23/05/2022

The Book Awards shortlist for the 2022 Australian Book Industry Awards (ABIAs) has been announced.

The ABIAs demonstrate the exceptional collaborations occurring between publishers, authors, editors, illustrators, narrators, marketers and designers in bringing quality books to Australian and international markets.

The ABIA Academy, comprising more than 250 publishers, booksellers, agents, media and industry representatives, has selected the shortlists from books published over the past calendar year, across 13 categories. It’s fair to say that the quality of works has made selection tough, and every shortlisted title is a worthy contender.

The winners will be announced at the publishing industry’s red-carpet Awards night, to be held on Thursday 9 June at the International Convention Centre (ICC) Sydney.

Who will be the winners in each category? Don’t miss out on finding out at this special night – get your tickets now!

Audiobook of the Year

• Bila Yarrudhanggalangdhuray: River of Dreams, Anita Heiss; narrated by Tamala Shelton (Network Ten, Simon & Schuster Australia, Simon & Schuster Australia)
• Emotional Female, Yumiko Kadota; narrated by Yumiko Kadota (Penguin Random House Australia Audio, Penguin Random House Australia)
• The Performance, Claire Thomas; narrated by Edwina Wren et al. (Squaresound, Hachette Australia, Hachette Australia)
• Devotion, Hannah Kent; narrated by Emily Wheaton (Macmillan Australia Audio, Pan Macmillan Australia)
• SPANIAN – The Unfiltered Hoodlife, Spanian, Christopher Kevin Au; narrated by Spanian, Amos Phillips (Squaresound, Hachette Australia, Hachette Australia)

Biography Book of the Year

• Emotional Female, Yumiko Kadota (Penguin Random House Australia, Viking)
• The Mother Wound, Amani Haydar (Pan Macmillan Australia, Macmillan Australia)
• Turns Out, I’m Fine, Judith Lucy (Simon & Schuster Australia, Scribner Australia)
• It Wasn’t Meant to be Like This, Lisa Wilkinson (HarperCollins Publishers, HarperCollins Publishers)
• My Adventurous Life, Dick Smith (Allen & Unwin, Allen & Unwin)

Book of the Year for Older Children (ages 13+)

• The Prison Healer, Lynette Noni (Penguin Random House Australia, Penguin Books)
• Anything but Fine, Tobias Madden (Penguin Random House Australia, Penguin Books)
• The Boy from the Mish, Gary Lonesborough (Allen & Unwin, Allen & Unwin)
• The Gaps, Leanne Hall (Text Publishing, Text Publishing)
• Welcome to Consent, Yumi Stynes, Dr Melissa Kang (Hardie Grant Children’s Publishing, Hardie Grant Children’s Publishing)

Book of the Year for Younger Children (ages 7–12)

• Exit Through the Gift Shop, Maryam Master, illustrated by Astred Hicks (Pan Macmillan Australia, Pan Australia)
• The Illustrated Encyclopaedia of Peculiar Pairs in Nature, Sami Bayly (Hachette Australia, Hachette Australia)
• The First Scientists: Deadly Inventions and Innovations from Australia’s First Peoples, Corey Tutt (Hardie Grant Publishing, Hardie Grant Explore)
• Dragon Skin, Karen Foxlee (Allen & Unwin, Allen & Unwin)
• Rabbit, Soldier, Angel, Thief, Katrina Nannestad (HarperCollins Publishers, HarperCollins Publishers)

Children’s Picture Book of the Year (ages 0–6)

• Day Break, Amy McQuire and Matt Chun (Hardie Grant Children’s Publishing, Bright Light)
• Bedtime Sorted!, Jimmy Rees, illustrated by Briony Stewart (Affirm Press, Affirm Press)
• Winner Winner Bin Chicken Dinner, Kate and Joel Temple, illustrated by Ronojoy Gosh (Scholastic, Scholastic Press)
• Somebody’s Land: Welcome to Our Country, Adam Goodes and Ellie Laing, illustrated by David Hardy (Allen & Unwin, Allen & Unwin)
• Boss of Your Own Body, Byll and Beth Stephen, illustrated by Simon Howe (HarperCollins Publishers, HarperCollins Children’s Books)

General Fiction Book of the Year

Proudly presented by BorrowBox

• The Younger Wife, Sally Hepworth (Pan Macmillan Australia, Macmillan Australia)
• Apples Never Fall, Liane Moriarty (Pan Macmillan Australia, Macmillan Australia)
• Bila Yarrudhanggalangdhuray, Anita Heiss (Simon & Schuster Australia, Simon & Schuster Australia)
• Before You Knew My Name, Jacqueline Bublitz (Allen & Unwin, Allen & Unwin)
• When Things are Alive They Hum, Hannah Bent (Ultimo Press, Ultimo Press)

