History
The ACT Writers Centre was established in 1994 to support writers in the Australian Capital Territory. The inaugural ACT Writing and Publishing Awards were presented in 2004. In 2022, the organisation was renamed MARION ACT, and the awards became known as the MARION Book Awards. Since then, the awards program has evolved into the ACT Literary Awards, which now encompasses multiple categories across fiction, nonfiction, poetry, and children’s literature. The suite also includes memorial prizes honouring distinguished individuals, as well as funded mentorships for emerging and established writers.Categories
In 2004, the Centre launched the ACT Writing and Publishing Awards, coordinated and presented annually to recognise excellence in local writing. In 2022, the organisation rebranded as MARION, and the awards were briefly renamed the MARION Book Awards. Since then, the program has expanded and evolved into the ACT Literary Awards, coordinated by MARION as part of its annual programming. The awards now include categories for fiction, nonfiction, poetry, and children’s literature, and also incorporate in memoriam prizes and funded mentorships supporting both emerging and established writers in the ACT and surrounding regions. In 2023, MARION introduced the MARION Fellowship, a developmental opportunity open to emerging writers, regardless of location. In 2024, the Marion Halligan Award was established in memory of acclaimed Australian author Marion Halligan OAM. This award recognises work that demonstrates uniqueness, literary excellence, and a capacity to surpass genre. It is selected from across all categories of the ACT Literary Awards.List of winners
2024 AWARDS
Fiction ''Self-published'' * Highly Commended: ''The Last Famine'' by Elisa Cristallo Fiction ''Traditional Publishing'' * Winner: ''Girl in a Pink Dress'' by Kylie Needham (Penguin Books Australia) * Highly Commended: ''Untethered'' by Ayesha Inoon (Harper Collins Australia) NonFiction ''Self-published'' * Winner: ''Neither King nor Saint'' by Helen Topor NonFiction ''Traditional Publishing'' * Winner: ''Bennelong & Phillip: A History Unravelled'' by Kate Fullagar (Scribner Australia) * Highly Commended: ''Helena Rubinstein: The Australian Years'' by Angus Trumble (La Trobe University Press, Black Inc.) Children's ''Self-published'' * Winner: ''That Book About Space Stuff'' by David Conley * Highly Commended: ''Phoenix and Ralph'' by Barbie Robinson, ill. Ian Robertson Children's ''Traditional Publishing'' * Winner - PICTURE BOOK: ''The Turtle and the Flood'' by Jackie French, ill. Danny Snell (HarperCollins Australia) * Winner - NONFICTION: ''Wildlife Compendium of the World'' by Tania McCartney (Hardie Grant) * Winner - OLDER READERS: ''We Didn’t Think It Through'' by Gary Lonesborough (Allen & Unwin) * Highly Commended: ''Neil the Amazing Sea Cucumber'' by Amelia McInerney, ill. Lucinda Gifford (Affirm Press) * Highly Commended: ''Phonobet'' by Kathy Weeden, ill. Kim Drane (National Library of Australia) * Highly Commended: ''Surprise at the End of Onkaparinga Lane'' by Rhian Williams, ill. Martina Heiduczek (Walker Books Australia) Poetry ''Traditional Publishing'' * Winner: ''The Moon the Bone: Selected Poems 1986-2022'' by Tim Metcalf (Ginninderra Press) * Highly Commended: ''Meaty Bones'' by K A Nelson (Recent Work Press) * Highly Commended: ''Apostles of Anarchy'' by Sandra Renew (Recent Work Press) The MARION Overall Special Book Award 2023 *Winner: ''Whitefella Yella Tree'' by Dylan