Alexis Wright has become the first author to win the Stella Prize twice, receiving $60,000 thanks to the generous support of the Stella Forever Fund for her fourth novel, Praiseworthy published by Giramondo Publishing.
This monumental achievement marks a historic moment in Australian literature and underscores Wright’s exceptional talent and contribution to storytelling.
“The quality of this year’s books has been extraordinary. The twelve longlisted and six shortlisted books for the 2024 Stella Prize have earned a well-deserved place in the history of Australian literature,” said Stella CEO, Fiona Sweet.
“We celebrate these 12 books and announce the winner of the 2024 Stella Prize, Alexis Wright, for Praiseworthy, a genre-bending, canon-breaking novel that has been described by international media as the most ambitious and accomplished Australian novel of this century.”
Wright, a proud member of the Waanyi Nation, has long been recognised for her profound narratives that intertwine Indigenous wisdom, cultural heritage and contemporary realities. Praiseworthy continues this tradition by offering readers a mesmerizing journey into the heart of Australia’s landscapes and the human spirit.
Praiseworthy won the University of Queensland Fiction Book Award. It has been shortlisted for the Queensland Premier’s Award for a Work of State Significance and the Dublin Literary Award and the James Tait Black Memorial Prize. It was published last year in the United Kingdom by And Other Stories, and this year in the United States by New Directions.
“Praiseworthy is mighty in every conceivable way: mighty of scope, mighty of fury, mighty of craft, mighty of humour, mighty of language, mighty of heart. Praiseworthy is not only a great Australian novel – perhaps the great Australian novel – it is also a great Waanyi novel,” said Judges’ Chair, Beejay Silcox.
“And it is written in the wild hope that, one day, all Australian readers might understand just what that means. I do not understand. Not yet. But I can feel history calling to me in these pages. Calling to all of us. Imagine if we listened.”
Entering its twelfth year, the Stella Prize continues to fortify its place as a vital presence in Australia’s literary landscape by platforming and amplifying the voices and stories of women and non-binary authors.
The 2024 judges, Beejay Silcox (Chair), Eleanor Jackson, Cheryl Leavy, Bram Presser and Dr Yves Rees, were unanimous in their decisions regarding this year’s winner.
The Stella Prize entries undergo a rigorous judging process to uncover 12 extraordinary works of fiction to make up the longlist. This year Stella received 227 entries. The winner receives $60,000 thanks to the generous support of our two major prize sponsors: Stella Forever Fund and the McLean Foundation.
Past winners of the Stella Prize include: Sarah Holland-Batt, 2023 (The Jaguar); Evelyn Araluen, 2022 (Dropbear); Evie Wyld, 2021 (The Bass Rock); Jess Hill, 2020 (See What You Made Me Do); Vicki Laveau-Harvie, 2019 (The Erratics); Alexis Wright, 2018 (Tracker); Heather Rose, 2017 (The Museum of Modern Love); Charlotte Wood, 2016 (The Natural Way of Things); Emily Bitto, 2015 (The Strays); Clare Wright, 2014 (The Forgotten Rebels of Eureka); and Carrie Tiffany, 2013 (Mateship with Birds).
For more information about the 2024 Stella Prize, visit: www.thestellaprize.com.au for details.
Image: Alexis Wright – photo by Vincent Long