‘RecipeTin Eats: Dinner’ wins 2023 ABIA book of the year

The winners of the 2023 Australian Book Industry Awards (ABIAs) have been announced. 

In the business awards, Allen & Unwin won publisher of the year while the University of Queensland Press was named small publisher of the year for the third year running. In retailing, Big W won book retailer of the year and Matilda Bookshop won bookshop of the year.  

Allen & Unwin’s Jane Palfreyman won the inaugural commissioning editor of the year award, and Stolen Focus (Johann Hari, Bloomsbury) won the inaugural marketing strategy of the year award.  

Nagi Maehashi’s RecipeTin Eats: Dinner (Macmillan) took out illustrated book of the year and the overall book of the year prizes.

The ABIA winners in each category, chosen from shortlists for the book awards and business awards, are: 

ABIA book of the year 

• RecipeTin Eats: Dinner (Nagi Maehashi, Macmillan) 

General fiction book of the year 

• Dirt Town (Hayley Scrivenor, Macmillan) 

Literary fiction book of the year 

• Horse (Geraldine Brooks, Hachette) 

General nonfiction book of the year 

• Bulldozed (Niki Savva, Scribe) 

Biography book of the year 

• My Dream Time (Ash Barty, HarperCollins) 

Book of the year for older children (ages 13+) 

• Blood Traitor (Lynette Noni, Penguin) 

Book of the year for younger children (ages 7–12)  

• Runt (Craig Silvey, illus by Sara Acton, A&U) 

Children’s picture book of the year (ages 0–6) 

• What to Say When You Don’t Know What to Say (Davina Bell & Hilary Jean Tapper, Lothian) 

Illustrated book of the year  

• RecipeTin Eats: Dinner (Nagi Maehashi, Macmillan) 

International book of the year 

• Lessons in Chemistry (Bonnie Garmus, Doubleday UK) 

Small publishers’ adult book of the year 

• The Dreaming Path (Paul Callaghan, Pantera) 

Small publishers’ children’s book of the year 

• Off to the Market (Alice Oehr, Scribble) 

Audiobook of the year 

• The Whitewash (Siang Lu, Wavesound) 

Social impact book of the year 

• The Boy from Boomerang Crescent (Eddie Betts, S&S) 

The Matt Richell award for new writer of the year 

• WAKE (Shelley Burr, Hachette Australia) 

Book retailer of the year 

• Big W 

Bookshop of the year 

• Matilda Bookshop 

Publisher of the year 

• Allen & Unwin 

Small publisher of the year 

• University of Queensland Press 

Commissioning editor of the year 

• Jane Palfreyman (A&U) 

Marketing strategy of the year 

• Stolen Focus (Johann Hari, Bloomsbury)

Lloyd O’Neil Hall of Fame Award

• Tim Winton

Pixie O’Harris Award

• Lisa Berryman

Chosen by the ABIA Academy, which comprises over 250 industry representatives, the winners were announced at ABIA awards ceremony in Sydney on Thursday 25 May. The winner of last year’s ABIA book of the year was Love & Virtue by Diana Reid (Ultimo). 

Category: Awards Local news