2025 Book Awards Shortlist Announcement

Books+Publishing, in partnership with the Australian Publishers Association, is pleased to share the 2025 Australian Book Industry Awards (ABIA) shortlists.

The awards are presented for achievements in bringing Australian books to readers. This year marks the ABIA’s 25th anniversary.

Winners in each category will be announced at the ABIA Ceremony on 7 May 2025, and an overall Book of the Year Award, presented by BorrowBox, will be chosen from the winners of each category.

Audiobook of the Year

• Here One Moment, Liane Moriarty; narrated by Geraldine Hakewill, Caroline Lee (Macmillan Australia Audio, Pan Macmillan Australia); produced by Macmillan Australia Audio
• Human? A Lie That’s Been Killing Us Since 1788, Ziggy Ramo; narrated by Ziggy Ramo (Bolinda Audio); produced by Bolinda Audio
• Juice, Tim Winton; narrated by David Field (Penguin AU Audio Adult, Penguin Random House Australia); produced by Sound Kitchen
• Sounds Like You, Alyce Adams; narrated by Georgia McCudden & Oliver Mills (Audible Studios, Audible Australia); produced by Radhiah Chowdhury / Audible, Sound Kitchen Studio
• The Voice Inside, John Farnham with Poppy Stockell; narrated by John Farnham, Jill Farnham, Gaynor Wheatley (Hachette Australia); produced by Squaresound
• We are the Stars, Gina Chick; narrated by Gina Chick (Wavesound); produced by Wavesound

Biography Book of the Year

• A Periodic Tale, Dr Karl Kruszelnicki (ABC Adults, HarperCollins Publishers)
• Brainstorm, Richard Scolyer with Garry Maddox (Allen & Unwin)
• Sister Viv, Grantlee Kieza (ABC Adults, HarperCollins Publishers)
• The Voice Inside, John Farnham with Poppy Stockell (Hachette Australia)
• We Are the Stars, Gina Chick (Summit Books Australia, Simon & Schuster Australia)
• The Whole Truth, Jackie O (Penguin, Penguin Random House Australia)

The John Marsden Book of the Year for Older Children (ages 13+)

• Anomaly, Emma Lord (Affirm Press)
• Comes the Night, Isobelle Carmody (Allen & Unwin)
• Eleanor Jones Can’t Keep a Secret, Amy Doak (Penguin)
• The Girl with No Reflection, Keshe Chow (Penguin, Penguin Random House Australia)
• Immortal Dark, Tigest Girma (Lothian Children’s Books, Hachette Australia)
• My Family and Other Suspects, Kate Emery (Allen & Unwin)

Book of the Year for Younger Children (ages 7–12)

• The 113th Assistant Librarian, Stuart Wilson (Penguin, Penguin Random House Australia)
• All the Beautiful Things, Katrina Nannestad (ABC Kids, HarperCollins Publishers)
• Bravepaw and the Heartstone of Alluria, LM Wilkinson, illus by Lavanya Naidu (Albert Street)
• The Lost Book of Magic, Amelia Mellor (Affirm Press)
• The Midwatch, Judith Rossell (Hardie Grant Children’s Publishing)
• Wurrtoo, Tylissa Elisara, illus by Dylan Finney (Lothian Children’s Books, Hachette Australia)

Children’s Picture Book of the Year (ages 0–6)

• The Cheeky Toddler Alphabet, Davina Bell, illus by Jennifer Falkner (Lothian Children’s Books, Hachette Australia)
• Fairy Beach, Sheila Knaggs, illus by Jennifer Falkner (Affirm Press)
• To Stir with Love, Kate Mildenhall, illus by Jess Racklyeft (Simon & Schuster Australia)
• The Truck Cat, Deborah Frenkel, illus by Danny Snell (Bright Light, Hardie Grant Children’s Publishing)
• Over or Under?, Pip Harry, illus by Hilary Jean Tapper (Lothian Children’s Books, Hachette Australia)
• Yanga Mother, Cheryl Leavy, illus by Christopher Bassi (UQP, University of Queensland Press)

General Fiction Book of the Year

• The Ledge, Christian White (Affirm Press)
• Red River Road, Anna Downes (Affirm Press)
• Storm Child, Michael Robotham (Hachette Australia)
• The Valley, Chris Hammer (Allen & Unwin)
• The Venice Hotel, Tess Woods (Penguin, Penguin Random House Australia)
• What Happened to Nina?, Dervla McTiernan (HarperCollins Publishers)

