Now in its eleventh year, the influential and a much-loved feature of the Australian literary calendar, the Stella Prize has announced the twelve extraordinary books by Australian women on the 2023 longlist.
The 2023 Stella Prize longlist was announced live at the Wheeler Centre on Thursday 2 March with award-winning author Alice Pung OAM (Chair), joined by fellow judges Astrid Edwards, Beejay Silcox, Jeff Sparrow and Alison Whittaker, for a lively and wide-ranging discussion about the stories, themes, and ideas explored in each of the 12 works.
The $60,000 prize is awarded annually to one outstanding book deemed to be original, excellent, and engaging. This year’s prize saw over 200 entries submitted. The 2023 Stella Prize longlist is:
- The Furies by Mandy Beaumont (Hachette Australia)
- Every Version of You by Grace Chan (Affirm Press)
- We Come With This Place by Debra Dank (Echo Publishing)
- big beautiful female theory by Eloise Grills (Affirm Press)
- The Jaguar by Sarah Holland-Batt (University of Queensland Press)
- Hydra by Adriane Howell (Transit Lounge)
- Jack of Hearts: QX11594 by Jackie Huggins & Ngaire Jarro (Magabala Books)
- All That’s Left Unsaid by Tracey Lien (HQ Fiction/HarperCollins Publishers)
- Indelible City: Dispossession and Defiance in Hong Kong by Louisa Lim (Text Publishing)
- Iris by Fiona Kelly McGregor (Pan Macmillan Australia)
- Decadence by Thuy On (UWA Publishing)
- Bad Art Mother by Edwina Preston (Wakefield Press)
“The Australian publishing industry has really come back to life after the pandemic, and this year we were blown away by the creative risks taken by authors, poets, artists and publishers,” said Alice Pung, Chair of the Judges.
“Our longlist showcases the energy of this re-emergence. In these pages you will find pathos, rage, wild, joyful swagger, a mourning of our own mortality but also a celebration of our finite selves. We are beyond excited to share this list with readers.”
Previous winners of the Stella Prize include: Carrie Tiffany, 2013 (Mateship with Birds); Clare Wright, 2014 (The Forgotten Rebels of Eureka); Emily Bitto, 2015 (The Strays); Charlotte, 2016 (The Natural Way of Things); Heather Rose, 2017 (The Museum of Modern Love); Alexis Wright, 2018 (Tracker); Vicki Laveau-Harvie, 2019 (The Erratics); Jess Hill, 2020 (See What You Made Me Do); Evie Wyld, 2021, (The Bass Rock) and Evelyn Araluen, 2022 (Drop Bear).
Named after one of Australia’s iconic female authors, Stella Maria ‘Miles’ Franklin, the prize is committed to recognising the best books by Australian women, both fiction and nonfiction. By raising the profile of women writers, and celebrating their achievements, the Stella Prize hopes to erode the self-perpetuating cycle of under-representation that confronts all women writers.
The 2023 Stella Prize Shortlist will be announced on Thursday 30 March. The Winner will be announced on Thursday 27 April. For more information, visit: www.thestellaprize.com.au for details.
Image: 2023 Stella Prize Longlist Titles (supplied)