Van Den Berg (Currency Press) The June Shenfield Poetry Award * First Place: Cate Furey, ''Momentum'' (ACT) * Second Place: Lucinda Ferguson, ''Wasabi Peas'' (NSW) * Third Place: Hayden William, ''Now Who Let These Thoughts In?'' (NSW) The Anne Edgeworth Fellowship for Emerging Writers * Joint Award Winners: Jemima Parker and Gill Watson The Marion Halligan Award ''Sleeplessness'' by Paul Hetherington (''Pierian Springs Press)'' Marion Fellowship Award 24/25 ''awarded to'' Callie Scott-Doyle (ACT) JUDGES 2024 - Fiction: Beejay Silcox. Nonfiction: Frank Bongiorno. Poetry: Dr Paul Collis. Children's Book: Krys Saclier. The June Shenfield Poetry Award: Dan Hogan.2023 AWARDS
Fiction Small Press * Winner: ''Then Eve'' by Tanya Davies Fiction Big Press * Winner: ''The Tilt'' by Chris Hammer (Allen & Unwin) NonFiction Small Press * Winner: ''Neither King nor Saint'' by Helen Topor NonFiction Big Press * Winner: ''The Glass Cricket Ball'' by Jan Williams Smith (Big Sky) * Highly Commended: ''Legitimate Sexpectations'' by Katrina Marson (Scribe Publications) Children's Small Press * Winner: ''Charles the Gallery Dog'' by Barbie Robinson, ill. Ian Robertson (For Pity Sake Publishing) Children's Big Press * Winner: ''Diary of a Rescued Wombat: The untold story'' by Jackie French, ill. Bruce Whatley (HarperCollins) * Highly Commended: ''Swifty the Super-Fast Parrot'' by Stephanie Owen Reeder, ill. Astred Hicks (CSIRO Publishing) * Highly Commended: ''Seree’s Story'' by Irma Gold, ill. Wayne Harris (Walker Books Australia) Poetry Small Press * Winner: ''Translating Loss: A haiku collection'' by Maurice Nevile Poetry Big Press * Winner: ''Beloved'' by Penelope Layland (Recent Work Press) * Highly Commended: ''Waterlines'' by Peter Ramm (Vagabond Press) The MARION Overall Special Book Award 2023 *Winner: ''Whitefella Yella Tree'' by Dylan Van Den Berg (Currency Press) The June Shenfield Poetry Award * First Place: Rhian Healy (WA) * Second Place: Alana Kelsall (VIC) * Third Place: Rebecca Fleming (ACT) The Anne Edgeworth Fellowship for Emerging Writers * Linda Chen Marion Fellowship Award 23/24 ''awarded to'' Maya Hodge (VIC) JUDGES 2023 - Fiction: Lucy Neave. Nonfiction: Jessica Friedmann. Poetry: Subhash Jaireth. Children's Book: Anna Branford. The June Shenfield Poetry Award: Paul Hetherington.2022 AWARDS
Fiction Small Press * Winner: ''Everything I Am'' by Jenny Bond (The Hard Word) * Highly Commended: ''Dear Ibis'' by Kate Liston-Mills (Spineless Wonders) Fiction Big Press * Winner: ''Milk'' by Dylan van den Berg (Currency Press/The Street Theatre) NonFiction Small Press * Winner: ''Coolamon Girl'' by Dianne Lucas (Ginninderra Press) NonFiction Big Press * Winner: ''Summertime'' by Danielle Celermajer (Penguin Books Australia) Children's Small Press * Winner: ''Where the Heart Is'' by Irma Gold, ill. Susannah Crispe (Exisle Publishing) * Highly Commended: ''All Dogs Bark'' by Catherine Meatheringham and Deb Hudson (Windy Hollow Books) Children's Big Press * Winner: ''The Last Dragon'' by Charles Massy, ill. Mandy Foot (NLA Publishing) * Highly Commended: ''Wiradjuri Country'' by Larry Brandy (NLA Publishing) Poetry Small Press * Winner: ''It’s the Sugar, Sugar'' by Sandra Renew (Recent Work Press) * Highly Commended: ''Text/ure'' by Sarah Rice (Recent Work Press) * Highly Commended: ''Chalk Borders'' by Sarah St Vincent Welch (Flying Island Books) Poetry Big Press * Winner: ''The Wear of My Face'' by Lizz Murphy (Spinifex Press) The ACT Writers Overall Special Book