Queensland Literary Awards 2024: Winners, highlights and insights

The 2024 Queensland Literary Awards wrapped up with an evening of celebration and inspiration at State Library of Queensland on 5 September. Hosted by Sarah Kanowski of ABC Radio, the ceremony brought together Queensland’s brightest literary talents. Special guest Aunty Dawn Daylight welcomed attendees to Country, setting the tone for an unforgettable night of storytelling.

This year, 15 winners shared in a prize pool worth $276,000. One of the top honours, the Queensland Premier's Award for a Work of State Significance, worth $30,000, was awarded to Melissa Lucashenko for Edenglassie (University of Queensland Press).  

Lucashenko was one of five First Nations winners – others included Sharlene Allsopp for her debut novel The Great Undoing, which won The University of Queensland Fiction Book Award, and John Morrissey, who received the Steele Rudd Award for his short story collection Firelight. Cheryl Leavy was named a Queensland Writers Fellow for ‘Mudhunda – Song Country'. And inspired by his grandmother and the South Australian Aboriginal community, Dominic Guerrera won the David Unaipon Award for his poetry manuscript ‘Native Rage.'

Emerging talents were also recognised, with the Queensland Premier’s Young Publishers and Writers Awards going to Gavin Yuan Gao and Myles McGuire, each receiving $12,000 and career development support – marking a significant moment in their creative journeys.

Standout winners Jarad Bruinstroop and Sarah Kanake were awarded Queensland Writers Fellowships for their works ‘For the Duration’ and ‘Lazarus; Or, the Whale,’ respectively. Kanake recognised the importance of community in her acceptance speech: "I stand here surrounded by community – my community, our community – and community is vital for a writer. Community is how a single working mum, trying to write a second novel, actually finds the support and encouragement to do it."

In the final award presentation of the night, Brisbane author Carly-Jay Metcalfe said she was "gobsmacked" to take home The Courier-Mail People’s Choice Queensland Book of the Year Award for her memoir, Breath.

At the reception, Basoki Duo energised guests with a vibrant mix of funk and rock, setting the perfect mood to celebrate finalists and winners. Meanwhile, photographer Joe Ruckli skilfully captured the event, preserving its memorable moments through his lens. Winners took photos with their trophies, handmade by Brisbane-based glass artists Joanna Bone and Aaron Micallef. Authors, illustrators, poets, and judges mingled with friends and family and local book lovers.

This year marks the 10th anniversary of the State Library of Queensland managing the awards, in collaboration with sponsors, industry partners, and the writing community. We look forward to celebrating with you again in 2025. 

The winning titles in each category are:

Queensland Premier’s Award for a Work of State Significance ($30,000) | Supported by the Queensland Government through Arts Queensland

• Edenglassie by Melissa Lucashenko (University of Queensland Press)

Queensland Writers Fellowships  ($20,000 each, plus professional development support to the value of $4500) | Supported by the Queensland Government through Arts Queensland and State Library of Queensland

• Jarad Bruinstroop for his novel project ‘For the Duration’
• Sarah Kanake for her novel project ‘Lazarus; or, The Whale’
• Cheryl Leavy for her poetry and essay project ‘Mudhunda – Song Country’

Queensland Premier’s Young Publishers and Writers Awards ($12,000 each, plus career development support to the value of $3,000 each) | Supported by the Queensland Government through Arts Queensland and State Library of Queensland

• Gavin Yuan Gao
• Myles McGuire

The University of Queensland Fiction Book Award ($15,000) | Sponsored by The University of Queensland

• The Great Undoing by Sharlene Allsopp (Ultimo Press)

The University of Queensland Non-Fiction Book Award ($15,000) | Sponsored by The University of Queensland

• Bullet, Paper, Rock: A Memoir of Words and Wars by Abbas El-Zein (Upswell Publishing)

Children’s Book Award ($15,000) | Supported by the Talbot Foundation

• Sunshine on Vinegar Street by Karen Comer (Allen & Unwin)

Young Adult Book Award ($15,000) | Supported by Susan Hocking and Ian Mackie, and their family

• The Spider and Her Demons by sydney khoo (Penguin Random House Australia)

Steele Rudd Award for a Short Story Collection ($15,000) | Supported by the Queensland Library Foundation

• Firelight by John Morrissey (Text Publishing)

Judith Wright Calanthe Award for a Poetry Collection ($17,500) | Supported by Copyright Agency’s Cultural Fund

• Three Books by L K Holt (Vagabond Press)

David Unaipon Award for an Emerging Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander Writer ($20,000) | Supported by Copyright Agency’s Cultural Fund

• ‘Native Rage’ by Dominic Guerrera

Glendower Award for an Emerging Queensland Writer ($15,000) | Supported by Jenny Summerson through the Queensland Library Foundation

• Emily Lighezzolo for the manuscript ‘Life Drawing’

The Courier-Mail People’s Choice Queensland Book of the Year Award ($15,000) | Sponsored by The Courier-Mail

• Breath by Carly-Jay Metcalfe (University of Queensland Press).

Selected from a shortlist announced in August, the winners were announced at ceremony live streamed on the State Library of Queensland website on 5 September.