Indie Book Awards 2024 shortlists announced

The shortlists for the 2024 Indie Book Awards, presented by Leading Edge Books, have been announced.

The titles shortlisted in each category are:

Fiction

• Lola in the Mirror (Trent Dalton, Fourth Estate)
• The Seven (Chris Hammer, A&U)
• Edenglassie (Melissa Lucashenko, UQP)
• The Bookbinder of Jericho (Pip Williams, Affirm)

Nonfiction

• Bright Shining (Julia Baird, Fourth Estate)
• Wifedom: Mrs Orwell’s invisible life (Anna Funder, Hamish Hamilton)
• The Remarkable Mrs Reibey (Grantlee Kieza, ABC Books)
• Killing for Country: A family story (David Marr, Black Inc.)

Debut fiction

• Green Dot (Madeleine Gray, A&U)
• The Visitors (Jane Harrison, Fourth Estate)
• Lenny Marks Gets Away with Murder (Kerryn Mayne, Bantam)
• Salt River Road (Molly Schmidt, Fremantle)

Illustrated nonfiction

• Paul Bangay (Paul Bangay, T&H)
• The New Modernist House (Patricia Callan, T&H)
• The Bird Art of William T Cooper (Wendy Cooper, NLA)
• Good Life Growing (Hannah Moloney, Affirm)

Children’s

• Neil, the Amazing Sea Cucumber (Amelia McInerney, illus by Lucinda Gifford, Affirm)
• The Impossible Secret of Lillian Velvet (Jaclyn Moriarty, A&U Children’s)
• Silver Linings (Katrina Nannestad, ABC Books)
• Kimmi (Favel Parrett, Hachette)

Young adult

• Saltwater Boy (Bradley Christmas, Walker Books)
• Welcome to Sex (Melissa Kang & Yumi Stynes, HG Children’s)
• The Sinister Booksellers of Bath (Garth Nix, A&U Children’s)
• Stuck Up & Stupid (Angourie Rice & Kate Rice, Walker Books).

Said head of books at Leading Edge Retail Leanne Kadareanu: ‘This year’s shortlist showcases the diversity and breadth of Australian publishing. For book lovers seeking Australian stories and content, indie booksellers are the ultimate guides, handpicking the best of the best. These are this year’s favourites as chosen by the true champions and lovers of Australian writing—our independent booksellers.’

The category winners and the overall Book of the Year winner will be announced at a virtual event on 25 March. The 2023 Indie Book of the Year was Runt (Craig Silvey, A&U).

Category: Awards Local news