Award 2022 *Winner: ''Killernova'' by Omar Musa (Penguin Books Australia) *Winner: ''The Wear of My Face'' by Lizz Murphy (Spinifex Press) The June Shenfield Poetry Award * First Place: ''If I Put It In A Poem'' by Rosa O’Kane (ACT) * Second Place: ''In the Oxford book of ballads'' by Andrew Spiker (VIC) * Third Place: ''Armillaris'' by Claire Miranda Roberts (VIC) The Anne Edgeworth Fellowship for Emerging Writers * Joint Awards Winners: Julia Faragher and Samantha Tidy JUDGES 2022 - Fiction: Robyn Cadwallader, Shelley Burr. Nonfiction: Nicole Moore, Ginger Gorman. Poetry: Lucy Alexander, Samia Goudie. Children's: Tracey Hawkins, David Conley. The Marjorie Graber-McInnis Short Story Award, Beatrice Smith.2021 AWARDS
Fiction Small Press * Winner: ''Neon Leviathan'' by TR Napper (Grimdark Magazine) * Highly Commended: ''The Philosopher’s Daughters'' by Alison Booth (RedDoor Press, UK) Fiction Big Press * Winner: ''Desire Lines'' by Felicity Volk (Hachette Australia) NonFiction Small Press * Winner: ''Pandemic: The Spanish Flu in Australia 1918-1920'' by Ian W. Shaw (Woodslane Press) * Highly Commended: ''The Philosopher’s Daughters'' by Alison Booth (RedDoor Press, UK) NonFiction Big Press * Winner: ''Radio Girl: The Story of the Extraordinary Mrs Mac, Pioneering Engineer and Wartime Legend'' by David Dufty (Allen & Unwin) Children's Small Press * Winner: ''Vote for Me'' by Krys Saclier, ill. Cathy Wilcox (Wild Dog) * Highly Commended: ''Feathers'' by Karen Hendriks, ill. Kim Fleming (Empowering Resources) Children's Big Press * Winner: ''Hold On! Saving the Spotted Handfish'' by Gina Newton, ill. Rachel Tribout (CSIRO) * Highly Commended: ''Australia’s Wild Weird Wonderful Weather'' by Stephanie Owen Reeder, ill. Tania McCartney (NLA Publishing) Poetry Small Press * Winner: ''Nigh'' by Penelope Layland (Recent Work Press) * Highly Commended: ''Utterly'' by PS Cottier (Ginninderra Press) Poetry Big Press * not awarded The ACT Writers Overall Book Award 2021 *Winner: ''On a Barbarous Coast'' by Craig Cormick, Harold Ludwick (Allen & Unwin) JUDGES 2021 - Fiction: Robyn Cadwallader, Shelley Burr. Nonfiction: Nicole Moore, Ginger Gorman. Poetry: Lucy Alexander, Samia Goudie. Children's Book: Tracey Hawkins, David Conley. The Marjorie Graber-McInnis Short Story Award: Beatrice Smith.2020 AWARDS
Fiction * Winner: ''The Light Bearer'' by Andrew Einspruch * Highly Commended: ''A Tale of Stars and Shadow'' by Lisa Cassidy * Highly Commended: ''How Not To Acquire A Castle'' by Amy Laurens *Highly Commended: ''Into Bones like Oil'' by Kaaron Warren Nonfiction * Winner: ''Bandit Saints of Java'' by George Quinn * Highly Commended: ''Out of Order'' by Rob Donnelly * Highly Commended: ''Families in the Digital Age'' by Toni Hassan Children's * Winner: ''Fauna: Australia's Most Curious Creatures'' by Tania McCartney * Highly Commended: ''Leaping Lola'' by Tracey Hawkins and Anil Tortop Poetry * Winner: ''Acting Like a Girl'' by Sandra Renew * Highly Commended: ''blur by the'' by Cham Zhi Yi *Highly Commended: ''Catching the Light'' by Suzanne Edgar The Marjorie Graber-McInnis Short Story Award * Winner: "Bygone" by Sophie Clews * Highly Commended: ''The Navigators'' by Mick Donaldson *Highly Commended: ''Vertical'' by Ian Hart * Highly Commended: ''The Suitcase'' by Deborah Huff-Horwood The June Shenfield Poetry Award * First Place: ''Part of its trunk'' by Elanna Herbert * Second Place: ''Paper Daisies'' by Carmel Summers * Third Place: ''The Cleaning Woman'' by Carla de Goede The Anne Edgeworth Fellowship for Young Writers * Winner: Natalie Cooke *Winner: Emilie Morscheck JUDGES 2020 - Fiction: Andrew Hutchinson, Leife Shallcross. Nonfiction: Helen Ennis, Patrick Mullins. Poetry: Andrew Galan, Eleanor Malbon. Children's Book: Leanne Barrett, Jacqueline de Rose-Ahern. The Marjorie Graber-McInnis Short Story Award: Beatrice Smith. The June Shenfield Poetry Award: Judith Nangala Crispin, Scott-Patrick Mitchell.2019 AWARDS
