2016 in Australian literature explained

This article presents a list of the historical events and publications of Australian literature during 2016.

Major publications

Literary fiction

• Melissa Ashley – The Birdman's Wife^[1]
• Georgia Blain – Between a Wolf and a Dog^[2]
• Hannah Kent – The Good People
• Ryan O'Neill – Their Brilliant Careers^[3]
• Heather Rose – The Museum of Modern Love
• Philip Salom – Waiting^[4]
• Dominic Smith – The Last Painting of Sara de Vos^[5]
• Josephine Wilson – Extinctions

Children's and young adult fiction

• Trace Balla – Rockhopping^[6]
• Maxine Beneba Clarke – The Patchwork Bike
• Georgia Blain – Special^[7]
• Andy Griffiths
  • The Tree House Fun Book^[8]
  • The 78-Storey Treehouse^[9]
• Zana Fraillon – The Bone Sparrow^[10]
• Tania McCartney – Smile/Cry: A Beginner's Book of Feelings^[11]
• Shivaun Plozza – Frankie^[12]
• Richard Roxburgh – Artie and the Grime Wave^[13]
• Claire Zorn – One Would Think the Deep^[14]

Crime

• Peter Corris – That Empty Feeling^[15]
• Candice Fox and James Patterson – Never Never^[16]
• Jane Harper – The Dry
• Emily Maguire – An Isolated Incident^[17]
• Barry Maitland – Slaughter Park^[18]
• Adrian McKinty – Rain Dogs^[19]
• Jock Serong – The Rules of Backyard Cricket
• David Whish-Wilson – Old Scores^[20]

Science fiction and fantasy

• Alison Croggon – The Bone Queen^[21]
• Juliet Marillier – Den of Wolves^[22]
• Anthony O'Neill – The Dark Side^[23]
• C. S. Pacat – Kings Rising^[24]
• Lian Hearn – Emperor of the Eight Islands^[25]
• Angela Slatter – Vigil^[26]

Poetry

• Peter Boyle – Ghostspeaking^[27]
• Maxine Beneba Clarke – Carrying the World^[28]
• John Kinsella – Drowning in Wheat^[29]
• Berndt Sellheim – Awake at the Wheel^[30]
• Susan Varga – Rupture: Poems 2012–2015^[31]

Drama

• Leah Purcell – The Drover's Wife^[32]
• David Morton – The Wider Earth

Biographies

• Deng Thiak Adut with Ben McKelvey – Songs of a War Boy: My Story^[33]
• Julia Baird – Victoria: The Queen^[34]
• Jimmy Barnes –Working Class Boy
• Mark Colvin – Light and Shadow: Memoirs of a Spy's Son^[35]
• Suzanne Falkiner – Mick: A Life of Randolph Stow^[36]
• Stan Grant – Talking to My Country^[37]
• Cory Taylor – Dying: A Memoir^[38]

Non-fiction

• Richard Fidler – Ghost Empire
• Peter FitzSimons – Victory at Villers-Bretonneux: Why a French town will never forget the Anzacs^[39]
• Clementine Ford – Fight Like A Girl^[40]
• Helen Garner – Everywhere I Look
• David Hunt – True Girt: The Unauthorised History of Australia Volume 2^[41]
• Lynne Kelly – The Memory Code^[42]
• Tara Moss – Speaking Out: A 21st Century Handbook For Women and Girls^[43]

Awards and honours

Note: these awards were presented in the year in question.

Literary

Award	Author	Title	Publisher
ALS Gold Medal^[45]	Brenda Niall	Mannix	Text Publishing
Colin Roderick Award^[46]	Gail Jones	A Guide to Berlin	Random House
Indie Book Awards Book of the Year^[47]	Charlotte Wood	The Natural Way of Things	Allen & Unwin
Nita Kibble Literary Award^[48]	Fiona Wright	Small Acts of Disappearance	Giramondo Publishing
Stella Prize^[49]		The Natural Way of Things	Allen & Unwin
Victorian Prize for Literature^[50]	Mary Anne Butler	Broken	Currency Press

