Judging process

Categories in the Queensland Literary Awards are assessed by panels of independent judges.

The judging cohort is made up of authors, critics, academics, publishers, media professionals, editors, librarians, reviewers, teachers, arts organisation representatives, booksellers and journalists.

2025 judges included: 

Andrew Bonnell

Trish Buckley

Madonna Duffy

Tylissa Elisara

Samantha Faulkner

Liam Ferney

Karen Foxlee

Mindy Gill

Simon Groth

Ella Jeffery

Darby Jones

Joy Lawn

Bronwyn Lea

Mia Macrossan

Michael Meehan

Cass Moriarty

Amanda O’Callaghan

Mirandi Riwoe

Ian See

Yasmin Smith

Fiona Stager

Nike Sulway

Bianca Valentino

Rohan Wilson

Sue Wright

Richard Yaxley

The judging process

• Nominations are checked for eligibility by State Library of Queensland staff.
• All eligible nominations are forwarded to the relevant judging panel.
• Judges read and assess the nominations, deciding on a shortlist and one winner for each award category.
• Judges award the category prize to the nomination deemed to possess the highest literary merit.
• Shortlists are published on the State Library website.
• Winners are announced soon after.  
• The shortlist for The Courier-Mail People's Choice Queensland Book of the Year Award is selected by the judges from the eligible Queensland-authored nominations in the The University of Queensland Fiction Book Award and The University of Queensland Non-Fiction Book Award categories. The winner of the The Courier-Mail People's Choice Queensland Book of the Year Award is determined by public vote.

Additional information

• Judges must disclose any actual, potential or perceived conflicts of interest as soon as they become aware of them. The State Library of Queensland records all conflicts of interest, perceived, potential and actual. Conflict of interest are managed by the State Library in consultation with the panel chair and judges.
• Judging panels may contact authors or nominators to request additional information if they feel it is required.
• Judges have the right to move a nomination to a different category if they deem the category to be more relevant.
• The outcomes of the judging process are final and no discussion or correspondence will be entered into in regards to final award decisions or the judging process.
• State Library of Queensland and Queensland Literary Awards judges do reserve the right not to award a prize in a category.
• Panels must decide on one winner only per category, no co-winners are to be awarded in any category.
• Shortlists are a maximum of five titles only, including the winner of the category. Panels may choose to shortlist fewer than five titles in a category.

If you have any questions about the Queensland Literary Awards judges, or the judging process, please contact qla@slq.qld.gov.au.