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STELLA PRIZE 2026
March 12, 2026
Stella is the major voice for gender equity and cultural change in Australian literature.
Founded in 2012, the organisation’s flagship program is the annual Stella Prize – a major literary award celebrating Australian women’s writing.
Stella also delivers a suite of year-round initiatives which actively champion Australian women writers, tackle gender bias in the literary sector, and connect outstanding books with readers. The 2026 Stella Prize Longlist presents another twelve exceptional works by Australian women and non-binary writers.
Spanning poetry, memoir, fiction, non-fiction and graphic works, the 2026 longlist presents themes that explore the transformative power of memory, truth and the intrinsic beauty of creative fiction.
This year Stella received 212 entries. In the coming weeks, this list will be reduced to six to make up the short list, to be announced on Wednesday, 8 April, before one extraordinary book is awarded the $60,000 Stella Prize, announced on 13 May.
“Selected from an enormous pool of 212 entries, this year's judges have read thoughtfully and thoroughly across genres to bring us a cohort of twelve incredibly different, yet equally remarkable books. The Stella Prize is proud to celebrate a wide array of stories – difference has always been our strength. The 2026 Stella Prize long list spans widely across form and content, displaying some of the very best new work from Australian women and non-binary writers. There are stories here for everyone, stories that will resonate, surprise, delight, and challenge. We hope you will dive in and discover for yourself.” Stella Prize CEO and Creative Director Fiona Sweet.
In alphabetical order by author’s last name, the 2026 Stella Prize longlist is:
KONTRA by Eunice Andrada – Poetry (Giramondo Publishing)
The Rot by Evelyn Araluen – Poetry (Queensland Univ. Press)
Memorial Days by Geraldine Brooks – Non-Fiction/Memoir (Hachette Australia)
Ankami by Debra Dank – Nonfiction/Memoir/Social commentary (ECHO)
Fireweather by Miranda Darling – Fiction (Scribe Publications)