Fiction

National

Award	Author	Title	Publisher
Adelaide Festival Awards for Literature^[51]	Tamsin Janu	Figgy in the World	Omnibus Books
The Australian/Vogel Literary Award^[52]	Katherine Brabon	The Memory Artist	Allen & Unwin
Barbara Jefferis Award^[53]	Peggy Frew	Hope Farm	Scribe
Indie Book Awards Book of the Year – Fiction	Charlotte Wood	The Natural Way of Things	Allen & Unwin
Indie Book Awards Book of the Year – Debut Fiction	Lucy Treloar	Salt Creek	Macmillan
Miles Franklin Award^[54]	A. S. Patrić	Black Rock White City	Transit Lounge
Prime Minister's Literary Awards^[55]	Lisa Gorton (joint winner)	The Life of Houses	Giramondo
	Charlotte Wood (joint winner)	The Natural Way of Things	Allen & Unwin
New South Wales Premier's Literary Awards^[56]	Merlinda Bobis	Locust Girl: A Lovesong	Spinifex Press
Queensland Literary Awards^[57]		Between a Wolf and a Dog	Scribe
Victorian Premier's Literary Award	Mireille Juchau	The World Without Us	Bloomsbury Publishing

Children and young adult

National

Award	Category	Author	Title	Publisher
Children's Book of the Year Award	Older Readers	Fiona Wood	Cloudwish	Macmillan Australia
	Younger Readers	Morris Gleitzman	Soon	Viking Books
	Picture Book	Nadia Wheatley, textArmin Greder, illus.	Flight	Windy Hollow Books
	Early Childhood	Anna Walker	Mr Huff
Indie Book Awards Book of the Year	Children's	Aaron Blabey	The Bad Guys: Episode 1	Scholastic Australia
	Young Adult	Fiona Wood	Cloudwish	Pan MacMillan
New South Wales Premier's Literary Awards	Children's	Rebecca Young & Matt Ottley	Teacup	Scholastic Australia
	Young People's	Alice Pung	Laurinda	Black Inc.
Victorian Premier's Literary Award	Young Adult Fiction	Marlee Jane Ward	Welcome to Orphancorp	Xou Pty Ltd

Crime and mystery

National

Award	Category	Author	Title	Publisher
Davitt Award^[58]	Novel	Emma Viskic	Resurrection Bay	Echo Publishing
	Young adult novel	Fleur Ferris	Risk	Random House
	Children's novel	R. A Spratt	Friday Barnes, Under Suspicion	Random House
	True crime	Alecia Simmonds	Wild Man	Affirm Press
	Debut novel	Emma Viskic	Resurrection Bay	Echo Publishing
		Fleur Ferris	Risk	Random House
	Readers' choice	Emma Viskic	Resurrection Bay	Echo Publishing
Ned Kelly Award	Novel	Dave Warner	Before It Breaks	Fremantle Press
	First novel	Emma Viskic	Resurrection Bay	Echo Publishing
	True crime	Gideon Haigh	Certain Admissions	Penguin
	Lifetime achievement	Not awarded

Science fiction

Award	Category	Author	Title	Publisher
Aurealis Award	Sf Novel	Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff	Gemima: The Illuminae Files 2	Allen & Unwin
	Sf Short Story	Samantha Murray	"Of Sight, of Mind, of Heart"	Clarkesworld 122
	Fantasy Novel	Jay Kristoff	Nevernight	Harper Voyager
	Fantasy Short Story	Thoraiya Dyer	"Where the Pelican Builds Her Nest"	In Your Face (FableCroft Publishing)
	Horror Novel	Kaaron Warren	The Grief Hole	IFWG Publishing Australia
	Horror Short Story	TR Napper	"Flame Trees"	Asimov’s Science Fiction
	Young Adult Novel	Alison Goodman	Lady Helen and the Dark Days Pact	HarperCollins Publishers
	Young Adult Short Story	Leife Shallcross	"Pretty Jennie Greenteeth"	Strange Little Girls (Belladonna Publishing)
Ditmar Award	Novel	Lisa L. Hannett	Lament for the Afterlife	ChiZine Publications
	Best Novella or Novelette	Sean Williams	"Of Sorrow and Such"	Of Sorrow and Such (Tor.com)
	Best Short Story	Kathleen Jennings	"A Hedge of Yellow Roses"	Hear Me Roar (Ticonderoga Publications)

