Prizes · Australia

HNSA longlists 15 novels for 2026 ARA Historical Novel Prize

Heather Rose, Fiona Kelly McGregor and Jackie French feature across the adult and children's and young adult lists for a $155,000 prize pool.

By The Book Source2 September 20261 minute read

The Historical Novel Society Australasia and sponsor ARA Group have released the longlists for the 2026 ARA Historical Novel Prize, open to Australian and New Zealand writers whose stories are mostly set more than 50 years ago. The total prize pool is $155,000.

Nine books make the adult longlist, by Bernice Barry, Jeffery Buchanan, Lauren Keegan, Lauren Keenan, Wayne Marshall, Fiona Kelly McGregor, Heather Rose, Allison Rushby and Francesca de Tores. The children and young adult longlist has six titles: Meg Caddy's A Flash in the Dust (UQP), Jackie French's Cleopatra: The Girl Who Would Be King (HarperCollins), Maria Gill's A Flame in the Dark, Claire Hallifax's A House Divided (Walker Books), Lucie Stevens's Nanny Tobbins and the Midnight Plan (HarperCollins) and Sue Whiting's Hill End Gold (Walker Books).

Linda Funnell chairs the adult panel and Sophie Masson chairs the children and young adult panel. The adult winner receives $100,000 and the children and young adult winner $30,000, with $5,000 for each other shortlisted author. A $5,000 Readers' Choice Award is voted by HNSA newsletter subscribers.

Shortlists were scheduled for 23 September and the winners for a Sydney ceremony on 15 October.

Original source: New Zealand Society of Authors ↗

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