Stella Prize 2025 shortlist announced
The 2025 shortlist for the $60,000 Stella Prize for women and non-binary writers has been announced, marking the first time the prize shortlist has been entirely made up of women of colour.
Shortlisted books are:
- Black Convicts (Santilla Chingaipe, Scribner)
- Black Witness (Amy McQuire, UQP)
- The Burrow (Melanie Cheng, Text)
- Cactus Pear for My Beloved (Samah Sabawi, Penguin)
- Theory & Practice (Michelle de Kretser, Text)
- Translations (Jumaana Abdu, Vintage).
Each shortlisted author receives $4000 in prize money.
The shortlist was chosen from a longlist of 12 by judge chair Astrid Edwards and fellow judges Debra Dank, Leah Jing McIntosh and Rick Morton.
‘This year’s shortlist is consequential for Australian literary history, as it is the first time the Stella shortlist features only women of colour,’ said Edwards. ‘These works showcase an incredible command of craft and understanding of our uncertain time […] and they stood out to the judging panel for their integrity, compassion and fearlessness.’
Now in its 13th year, the Stella Prize is awarded annually to one outstanding book, authored by an Australian woman or non-binary writer, which is deemed to be ‘original, excellent, and engaging’.
Last year’s Stella Prize winner was Alexis Wright for Praiseworthy (Giramondo), making her the first author to win twice, after her 2018 win for Tracker (also Giramondo).
The 2025 Stella Prize winner will be announced at Sydney Writers’ Festival on 23 May, in a ceremony that will be open to the public for the first time.
More information about the prize – and this year’s shortlist – is available on the Stella Prize website.
Category: Awards Local news