Poetry

Award	Author	Title	Publisher
Adelaide Festival Awards for Literature	Les Murray	Waiting for the Past	Black Inc Press
Anne Elder Award^[59]	John Hawke	Aurelia	Cordite Books
Mary Gilmore Award^[60]	Benedict Andrews	Lens Flare	Pitt Street Poetry
New South Wales Premier's Literary Awards^[61]	Joanne Burns	brush	Giramondo Publishing
Victorian Premier's Literary Award	Alan Loney	Crankhandle	Cordite Books

Drama

Award	Category	Author	Title	Publisher
New South Wales Premier's Literary Awards	Script	Cate Shortland	Deadline Gallipoli, Episode 4: "The Letter"	Matchbox Pictures & Full Clip Productions
Patrick White Playwrights' Award	Award	Lewis Treston	Hot Tub	Sydney Theatre Company
	Fellowship	Andrew Bovell

Non-fiction

Award	Category	Author	Title	Publisher
Adelaide Festival Awards for Literature	Non-Fiction	Robert Dessaix	What Days Are For	Random House Australia
Indie Book Awards Book of the Year	Non-Fiction	Magda Szubanski	Reckoning: A Memoir	Text Publishing
National Biography Award^[62]	Biography	Brenda Niall	Mannix	Text Publishing
New South Wales Premier's Literary Awards	Non-Fiction	Magda Szubanski	Reckoning: A Memoir	Text Publishing
New South Wales Premier's History Awards	Australian History	Stuart Macintyre	Australia’s Boldest Experiment: War and Reconstruction in the 1940s	NewSouth Books
	Community and Regional History	Tanya Evans	Fractured Families: Life on the Margins in Colonial New South Wales	University of New South Wales Press
	General History	Ann McGrath	Illicit Love: Interracial Sex and Marriage in the United States and Australia	Nebraska University Press
Queensland Literary Awards	Non-Fiction	Fiona Wright	Small Acts of Disappearance: Essays on Hunger	Giramondo
Victorian Premier's Literary Award	Non-fiction	Gerald Murnane	Something for the Pain	Text Publishing

Deaths

• 31 January – David Lake, science fiction novelist (born 1929 in India)^[63]
• 3 February – Dimitris Tsaloumas, poet (born 1921 in Greece)^[64]
• 19 February – Kim Gamble, illustrator of children's books (born 1952)^[65]
• 3 April – Bob Ellis, writer, journalist, filmmaker, and political commentator (born 1942)^[66]
• 20 April – Dame Leonie Judith Kramer, author, editor and academic (born 1924)^[67]
• 16 May – Gillian Mears, short story writer and novelist (born 1964)^[68]
• 5 July – Cory Taylor, writer (born 1955)^[69]
• 15 July – Billy Marshall Stoneking, poet, playwright, filmmaker and teacher (born 1947 in Orlando, Florida)^[70]
• 4 September – Richard Neville, writer and social commentator (born 1941)^[71]
• 8 September – Inga Clendinnen, author and historian (born 1934)^[72]
• 3 October – Narelle Oliver, award-winning children's author-illustrator, artist and print maker (born 1960)^[73]
• 19 November – Margaret Paice, children's writer and illustrator (born 1920)^[74]
• 9 December – Georgia Blain, novelist, journalist and biographer (born 1964)^[75]
• 12 December –
  • Anne Deveson, writer, broadcaster, filmmaker and social commentator (born 1930 in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia)^[76]
  • Shirley Hazzard, novelist, short story writer, and essayist (died in Manhattan, New York)(born 1931)^[77]

See also

• 2016 in Australia
• 2016 in literature
• 2016 in poetry
• List of years in Australian literature
• List of years in literature
• List of Australian literary awards

References

Note: all references relating to awards can, or should be, found on the relevant award's page.