Fiction * Winner: ''Triumviratus'' by Shane Smith * Highly Commended: ''A Perfect Marriage'' by Alison Booth * Highly Commended: ''After She Left'' by Penelope Hanley * Highly Commended: ''Years of the Wolf'' by Craig Cormick Nonfiction * Winner: ''Backseat Drivers'' by Craig Cormick * Highly Commended: ''Joe Baker'' by Angelika Erpic * Highly Commended: ''Fire at Sea: HMAS Westralia 1998'' by Kathryn Spurling Children's * Winner: ''Billie'' by Nicole Godwin, ill. Demelsa Haughton * Winner: ''When Worlds Collide'' by Amy Laurens Poetry * Winner: ''Things I’ve Thought to Tell You Since I Saw You Last'' by Penelope Layland * Highly Commended: ''Inlandia'' by KA Nelson The Marjorie Graber-McInnis Short Story Award * Winner: ''Pig Headed'' by Ron Schroer * Highly Commended: ''Nobody's Home'' by Sophie Campbell * Highly Commended: ''The Shearer's Wife'' by Elizabeth Egan The June Shenfield Poetry Award * Winner: ''Satan’s Brew'' by Riahta Ranford * Highly Commended: ''Last Lights On the Great Divide'' by Simone King * Highly Commended: ''Keeping My Wits About Me'' by Rosalind Moran The Anne Edgeworth Fellowship for Emerging Writers * Awarded to Kellie Nissen * Shortlisted: Simone King, Rebekka Leary, Gemma Nethercote Way JUDGES 2019 - Fiction: Kaaron Warren, Margaret Innes. Nonfiction: Amy Walters, Peter Papathansiou. Poetry: Hazel Hall, Merlinda Bobis. Children's Book: Tania McCartney, Jacqueline de Rose-Ahern. The Marjorie Graber-McInnis Short Story Award: Beatrice Smith. The June Shenfield Poetry Award: Lucy Alexander.2018 AWARDS
Fiction * Winner: ''Paper Cuts: Comedic and satirical monologues for audition or performance'' by Kirsty Budding Nonfiction * Winner: ''Verity'' by Robert Lehane Children's * Winner: ''Trouble in Tune Town'' by Maura Pierlot Poetry * Winner: ''A Constellation of Abnormalities'' by Paul Cliff The Marjorie Graber-McInnis Short Story Award * Winner: ''Loyal Animals'' by Amanda McLeod The June Shenfield Poetry Award * Winner: ''2017 AWARDS
Fiction * Winner: ''The Grief Hole'' by Kaaron Warren * Highly Commended: ''All the King's Men'' by Shane W. Smith * Highly Commended: ''Fabel'' by Tom Heffernan Children's * Winner: ''Amazing Animals of Australia's National Parks'' by Gina Newton * Highly Commended: ''Australia Illustrated'' by Tania McCartney June Shenfield Poetry Award * Winner: ''third daughter'' by Penny O'Hara * Winner: ''Recycling'' by Ella Jeffery * Highly Commended: ''The Uses of a Shark'' by Damen O'Brien Marjorie Graber-McInnis Short Story Award * Winner: ''273'' by Cherisse Kelly * Highly Commended: ''The Secret Moons'' by Frances Seymour * Highly Commended: ''Intersection'' by James Salvage Anne Edgeworth Fellowship * Winner: Jemimah Cooper * Winner: Jacqueline de Rose-Ahern * Highly Commended: Ellen Harvey * Highly Commended: Kathryn Hind2016 AWARDS
