Named after prominent Australian writer Miles Franklin, whose first name was Stella, the Stella Prize is an annual major literary award for Australian women and non-binary writers. First awarded in 2013, it aims to support diversity and equity, with longlisted authors receiving $2000 each, shortlisted authors receiving $5000 each and the winner receiving $60,000. The 2026 longlist was announced in March and consists of twelve books, six of which were selected for April’s shortlist. Finally, the winner of the 2026 Stella Prize was announced on the 13th of May.
As proponents of Australian literature, we at the PMI Victorian History Library aim to collect the longlists of major Australian and Victorian literary prizes, including the Stella Prize, and so we are highlighting all six shortlisted books below. Those with links can be borrowed from our library.
Fireweather by Miranda Darling is a sequel to 2024’s Thunderhead, which chronicles a day in the life of Winona Dalloway, a mother of two living in Sydney. Also inspired by Mrs. Dalloway, Fireweather is set a few years after Thunderhead and explores mental illness, abuse and divorce through its meandering, darkly compelling lens of literary fiction.
58 Facets: On Law, Violence and Retribution by Marika Sosnowski is described as part memoir, part exposé and weaves together narratives about resistance, revolution and their aftermath, with particular focuses on Holocaust survivors (author’s own grandfather), Israelis and Syrians, encouraging readers to reflect on intergenerational stories and experiences.
The Rot by Evelyn Araluen can be considered a follow-up to Araluen’s 2021 poetry and prose collection Dropbear, which won the 2022 Stella Prize. Painful and intrinsically political, The Rot may not be an easy read due to its academic rigour and visceral nature, but its exploration of modern Australia from the author’s First Nations perspective is powerful.
I Am Nannertgarrook by Tasma Walton is a novel based on the true story of Walton’s author, Nannertgarrook, who was kidnapped from her home in Nerrm (Mornington Peninsula) and taken to be sold at a sealer slave market. The heart-wrenching narrative includes rich portrayals of Boonwurrung culture and history and keeps Nannertgarrook’s experiences front and centre, despite the destructive forces and actions surrounding her.
Memorial Days by Geraldine Brooks is, fittingly enough, a memoir. It depicts Brooks’ reaction to hearing of the sudden death of her husband, journalist and author Tony Horwitz, on Memorial Day in 2019. Three years later, Brooks travels to Flinders Island to resume her grief, finally allowing herself to mourn her husband by pondering and navigating cultural rituals regarding death and finding peace.
Cannon by Lee Lai, a graphic novel, is a sequel to Stone Fruit, which made the 2022 Stella Prize shortlist. An Australian cartoonist living in Montreal, Lai deftly tells the story of Cannon, a restaurant worker dealing with her family responsibility, her relationship with her best friend Trish, her sexuality and her pressure-filled, complex inner life. Cannon is the 2026 Stella Prize winner and the first graphic novel to achieve this feat.
If you’re interested in learning more about the other six books that made the 2026 Stella Prize Longlist, you can see the full list on the Stella Prize website.
Written by library volunteer Susannah Cosham.