The winners of the 2025 Victorian Premier’s Literary Awards (VPLAs) have been announced at a ceremony in Melbourne on Wednesday 19 March 2025.
“Congratulations to all of this year’s Victorian Premier’s Literary Award Winners and shortlisted writers. Collectively their work reflects the richness and diversity of Australian stories and storytelling, and there is plenty for people of all ages to dive into and read,” said Minister for Creative Industries Colin Brooks.
“It’s wonderful to see a book written for children take out the Victorian Prize for Literature for the first time this year, congratulations to Wanda Gibson on this extraordinary achievement.”
Nukgal Wurra author-artist, Wanda Gibson has been awarded the prestigious Victorian Prize for Literature, for her elegant picture book Three Dresses – marking the first time the winner of the Children’s Prize for Literature has taken out the overall prize.
Wanda’s beautiful picture book takes inspiration from her own childhood in Far North Queensland and the annual beach holidays she and her family would take on the coast. A master weaver, painter and artist, Gibson’s own illustrations imbue the heart-warming family story with a visual celebration of country and home. Still based in Hope Vale on the Cape York Peninsula today, Gibson’s award was accepted by a family member on the night.
The inaugural winner of the newly instated John Clarke Prize for Humour Writing is Robert Skinner for his wryly funny memoir, I’d Rather Not. Named in honour of the late, great comedy luminary, John Clarke, the prize sought to champion the work of the country’s funniest writing talent. John’s daughter, writer-director Lorin Clarke, announced the category’s first winner, having also served on the award’s judging panel.
Along with Wanda Gibson’s top prize win, First Nations writers were recognised across multiple categories, including Jeanine Leane’s win for the Prize for Poetry with her ‘generous and deftly executed’ collection, Gawimarra: Gathering, and Nathan Maynard’s awarding in the Prize for Drama category for his ‘buoyant, accessible, kinetic and important’ stageshow, 37.
The Prize for Indigenous Writing was given to Black Witness by Amy McQuire, an essential collection of essays and journalism that ‘restores undeniable power to the scores of unheard Black Witnesses.’
Other category winners include Fiona McFarlane, who was awarded the Prize for Fiction for the gripping Highway 13; Susan Hampton, whose laconic and artful memoir, anything can happen, was selected for the Prize for Non-Fiction; and Emma Lord’s high octane YA debut, Anomaly, which was named winner of the Prize for Writing for Young Adults.
With a legacy of discovering future bestsellers, the Prize for an Unpublished Manuscript has become a pipeline for unearthing fresh literary talent. This year’s winner is Chris Ames for I Made This Just for You. A short story collection that considers the nature of work, intimacy and selfhood as mediated via technology, the judges praised Ames for his craft, calling the manuscript ‘tight, polished and beautiful at both structural and sentence levels.’
The winners of the Fiction, Non-Fiction, Drama, Poetry, Award for Indigenous Writing, Children’s Literature, Writing for Young Adults and Humour Writing categories are each awarded $25,000. Along with their category earnings, the overarching winner of the Victorian Prize for Literature also receives a further $100,000, Australia’s single richest literary prize.
The winner of the Award for an Unpublished Manuscript receives $15,000 in prize money and a two-week residency at McCraith House in Dromana, as part of a partnership between The Wheeler Centre and RMIT Culture.
Taking out the People’s Choice Award was I’d Rather Not by Robert Skinner. Voted for by the public, Skinner receives a further $2,000 in prize money, gifted by The Wheeler Centre.
In 2026, the Writing for Young Adults category will be renamed the John Marsden Prize for Writing for Young Adults. This is in honour of the late John Marsden who passed away in December last year.
The award-winning writer and educator published over 40 books including the one of the most successful ever Australian book series for young adults, the seven-book Tomorrow series. The prize will be renamed for the 2026 awards and recognises his contribution to Australian literature, and to the lives of many young people.
“The Wheeler Centre is proud to present these prestigious awards on behalf of the Victorian Government, especially in the 40th anniversary year for the awards,” said Erin Vincent, CEO, The Wheeler Centre.
“For forty years these awards have honoured and celebrated Australia’s best writers and this year’s exceptional shortlist of storytellers have created moving, informative and provocative work. Congratulations to all the shortlisted and highly commended writers.”
For more information about the Victorian Premier’s Literary Awards (VPLA), visit: www.wheelercentre.com for details.
Image: Winning Titles of the 2025 Victorian Premier’s Literary Awards (supplied)