Fiction * Winner: ''Cranky Ladies of History'' edited by Tansy Rayner Roberts, Tehani Wessely * Highly Commended: ''Olmec Obituary'' ( Dr Pimms, Intermillennial Sleuth series) by L.J.M. Owen * Highly Commended: ''Undad'' by Shane W. Smith Nonfiction * Winner: ''Building a City: CS Daley and the Story of Canberra'' by Jennifer Horsfield * Highly Commended: ''Paths into Inner Canberra'' by P.S. Cottier * Highly Commended: ''Australian Predators of the Sky'' by Penny Olsen * Highly Commended: ''Weekend Warriors: A Funny Side'' by James Sanderson Children's * Winner: ''Horace the Baker’s Horse'' by2015 AWARDS
Marjorie Graber-McInnis Short Story Award * Winner: ''Torvald's Year'' by C.H. Pearce * Highly Commended: ''Frozen Stiff'' by Elizabeth Egan * Highly Commended: ''Now and Then'' by Jennifer Hand Michael Thwaites Poetry Award * Winner: ''Ode to a Papermate Inkjoy 100'' by Penny O'Hara * Highly Commended: ''Winter evening on the Monaro'' by Laurence Anderson * Highly Commended: ''Action (Bus Route 2)'' by Sarah Rice * Highly Commended: ''Memorabilia'' by Michelle Brock Z4 Review Writing Award * Winner: ''Excavate'' by Shu-Ling Chua Publishing Awards: Fiction Category * Winner: ''Uncle Adolf'' by Craig Cormick * Highly Commended: ''Capital Yarns'' by Sean Costello Publishing Awards: Nonfiction Category * Winner: ''Australia's Few and the Battle of Britain'' by Kristen Alexander * Highly Commended: ''The Pearl King'' by Robert Lehane Publishing Awards: Children's Fiction Category * Winner: ''Midnight Burial'' by Pauline Deeves * Highly Commended: ''Tottie and Dot'' by Tania McCartney Publishing Awards: Poetry Category * Winner: ''Fire in the Afternoon'' by John Stokes * Highly Commended: ''The Stars Like Sand: Australian Speculative Poetry'' by P. S. Cottier and Tim Jones Anne Edgeworth Fellowship for Young Writers * Winner: Louis Klee2014 AWARDS
Marjorie Graber-McInnis Short Story Award * Winner: ''A White Woman in Ōjin'' by Ashley Thomson * Highly Commended: ** ''Hooking In'' by Christine Kearney ** ''The Loose Thread and the Sterile Needles'' by Cara Lennon ** ''The Garden House'' by Alison O’Hara Michael Thwaites Poetry Award * Winner: ''Stilettos'' by Robyn Lance * Highly Commended: ''Calling me in'' by Susan McGrath, ''Jack and Jill'' by Gregory A Gould, ''Implausible Birds'' by Kavya Robinson Nonfiction Book Category * Winner: ''18 Days – Al Jazeera English and the Egyptian Revolution'' (Editia) by Scott Bridges * Highly Commended: ** ''Meat Pies and Mumbling Blokes – A Canberra Memoir ''(Ginninderra Press) by Margitta Acker ** ''Australian Eagles: Australians in the Battle of Britain'' (Barrallier Books) by Kristen Alexander Fiction Book Category * Winner: ''The Happiness Jar ''(Storytorch Press) by Samantha Tidy * Highly Commended: ''Round and Round'' by Jordan Morris Poetry Book Category * Winner: ''The Petrov Poems ( Pitt Street Poetry)'' by Lesley Lebkowicz * Highly Commended: ** ''Improving the News (''Pitt Street Poetry) by Geoff Page ** ''Drag down to unlock or place an emergency call (''Pitt Street Poetry) by Melinda Smith ** ''Extravagance ''(Ginninderra Press) by Irene Wilkie Children's Book Category * Winner: ''An Aussie Year ''(Exisle Publishing) by Tania McCartney * Highly Commended: ** ''The Very Sad Fish-lady'' by Joy McDonald ** ''A Lion, a Whale and a Flea'' by Maree Teychenne Anne Edgeworth Fellowship for Young ACT Writers * Winners: Zoya Patel and Lisa Fuller2013 AWARDS