Notes and References

1. Web site: The Birdman's Wife by Melissa Ashley. National Library of Australia. 22 April 2024.
2. Web site: Between a Wolf and a Dog by Georgia Blain. National Library of Australia. 22 April 2024.
3. Web site: Their Brilliant Careers by Ryan O'Neill. National Library of Australia. 24 May 2024.
4. Web site: Waiting by Philip Salom. National Library of Australia. 24 May 2024.
5. Web site: The Last Painting of Sara de Vos by Dominic Smith. National Library of Australia. 24 May 2024.
6. Web site: Rockhopping by Trace Balla. National Library of Australia. 6 August 2024.
7. Web site: Special by Georgia Blain. National Library of Australia. 22 April 2024.
8. Web site: The Tree House Fun Book by Andy Griffiths . National Library of Australia. 6 August 2024.
9. Web site: The 78-Storey Treehouse by Andy Griffiths . National Library of Australia. 6 August 2024.
10. Web site: The Bone Sparrow by Zana Fraillon. National Library of Australia. 6 August 2024.
11. Web site: Smile/Cry: A Beginner's Book of Feelings by Tania McCartney. National Library of Australia. 6 August 2024.
12. Web site: Frankie by Shivaun Plozza. National Library of Australia. 6 August 2024.
13. Web site: Artie and the Grime Wave by Richard Roxburgh. National Library of Australia. 6 August 2024.
14. Web site: One Would Think the Deep by Claire Zorn. National Library of Australia. 6 August 2024.
15. Web site: Austlit — That Empty Feeling by Peter Corris . Austlit. 31 January 2024.
16. Web site: Austlit — Never Never by Candice Fox and James Patterson . Austlit. 31 January 2024.
17. Web site: Austlit — An Isolated Incident by Emily Maguire . Austlit. 31 January 2024.
18. Web site: Austlit — Slaughter Park by Barry Maitland . Austlit. 31 January 2024.
19. Web site: Austlit — Rain Dogs by Adrian McKinty . Austlit. 31 January 2024.
20. Web site: Austlit — Old Scores by David Whish-Wilson . Austlit. 31 January 2024.
21. Web site: The Bone Queen by Alison Croggon . ISFDB. 22 April 2024.
22. Web site: Den of Wolves by Juliet Marillier . ISFDB. 22 April 2024.
23. Web site: The Dark Side by Anthony O'Neill . ISFDB. 22 April 2024.
24. Web site: Kings Rising by C. S. Pacat . ISFDB. 22 April 2024.
25. Web site: Emperor of the Eight Islands by Lian Hearn . ISFDB. 22 April 2024.
26. Web site: Vigil by Angela Slatter . ISFDB. 22 April 2024.
27. Web site: Ghostspeaking by Peter Boyle. National Library of Australia. 24 May 2024.
28. Web site: Carrying the World by Maxine Beneba Clarke. National Library of Australia. 24 May 2024.
29. Web site: Drowning in Wheat by John Kinsella. National Library of Australia. 24 May 2024.
30. Web site: Awake at the Wheel by Berndt Sellheim. National Library of Australia. 24 May 2024.
31. Web site: Rupture: Poems 2012–2015 by Susan Varga. National Library of Australia. 24 May 2024.
32. Web site: The Drover's Wife by Leah Purcell. National Library of Australia. 24 May 2024.
33. Web site: Songs of a War Boy: My Story by Deng Thiak Adut with Ben McKelvey. National Library of Australia. 24 May 2024.
34. Web site: Victoria: The Queen by Julia Baird . National Library of Australia. 24 May 2024.
35. Web site: Light and Shadow: Memoirs of a Spy's Son by Mark Colvin. National Library of Australia. 24 May 2024.
36. Web site: Mick: A Life of Randolph Stow by Suzanne Falkiner. National Library of Australia. 24 May 2024.
37. Web site: Talking to My Country by Stan Grant . National Library of Australia. 24 May 2024.
38. Web site: Dying: A Memoir by Cory Taylor. National Library of Australia. 24 May 2024.
39. Web site: Victory at Villers-Bretonneux by Peter FitzSimons. National Library of Australia. 24 May 2024.
40. Web site: Fight Like A Girl by Clementine Ford. National Library of Australia. 24 May 2024.
41. Web site: True Girt: The Unauthorised History of Australia Volume 2 by David Hunt. National Library of Australia. 24 May 2024.
42. Web site: The Memory Code by Lynne Kelly. National Library of Australia. 24 May 2024.
