us intimately long after finishing a book.”
Meet the 2026 Stella Prize judges
The Stella Prize is widely recognised not just for the authors it celebrates, but for the t panel who assess the books each year.
This year’s panel comprises five distinguished voices: Sophie Gee (Chair), Jaclyn Crupi, Benjamin Law, Gillian O’Shaughnessy, and Ellen van Neerven. Their collective breadth spans creative writing, literary criticism, journalism, and First Nations storytelling, making for one of the most dynamic judging teams in the Prize’s history.
What is the Stella Prize and who is elligible?
The Stella Prize champions Australian women and non-binary writers in all genres. To qualify for 2026, books must have been published between 1 January 2025 and 31 December 2025. The winner will be announced on May 13, 2026, taking home $60,000 and continuing the Stella Prize’s mission to amplify Australian voices shaping literature today.
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