Marjorie Graber-McInnis Short Story Award * Winner: ''This Square Called a Ring'' by Monica Carroll * Highly Commended: ** ''Breath'' by Michelle Brock ** ''Feather-light'' by Claire Delahunty Michael Thwaites Poetry Award * Winner: ''Ode to a Toothbrush'' by Penny O'Hara * Highly Commended: ** ''After Nights'' by Claire Delahunty ** ''An Untimely Death'' by Rebecca Fleming Nonfiction Book Category * Winner: ''Canberry Tales: An Informal History'' (Arcadia) by G.A. Mawer * Highly Commended: ''Leaving the Rest Behind: An Immigrant’s Story'' by Ann Nugent Fiction Book Category * Winner: ''Through Splintered Walls'' (Twelfth Planet Press) by Kaaron Warren * Highly Commended: ** ''I’m Ready Now'' (Blemish Books) by Nigel Featherstone ** ''Provocation'' (Arcadia) by Donald McMaster Poetry Book Category * Winner: ''First…Then…'' (Ginninderra Press) by Melinda Smith * Highly Commended: ** ''The Love Procession'' (Ginninderra Press) by Suzanne Edgar ** ''In Country'' (Bat Trang Road Press) by Leon Trainor Children's Book Category * Co-winner: ''Sarah’s Song'' (A Tiny Publication) by Tanya Davies * Co-winner: ''My Aunt Ate a Plate'' (Starry Night Publishing) by Maree Teychenne Z4 Award for book reviews * Winner: Duncan Driver2012 AWARDS
Marjorie Graber-McInnis Short Story Award * Winner: ''Paper Cranes'' by Rachael Rippon * Highly Commended: Fiona Hamer Michael Thwaites Poetry Award * Winner: Isi Unikowski * Highly Commended: Monica Carroll Children's Book category * Winner: Tracey Hawkins Nonfiction Book category * Winner: Irma Gold * Highly Commended: Ann Villiers * Highly Commended: Alan Foskett Fiction Book Category * Winner: Nigel Featherstone * Highly Commended: Irma Gold * Highly Commended: Elizabeth Egan Poetry Book Category * Winner: Michael Byrne Z4 Award for book reviews * Winner: Colin Steele2011 AWARDS
* Nonfiction – ''Who Lied? The Ly-ee-moon Disaster and a Question of Truth'' by Graeme Barrow * Fiction – ''Dead Sea Fruit'' by Kaaron Warren * Poetry – ''A Man of Emails'' by Michael Byrne * Children's – (not awarded) * Short story – ''The Day for Travelling'' by Robyn Cadwallader2010 AWARDS
* Nonfiction – ''Capital Sailing: The history of the Canberra Yacht Club 1959–2009'' by Alan Foskett * Fiction – ''Hornet Bank'' by Gordon Reid * Poetry – ''Before Afterwards'' by Leon Trainor * Children's – (not awarded) * Short story – "Acts of Kindness" by Jennifer Shapcott2009 AWARDS
* Nonfiction – ''The Campbell Community'' by Alan Foskett * Fiction – ''2008 AWARDS
* Nonfiction – ''Rainbow'' by Jennifer Horsfield * Fiction – ''Not a Flotation Device'' by Peter Frankis * Poetry – ''Migrant writer on a bus, thinking of Kundera'' by Danijela Kambaskovic-Sawers (unpublished poem by an ACT writer) Andy Jackson (unpublished poem by an Australian writer) * Children's – (not awarded)2007 AWARDS
* Nonfiction – ''Men at Birth'' by David Vernon * Fiction – ''Ghosts in the Helmet Trees'' by Rory Steele * Poetry – ''Verbal Medicine'' by Tim Metcalf * Children's – ''Secrets'' by Stephen Matthews2006 AWARDS
* Nonfiction – ''Unlocking History's Secrets'' by Graeme Barrow and ''Australian Speculative Fiction: A Genre Overview'' by Donna Maree Hanson * Fiction – ''The Grinding House'' by Kaaron Warren * Poetry – ''Southbound'' by Michael Byrne * Children's – Not Awarded2005 AWARDS
* Nonfiction – ''Days of Innocents'' edited by Hilary Trotter * Fiction – ''Trouble in the Garden'' by Peter Frankis * Poetry – ''Unfinished Journey'' by Michael Thwaites * Children's – ''The Year of the Mean Queen'' by Graeme Hume and Caroline Ambrus2004 AWARDS
* Nonfiction – ''Huts in the Victorian Alps'' by Klaus Hueneke * Fiction – ''You'' by Narelle Wickham * Poetry – ''Indigo Book of Modern Australian Sonnets'' by Geoff PageReferences
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