General Non-fiction Book of the Year

• Always Was, Always Will Be, Thomas Mayo (Hardie Grant Explore, Hardie Grant)
• The Chairman’s Lounge, Joe Aston (Scribner Australia, Simon & Schuster Australia)
• The Forever War, Nick Bryant (Viking, Penguin Random House Australia)
• Taboo, Hannah Ferguson (Affirm Press)
• Ten Things I Wish You Knew About Your Child’s Mental Health, Dr Billy Garvey (Penguin Life, Penguin Random House Australia)
• Three Wild Dogs, Markus Zusak (Picador, Pan Macmillan Australia)
• Uses for Obsession, Ben Shewry (Murdoch Books)

Illustrated Book of the Year

• Baby Food Bible, Julia Tellidis and Lauren Skora (Hardie Grant Books, Hardie Grant)
• Bake with Brooki, Brooke Bellamy (Penguin, Penguin Random House Australia)
• Beatrix Bakes: Another Slice, Natalie Paull (Hardie Grant Books, Hardie Grant)
• RecipeTin Eats: Tonight, Nagi Maehashi (Pan Macmillan Australia)
• Salad for Days, Alice Zaslavsky (Murdoch Books)
• You Don’t Have to Have a Dream, Tim Minchin (Penguin, Penguin Random House Australia)

International Book of the Year

• Butter, Asako Yuzuki (4th Estate, HarperCollins Publishers)
• House of Flame and Shadow, Sarah J Maas (Bloomsbury Publishing)
• Intermezzo, Sally Rooney (Faber & Faber, Allen & Unwin)
• The Ministry of Time, Kaliane Bradley (Sceptre, Hachette Australia)
• We Solve Murders, Richard Osman (Viking UK, Penguin Random House)
• The Women, Kristin Hannah (Macmillan Australia, Pan Macmillan Australia)

Literary Fiction Book of the Year

• Cherrywood, Jock Serong (4th Estate, HarperCollins Publishers)
• Dusk, Robbie Arnott (Picador, Pan Macmillan Australia)
• Highway 13, Fiona McFarlane (Allen & Unwin)
• Juice, Tim Winton (Hamish Hamilton, Penguin Random House Australia)
• Rapture, Emily Maguire (Allen & Unwin)
• The Work, Bri Lee (Allen & Unwin)

Small Publishers’ Adult Book of the Year

• All I Ever Wanted Was to Be Hot, Lucinda Price (Pantera Press)
• Australian Gospel: A Family Saga, Lech Blaine (Black Inc.)
• The Burrow, Melanie Cheng (Text Publishing)
• Naku Dharuk The Bark Petitions: How the People of Yirrkala Changed the Course of Australian Democracy, Clare Wright (Text Publishing)
• Sanctuary, Garry Disher (Text Publishing)
• The Season, Helen Garner (Text Publishing)

Small Publishers’ Children’s Book of the Year

• Always Was, Always Will Be, Aunty Fay Muir & Sue Lawson (Magabala Books)
• Dog Beach, Julie Murphy, illus by Annie White (NLA Publishing, National Library of Australia)
• Flora: Australia’s Most Curious Plants, Tania McCartney (NLA Publishing, National Library of Australia)
• Leo and Ralph, Peter Carnavas (University of Queensland Press)
• Spiro, Anna McGregor (Scribble, Scribe)
• Super Snake, Gregg Dreise (Magabala Books)

Social Impact Book of the Year

• Always Was, Always Will Be, Thomas Mayo (Hardie Grant Explore, Hardie Grant)
• Brainstorm, Richard Scolyer with Garry Maddox (Allen & Unwin)
• Juice, Tim Winton (Hamish Hamilton, Penguin Random House Australia)
• Mean Streak, Rick Morton (4th Estate, HarperCollins Publishers)
• Murriyang, Stan Grant (S&S Bundyi, Simon & Schuster Australia)
• My Dad’s Gone Away, Andrew Krakouer & Jacqueline Dinan, illus by Paul Seden (Magabala Books)

The Matt Richell Award for New Writer of the Year (for an author’s first book, regardless of genre)

• All I Ever Wanted Was to Be Hot, Lucinda Price (Pantera Press)
• Because I’m Not Myself, You See, Ariane Beeston (Black Inc.)
• Big Time, Jordan Prosser (UQP, University of Queensland Press)
• The Chairman’s Lounge, Joe Aston (Scribner, Simon & Schuster Australia)
• Thanks for Having Me, Emma Darragh (Joan, Allen & Unwin)
• We Are the Stars, Gina Chick (Summit Books Australia, Simon & Schuster Australia)

Shortlists for the Business Awards will be published 2 April 2025.