General Non-Fiction Book of the Year

Proudly presented by the Copyright Agency

• Toxic: The Rotting Underbelly of the Tasmanian Salmon Industry, Richard Flanagan (Penguin Random House Australia, Penguin)
• She’s on the Money, Victoria Devine (Penguin Random House Australia, Penguin Life)
• Heartsick: Three stories about love and loss, and what happens in between, Jessie Stephens (Pan Macmillan Australia, Macmillan Australia)
• So You Think You Know What’s Good for You?, Norman Swan (Hachette Australia, Hachette Australia)
• Love Stories, Trent Dalton (HarperCollins Publishers, HarperCollins Publishers)

Illustrated Book of the Year

• Still Life, Amber Creswell Bell (Thames & Hudson Australia, Thames & Hudson Australia)
• Death to Jar Sauce, Nat’s What I Reckon (Penguin Random House Australia, Ebury Australia)
• You’re Doing it Wrong: A History of Bad and Bonkers Advice to Women, Kaz Cooke (Penguin Random House Australia, Viking)
• Everything I Love to Cook, Neil Perry (Murdoch Books, Murdoch Books)
• Costa’s World, Costa Georgiadis (HarperCollins Publishers, ABC Books)

International Book of the Year

• These Precious Days, Ann Patchett (Bloomsbury Publishing, Bloomsbury Publishing)
• Ottolenghi Test Kitchen: Shelf Love, Yotam Ottolenghi and Noor Murad (Penguin Random House, Ebury Press)
• The Storyteller, Dave Grohl (Simon & Schuster US, Simon & Schuster Australia)
• Beautiful World, Where Are You, Sally Rooney (Faber, Faber)
• Still Life, Sarah Winman(HarperCollins Publishers, HarperCollins Publishers)

Literary Fiction Book of the Year

• Devotion, Hannah Kent (Pan Macmillan Australia, Picador Australia)
• Love Objects, Emily Maguire (Allen & Unwin, Allen & Unwin)
• Wild Abandon, Emily Bitto (Allen & Unwin, Allen & Unwin)
• The Truth About Her, Jacqueline Maley (HarperCollins Publishers, HarperCollins Publishers)
• Love & Virtue, Diana Reid (Ultimo Press, Ultimo Press)

Small Publishers’ Adult Book of the Year

• Wild Mushrooming: A Guide for Foragers, Alison Pouliot and Tom May (CSIRO Publishing, CSIRO Publishing)
• The Game: A Portrait of Scott Morrison, Sean Kelly (Black Inc. Books, Black Inc. Books)
• Dropbear, Evelyn Araluen (University of Queensland Press, University of Queensland Press)
• Caught in the Act, Shane Jenek (Pantera Press, Pantera Press)
• Black and Blue: A Memoir of Racism and Resilience, Veronica Gorrie (Scribe Publications, Scribe Publications)

Small Publishers’ Children’s Book of the Year

Proudly presented by McPherson’s

• The Edge of Thirteen, Nova Weetman (University of Queensland Press, University of Queensland Press)
• Let’s Eat Weeds!, Annie Raser-Rowland and Adam Grubb, illustrated by Evie Barrow (Scribe Publications, Scribble)
• Tomorrow is a Brand-New Day, Davina Bell, illustrated by Allison Colpoys (Scribe Publications, Scribble)
• Albert Namatjira, Vincent Namatjira (Magabala Books, Magabala Books)
• Kunyi, Kunyi June Anne McInerney (Magabala Books, Magabala Books)

The Matt Richell Award for New Writer of the Year

Proudly presented by Simpsons Solicitors

• Before You Knew My Name, Jacqueline Bublitz (Allen & Unwin, Allen & Unwin)
• The Truth About Her, Jacqueline Maley (HarperCollins Publishers, HarperCollins Publishers)
• The Mother Wound, Amani Haydar (Pan Macmillan Australia, Macmillan Australia)
• When Things are Alive They Hum, Hannah Bent (Ultimo Press, Ultimo Press)
• Love & Virtue, Diana Reid (Ultimo Press, Ultimo Press)

Our warm congratulations to all the shortlisters, and grateful thanks to all our sponsors and supporters. We look forward to welcoming you all at the Awards Ceremony on 9 June 2022.

 

Join industry colleagues and peers as Australian publishing comes together for the BookUp Conference on the same day as the ABIAs.

At BookUp you'll find a day full of experts from publishing and beyond, sharing thought-provoking ideas and actionable insights to address current and future industry challenges.

Book your tickets now!