43. Web site: Speaking Out: A 21st Century Handbook For Women and Girls by Tara Moss. National Library of Australia. 24 May 2024.
44. Web site: Carmel Bird wins the $20,000 Patrick White Award. . Jason Steger . October 17, 2016 . September 10, 2023.
45. Web site: ALS Gold Medal — Previous Winners . Association for the Study of Australian Literature. 12 January 2024.
46. Web site: Colin Roderick Award — Other Winners . 13 July 2020. James Cook University. 2 February 2024.
47. Web site: "Indie Book Awards - Winners 2016" . Australian Independent Booksellers. 24 May 2024.
48. Web site: 2009-06-09 . Kibble Literary Award . 9 March 2024 . . en-AU.
49. News: "Charlotte Wood's The Natural Way of Things wins $50,000 Stella prize" . The Guardian. 19 April 2016. The Guardian, 19 April 2016. 12 January 2024. Harmon. Steph.
50. Web site: Victorian Premier's Literary Awards 2016 . 3 February 2024. The Wheeler Centre.
51. Web site: State Library of South Australia. Adelaide Festival Awards for Literature – Past Literary Award Winners. 7 May 2024.
52. Web site: 2016-04-27 . Brabon wins 2016 Vogel Award . 2024-01-12 . Books+Publishing . en-AU.
53. Web site: "Barbara Jefferis Award" . Australian Society of Authors. 20 January 2024.
54. News: Lucy Clark . 26 August 2016 . 'The most momentous news of my life': AS Patric wins Miles Franklin award . . 26 August 2016.
55. Web site: "Prime Minister's Literary Awards - Shortlist and winners: 2021-2008" . Creative Australia. 11 January 2024.
56. Web site: "Locust Girl by Merlinda Bobis wins Christina Stead prize for fiction". 17 May 2016 . The Sydney Morning Herald, 17 May 2016. 10 January 2024.
57. Web site: "2016 Queensland Literary Awards" . The Queensland Cabinet and Ministerial Directory. 11 January 2024.
58. Web site: Steger . Jason . 2016-08-26 . It's a crime spree as Emma Viskic snaffles four writing awards . 30 January 2024 . The Age . en.
59. Web site: Austlit — Anne Elder Award . Austlit. 6 February 2024.
60. Web site: Mary Gilmore Award . . 5 February 2024.
61. Web site: 2016 NSW Premier's Literary Awards announced. 17 May 2016 . Australian Arts Review. 6 February 2024.
62. Web site: 2016 - National Biography Award. State Library of NSW. 1 August 2024.
63. Web site: David J. Lake (1929-2016). 2023-10-18 . AustLit: Discover Australian Stories . The University of Queensland.
64. Web site: Dimitris Tsaloumas Death Notice . 2024-02-13 . The Age.
65. Web site: Kim Gamble (1952-2016). 2024-02-13 . NCACL . en.
66. Web site: Bob Ellis (1942-2016). 2024-02-13 . AustLit: Discover Australian Stories . The University of Queensland.
67. Web site: 2016-04-29 . Leonie KRAMER Death Notice . 2024-02-13 . The Sydney Morning Herald.
68. Web site: Gillian Mears (1964-2016). 2024-02-14 . AustLit: Discover Australian Stories . The University of Queensland.
69. Web site: Cory Taylor (1955-2016). 2024-02-14 . AustLit: Discover Australian Stories . The University of Queensland.
70. Web site: Billy Marshall-Stoneking (1947-2016). 2024-02-14 . AustLit: Discover Australian Stories . The University of Queensland.
71. Web site: Richard Neville (1941-2016). 2023-08-27 . AustLit: Discover Australian Stories . The University of Queensland.
72. Web site: Inga Clendinnen (1934-2016). 2024-02-14 . AustLit: Discover Australian Stories . The University of Queensland.
73. Web site: Narelle Oliver (1960-2016). 2024-02-14 . AustLit: Discover Australian Stories . The University of Queensland.
74. Web site: Margaret Dawn Cantle (1920-2016) . 2023-07-31 . Te Tairaawhiti Whakapapa.
75. Web site: Georgia Blain (1964-2016). 2024-02-14 . AustLit: Discover Australian Stories . The University of Queensland.
76. Web site: Anne Deveson (1930-2016). 2024-02-14 . AustLit: Discover Australian Stories . The University of Queensland.
77. Web site: Shirley Hazzard (1931-2016). 2024-02-14 . AustLit: Discover Australian Stories . The University of Queensland.