LONGLIST ANNOUNCED FOR THE 2026 INDIE BOOK AWARDS

Australian independent booksellers have nominated their favourite Australian books of the past year and are delighted to reveal the Longlist for the Indie Book Awards 2026.

Since 2008, the Indie Book Awards have recognised the finest Australian writing and who better to nominate and judge theses standout titles than indie booksellers? Passionate and knowledgeable, these booksellers champion Australian literature well beyond the big names, enriching the diversity of Australia's reading culture. These awards honour their essential role in supporting Australian storytellers.

Leanne Kadareanu, Head of Books at Leading Edge Retail, proud facilitator of the awards says, "We are thrilled to reveal the Longlist for the Indie Book Awards 2026 – chosen by indie booksellers whose trusted recommendations guide readers every day. This year’s Longlist showcases the titles that booksellers returned to again and again—because they knew these were the books their readers would love.”

The Awards cover the best Australian books in six categories: Fiction, Non-Fiction, Debut Fiction, Illustrated Non-Fiction, Children’s books (up to 12yo) and Young Adult (12+).

Over the years, independent booksellers have a earned a strong reputation for recognising exceptional talent. Many past Book of the Year winners have gone on to be bestsellers and receive other major literary honours. Previous winners include: Dusk by Robbie Arnott, Killing for Country: A Family Story by David Marr, Runt by Craig Silvey, Love Stories by Trent Dalton, The Dictionary of Lost Words by Pip Williams, There Was Still Love by Favel Parrett, Boy Swallows Universe by Trent Dalton; Nevermoor by Jessica Townsend; The Dry by Jane Harper; The Natural Way of Things by Charlotte Wood; The Bush by Don Watson; The Narrow Road to the Deep North by Richard Flanagan; The Light Between Oceans by M.L. Stedman; All That I Am by Anna Funder; The Happiest Refugee by Anh Do; Jasper Jones by Craig Silvey; and Breath by Tim Winton.

The Longlist for the Indie Book Awards 2026 is:

FICTION LONGLIST

Lyrebird by Jane Caro (Allen & Unwin)

Gravity Let Me Go by Trent Dalton (Fourth Estate Australia)

Arborescence by Rhett Davis (Hachette Australia)

Legacy by Chris Hammer (Allen & Unwin)

Tenderfoot by Toni Jordan (Hachette Australia)

Wild Dark Shore by Charlotte McConaghy (Penguin Australia)

One Hundred Years of Betty by Debra Oswald (Allen & Unwin)

Mad Mabel by Sally Hepworth (Macmillan Australia)

Where the Birds Call Her Name by Claire van Ryn (Penguin Australia)

I Am Nannertgarrook by Tasma Walton (Bundyi, Simon & Schuster Australia)

NON FICTION LONGLIST

Australia: A History by Tony Abbott (HarperCollins Australia)

Memorial Days by Geraldine Brooks (Hachette Australia)

Defiance: Stories from Nature and Its Defenders by Bob Brown (Black Inc)

The Mushroom Tapes by Helen Garner, Chloe Hooper & Sarah Krasnostein (Text Publishing)

The Mushroom Murders by Greg Haddrick (Allen & Unwin)

Always Home, Always Homesick by Hannah Kent (Picador Australia)

Nature's Last Dance by Natalie Kyriacou (Affirm Press)

A Bunker in Kyiv by John Lyons (ABC Books, HarperCollins Australia)

Destination Moon by Kate Reid (Simon & Schuster Australia)

Borneo: The Last Campaign by Michael Veitch (Hachette Australia)

DEBUT FICTION LONGLIST

The Butterfly Women by Madeleine Cleary (Affirm Press)

Pissants by Brandon Jack (Summit Books, Simon & Schuster Australia)

The Grapevine by Kate Kemp (Hachette Australia)

Very Impressive For Your Age by Eleanor Kirk (Allen & Unwin)

Daughters of Batavia by Stefanie Koens (HarperCollins Australia)

Melaleuca by Angie Faye Martin (HQ Fiction)

The Wolf Tree by Laura McCluskey (HarperCollins Australia)

Stillwater by Tanya Scott (Allen & Unwin)

Eros: Myths for Lovers by Zoe Terakes (Hachette Australia)

When Sleeping Women Wake by Emma Pei Yin (Hachette Australia)

ILLUSTRATED NON FICTION LONGLIST

The ADHD Brain Buddy by Matilda Boseley (Penguin Australia)

Planting for Native Birds, Bees and Butterflies by Jaclyn Crupi (Murdoch Books)

Bush Modern by Jessica Lillico & Sean Fennessy (Thames & Hudson Australia)

Handfuls of Sunshine by Tilly Pamment (Murdoch Books)

Wild by Design by Tim Pilgrim (Murdoch Books)

Funga Obscura: Photo journeys among fungi by Alison Pouliot (NewSouth Publishing)

She Shapes History by Sita Sargeant (Hardie Grant Explore)

W*nkernomics by James Schloeffel & Charles Firth (Hardie Grant Books)

Muster Dogs: The Next Generation by Melissa Spencer, Monica O'Brien & Brianna Peacock (ABC Books, HarperCollins Australia)

THAI by Nat Thaipun (Hardie Grant Books)

CHILDREN’S LONGLIST

If We Were Dogs by Sophie Blackall (Lothian Children's Books)

Dropbear by Philip Bunting (Walker Books Australia)

There's a Prawn in Parliament House: The Kids' Guide to Australia's Amazing Democracy by Annabel Crabb, illustrated by First Dog on the Moon (Allen & Unwin Children's)

Dear Broccoli by Jo Dabrowski, illustrated by Cate James (Affirm Press Kids)

Ninja Girl by Anh Do, illustrated by James Hart (Scholastic Press)

Harry and Gran Bake a Cake by Fiona McIntosh, illustrated by Sara Acton (Puffin)

Runt and the Diabolical Dognapping by Craig Silvey, illustrated by Sara Acton (Allen & Unwin Children's)

Once I was a Giant by Zeno Sworder (Thames & Hudson Australia)

Silverborn: The Mystery of Morrigan Crow by Jessica Townsend (Lothian Children's Books)

Ningaloo by Tim Winton, illustrated by Cindy Lane (Fremantle Press)

               YOUING ADULT LONGLIST

Catch by Sarah Brill (Allen & Unwin Children's)

Cruel is the Light by Sophie Clark (Penguin Australia)

The Foal in the Wire by Robbie Coburn (Lothian Children's Books)

Eleanor Jones is Playing with Fire by Amy Doak (Penguin Australia)

This Season's Draft by Jason Gent (Allen & Unwin Children's)

Drift by Pip Harry (Lothian Children's Books)

Darkest Night, Brightest Star by Barry Jonsberg (Allen & Unwin Children's)

Wandering Wild by Lynette Noni (Penguin Australia)

Sonny & Tess by Nova Weetman (University of Queensland Press)

Unhallowed Halls by Lili Wilkinson (Allen & Unwin Children's)

The Shortlist will be announced on 14 January 2026, with the Category Winners and the Overall Book of the Year Winner to be revealed at a virtual ceremony on Monday 23 March 2026. 

The Indie Book Awards gratefully acknowledge the 2026 Awards Sponsors: HarperCollins Publishers, Allen & Unwin, Melbourne University Press, Pan Macmillan Australia, Thames & Hudson, Hachette and Penguin Random House.