Indigenous authors and publishers are prominent among those who were honoured on Thursday night at the 2026 Australian Book Industry Awards.
The Awards were presented by Books+Publishing (B+P), in partnership with the Australian Publishers Association (APA).
Kooma and Kamilaroi author Angie Faye Martin received The Matt Richell Award for New Writer of the Year for her work Melaleuca, a gripping crime drama that brings an Indigenous policewoman back to the outback town of her childhood.
The award for Social Impact Book of The Year went to A Piece of Red Cloth, a novel based on the oral history of the Yolngu people from north-east Arnhem Land, written by Yolŋu cultural custodians Merrkiyawuy Ganambarr-Stubbs, Djawa Burarrwanga and Djawundil Maymura, and award-winning author Leonie Norrington, who grew up in the Barunga community in Arnhem Land.
Goorie and Koori poet, editor and educator Dr Evelyn Araluen's The Rot was named Small Publishers' Adult Book of the Year.
The Award for Illustrated Book of the Year went to The Art of Kaylene Whiskey: Do you believe in love? by renowned Anangu artist Kaylene Whiskey and Natalie King.
Ben Williams (Jangala/Jaburrula), a young Aboriginal artist from the Kanturrpa clan, totem Milway, of Warlmanpa Country, and Kamilaroi author Corey Tutt, founder of Deadly Science, received the Award for Book of the Year for Younger Children (ages 7-12) for their work Caution! This Book Contains Deadly Reptiles.
The Small Publisher of the Year and Children's Publisher of the Year awards both went to Magabala Books, Australia's leading First Nations publishing house. Based in Rubibi / Broome, Magabala Books publishes Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander authors, artists and illustrators from all over Australia. An independent, not-for-profit Indigenous Corporation and Aboriginal Community Controlled Organisation, Magabala is governed by a Board of Kimberley Aboriginal Directors.
Now in its 26th year, the Australian Book Industry Awards (ABIA) recognise excellence in bringing Australian books to readers.
Over fifty judges from publishing houses, distributors, literary journalists, agents, booksellers and librarians worked together to select the best books of the past year, with the winners announced at a ceremony hosted by writer and media personality Benjamin Law at The Grounds of Alexandria, Sydney.
Judging Chair Michaela Kalowski said it was "inspiring and exciting to see the range of themes in the books that were ABIA finalists this year".
"They speak to the richness of the Australian publishing industry and the talent and dedication of authors, publishers and the teams who brought these books to readers," she said.
"The Judges brought nuance, depth of industry experience and great thought to deciding on the winning books in each category."
Children's literature took centre stage at this year's awards with The Book of the Year awarded to Once I was a Giant. Zeno Sworder's beautifully illustrated picture book explores themes of nature and change through a story about a tree whose wood is turned into a pencil, and as the pencil decides to tell the story of its own life.
The Hall of Fame awards also celebrated two prominent figures in Australian children's literature.
A tireless champion of children's books, Paul Macdonald, the current president of CBCA NSW, author, and former bookseller who owned the award-winning The Children's Bookshop in Sydney for close to 20 years, said he was "thrilled, honoured and humbled to be awarded the 2026 Pixie O'Harris Award".
"I am absolutely in awe of the list of prestigious past winners," he said.
Prolific Australian children's writer Mem Fox (Possum Magic, Where is the Green Sheep?) received the Lloyd O'Neil Award, which recognises outstanding service to the Australian Book Industry.
In the other adult categories, Sally Hepworth's latest thriller Mad Mabel won both the General Fiction and the Audiobook awards, Geraldine Brooks heartrending memoir of love and grief Memorial Days won Biography Book of the Year, with the much discussed The Mushroom Tapes taking out the General Non-Fiction.
Charlotte McConaghy's third novel Wild Dark Shore has won the Literary Fiction Book of the Year. In researching her story set on a remote island not far from Antarctica, Charlotte undertook an incredible trip with her 16-month-old baby to a subantarctic island, accessible only by a two-week boat journey that occurs once a year.
The ABIA 2026 winning titles are:
Book of the Year
Once I was a Giant, Zeno Sworder (Thames & Hudson Australia)
Audiobook of the Year
Mad Mabel, Sally Hepworth; narrated by Hannah Fredericksen and Jenny Seedsman (Macmillan Australia Audio, Pan Macmillan Australia)
Biography Book of the Year
Memorial Days, Geraldine Brooks (Hachette Australia)
Book of the Year for Older Children (ages 13+)
Wandering Wild, Lynette Noni (Penguin, Penguin Random House)
Book of the Year for Younger Children (ages 7-12)
Caution! This Book Contains Deadly Reptiles, Corey Tutt, illustrated by Ben Williams (Allen & Unwin)
Children's Picture Book of the Year (ages 0-6)
Once I was a Giant, Zeno Sworder (Thames & Hudson Australia)
General Fiction Book of the Year
Mad Mabel, Sally Hepworth (Macmillan, Pan Macmillan Australia)
General Non-fiction Book of the Year
The Mushroom Tapes, Helen Garner, Chloe Hooper and Sarah Krasnostein (Text Publishing)
Illustrated Book of the Year
The Art of Kaylene Whiskey: Do you believe in love?, Kaylene Whiskey and Natalie King (Thames & Hudson)
International Book of the Year
Heart the Lover, Lily King (Canongate)
Literary Fiction Book of the Year
Wild Dark Shore, Charlotte McConaghy (Penguin, Penguin Random House Australia)
Small Publishers' Adult Book of the Year
The Rot, Evelyn Araluen (University of Queensland Press)
Small Publishers' Children's Book of the Year
Sundays Under the Lemon Tree, Julia Busuttil Nishimura, illustrated by Myo Yim (Scribble, Scribe)
Social Impact Book of the Year
A Piece of Red Cloth, Leonie Norrington, Merrkiyawuy Ganambarr-Stubbs, Djawa Burarrwanga and Djawundil Maymuru (Allen & Unwin)
The Matt Richell Award for New Writer of the Year
Melaleuca, Angie Faye Martin (HQ, HarperCollins Publishers)
The ABIA 2026 Industry Award winners are:
Lloyd O'Neil Award
Mem Fox
Pixie O'Harris Award
Paul Macdonald
Bookshop of the Year
Gleebooks Dulwich Hill
Book Retailer of the Year
Readings
Multicategory Retailer of the Year
BIG W
Commissioning Editor/Publisher of the Year
Vanessa Radnidge (Hachette Australia)
Marketing/Publicity Campaign of the Year
Cherry Lam Colouring Book Series (Penguin Random House Australia)
Publisher of the Year
Penguin Random House Australia
Small Publisher of the Year
Magabala Books
Children's Publisher of the Year
Magabala Books
