Authors can apply now for the biggest individual literary prize in Australasia.
The Historical Novel Society Australasia (HNSA), in partnership with founding sponsor ARA Group, are pleased to announce submissions have opened for the 2026 ARA Historical Novel Prize.
More information and application here.
The Awards are open to novels in which the majority of the narrative must have taken place at least 50 years before publication. The eligibility period applies to novels published between 1 July 2025 and 30 June 2026.
The overall prize pool is $155,000 with the overall winner of adult category receiving $100,000. The prize provides Australian and New Zealand historical novelists the chance to be rewarded and recognised, with the most significant purse for any individual literary prize in Australasia.
Elisabeth Storrs, Chair of the HNSA, says, “HNSA welcomes the opportunity to continue to elevate the genre by rewarding historical novelists with both literary acclaim and a significant tangible benefit. We are grateful to the ARA Group for its financial support, which will make a life changing contribution to each winners’ work.”
The Prize encompasses three categories:
- Adult: The overall prize winner receives $100,000, with an additional $5,000 to be awarded to each of the remaining two shortlisted authors.
- Children and Young Adult (CYA): The overall prize winner receives $30,000 with an additional $5,000 to be awarded to each of the remaining two shortlisted authors.
- Readers’ Choice Award: The winner receives $5,000 based on the results of an online survey of HNSA newsletter subscribers who vote on the Adult category longlist.
The ARA Historical Novel Prize has been running for 6 years, and previous winners include Robbie Arnott and Tasma Walton (2025), Melissa Lucashenko (2024) Gail Jones (2023), Tom Keneally (2022), and YA author and two-time winner Katrina Nannestad (2021, 2022).
Key Dates:
- Entries Open: 18 March at 9 am AEDT
- Entries Close: 17 June at 5pm AEST
- Longlists Announced: 2 September
- Shortlists Announced: 23 September
- Winners Announced: 15 October
About Historical Novel Society Australasia
The Historical Novel Society Australasia (HNSA) is the third arm of the international Historical Novel Society and home to the historical fiction genre in Australasia. Since 2015, the Society’s biennial conference has promoted the writing, reading and publication of historical fiction. The Awards continue to celebrate the best of literary talent in the genre. HNSA also runs the HNSA First Pages Pitch Contest and the Elizabeth Jane Corbett Mentorship for Young Adult fiction historical novelists.
About ARA Group
The ARA Group provides essential services for facilities and infrastructure throughout Australia and New Zealand. ARA takes pride in their engagement within the community through the ARA Endowment Fund. The Fund is committed to making a meaningful difference by donating 100% of its annual interest earnings to The Go Foundation, The Indigenous Literacy Foundation and The David Lynch Foundation. Since 2017, the ARA Group has sponsored the Historical Novel Society Australasia’s biennial conferences. ARA is Principal Partner of the Sydney Writers’ Festival, the Melbourne Writers Festival, the National Institute of Dramatic Art, the Monkey Baa Theatre and the Story Factory, and Crown Sponsor of Taronga Zoo.