A collaborative novel fusing pre-colonial Yolngu oral history with western storytelling has won the $80,000 fiction prize at the Prime Minister’s Literary Awards, according to an announcement by Writing Australia. Titled A Piece of Red Cloth, the winning work was written by novelist Leonie Norrington, Merrkiyawuy Ganambarr-Stubbs, and Yolngu knowledge holders Djawundil Maymuru and Djawa Burarrwanga, as reported by Guardian Australia.
A Landmark Collaboration in Arnhem Land Fiction
Set in a coastal north-east Arnhem Land community during the 1600s, A Piece of Red Cloth explores the wet-season trade between Yolngu people and Makassan fishers from modern-day Indonesia. According to Guardian Australia, the narrative captures a peaceful cultural exchange upended when Dutch colonisers seized control of Makassar, leading traders to introduce alcohol and opium to access young women. A Yolngu elder fighting to protect her granddaughter anchors the story, which Ganambarr-Stubbs described as “a true history” passed down orally across generations.
Did you know? The Prime Minister’s Literary Awards represent Australia’s richest annual literary prize pool, offering a total tax-free fund of $600,000, with $80,000 awarded to winners in each category, according to Writing Australia.
Judges praised the Allen & Unwin publication as a “landmark achievement in fiction” and a “profound work of remembrance and re-imagination,” setting a high benchmark for creative partnerships between Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal writers. Norrington noted the profound significance of celebrating a pre-colonial foundation story on the national stage, telling Guardian Australia that the recognition signals a shift away from colonial narratives centered solely on Captain Cook.
Full List of 2026 Prime Minister’s Literary Award Winners
Writing Australia revealed the six category winners during a ceremony at the National Library of Australia in Canberra on Thursday, 10 September 2026. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese remarked that the winning works demonstrate the depth and diversity of national literature, connecting communities across generations.
- Fiction: A Piece of Red Cloth by Leonie Norrington, Merrkiyawuy Ganambarr-Stubbs, Djawa Burarrwanga, and Djawundil Maymuru (Allen & Unwin)
- Non-fiction: The Red House by Kate Wild (Allen & Unwin)
- Children’s Literature: Song of a Thousand Seas by Zana Fraillon (University of Queensland Press)
- Australian History: The Southern Frontier by Rohan Howitt (Melbourne University Publishing)
- Poetry: Two Hundred Million Musketeers by Ender Başkan (Giramondo Publishing)
- Young Adult Literature: Drift by Pip Harry (Hachette Australia)
Investigative journalist Kate Wild secured the non-fiction prize for The Red House, examining the 2019 death of Kumanjayi Walker, who was shot by Northern Territory police officer Zachary Rolfe. Judges characterized Wild’s book as an “utterly singular work” offering nuanced insight into an ongoing national conversation. Meanwhile, environmental historian Rohan Howitt claimed the Australian history prize for his debut book, The Southern Frontier, which investigates Australia’s historical relationship with Antarctica.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much prize money do winners receive at the Prime Minister’s Literary Awards?
Winners receive an $80,000 tax-free cash prize per category, while up to four shortlisted entries receive $5,000 each, drawing from a total annual pool of $600,000, according to Writing Australia.
Who wrote the fiction winner, A Piece of Red Cloth?
The novel was written collaboratively by novelist Leonie Norrington, Merrkiyawuy Ganambarr-Stubbs, and Yolngu knowledge holders Djawa Burarrwanga and Djawundil Maymuru, published by Allen & Unwin.
Where was the 2026 awards ceremony held?
The winners were announced at a ceremony held at the National Library of Australia in Canberra on Thursday, 10 September 2026.
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