Nominations have opened for the 2026 ACT Book of the Year Award.
The Award celebrates the outstanding literary achievements of Canberra’s writers across fiction, non-fiction and poetry, recognising high‑quality works published in the 2025 calendar year.
Successful entries are assessed by an independent judging panel who will recommend a shortlist and the winning title to the Minister for Business, Arts and Creative Industries, Michael Pettersson.
Minister Pettersson said the award was an important celebration of local storytelling.
“I’m delighted to open nominations for the 2026 ACT Book of the Year Award. Canberra is home to a remarkable writing community, and these awards give us a chance to showcase the brilliance and creativity of our local authors,” he said.
“Each year we see fresh, bold and thoughtful works emerge from the ACT, and I hope these awards inspire even more writers to develop their ideas and share their stories with the world.”
“I look forward to discovering this year’s nominees and adding them to my reading list.”
Celebrating excellence in writing, the ACT Book of the Year Award awards $10,000 for the winning title, $2,000 for any highly commended works, and $1,000 for each shortlisted book.
Nominations can be submitted on the artsact website. Entries for the 2026 ACT Book of the Year Award close at 5pm on Tuesday, 31 March. Visit the ACT Book of the Year Award website for more information. You can also contact artsACT on (02) 6207 2384 or email artsACT@act.gov.au.
