Celebrating the authors, editors, publishers, and retailers that bring readers and books together, the ABIA Awards are now in their eighteenth year.
It was another huge night for Jessica Townsend’s Nevermoor, as the children’s book snatched up three awards, including the night’s major prize, the Gold ABIA. Nevermoor: The Trials of Morrigan Crow also took out the Book of the Year for Younger Readers, while Townsend herself won the Matt Richell Award for New Writer of the Year. Topping best seller lists all over the world, and with 20th Century Fox already snapping up the film rights, it’s been a massive few months for the Sunshine Coast writer and her eleven year old protagonist.
For the second year running, iconic Aussie musician Jimmy Barnes took out the award for Biography of the Year, for Working Class Man, the follow-up to last year’s winning book Working Class Boy.
Four time nominee Michael Robotham’s patience finally paid off, with psychological thriller The Secrets She Keeps winning General Fiction Book of the Year, while Elena Favilli and Francesa Cavallo’s Good Night Stories for Rebel Girls won International Book of the Year.
Businesses were also celebrated, with HarperCollins and Thames & Hudson being awarded Publisher of the Year and Small Publisher of the Year respectively, while retailers Dymocks and Readings also received accolades. Shalini Kunahlan, marketing manager for Text Publishing, was named Rising Star of the Year.
Suzy Wilson, owner of Brisbane’s Riverbend Books and founder of the Indigenous Literary Foundation, was presented with presented with the Lloyd O’Neil Award for Outstanding Service to the Australian Book Industry, while Possum Magic author Mem Fox presented the Pixie O’Harris Award for Outstanding Commitment to Children’s Literature to Jane Covernton, previously owner and publisher of Working Title Press, who originally published the best selling work.
For more information on the Awards, check out the ABIA website!
Full list of winners:
Gold ABIA for Book of the Year
Nevermoor: The Trials of Morrigan Crow by Jessica Townsend
(Lothian Children’s Books, Hachette Australia)
Biography Book of the Year
Working Class Man by Jimmy Barnes
(HarperCollins Publishers, HarperCollins Publishers)
General Fiction Book of the Year
The Secrets She Keeps by Michael Robotham
(Hachette, Hachette Australia)
General Non-fiction Book of the Year
The Trauma Cleaner: One Woman’s Extraordinary Life in Death, Decay & Disaster by Sarah Krasnostein
(Text Publishing, Text Publishing)
Literary Fiction Book of the Year
See What I Have Done by Sarah Schmidt
(Hachette, Hachette Australia)
Illustrated Book of the Year
Maggie’s Recipe for Life by Maggie Beer and Professor Ralph Martins
(A Julie Gibbs Book for Simon & Schuster Australia, Simon & Schuster Australia)
International Book of the Year
Good Night Stories for Rebel Girls by Elena Favilli and Francesa Cavallo
(Particular Books -UK Juvenile, Penguin Random House Australia)
Small Publishers’ Adult Book of the Year
The Australian Bird Guide by Peter Menkhorst, Danny Rogers, Rohan Clarke, Jeff Davies, Peter Marsack and Kim Franklin
(CSIRO Publishing, CSIRO Publishing)
Small Publishers’ Children’s Book of the Year
It’s OK to Feel the Way You Do by Josh Langley
(Big Sky Publishing, Big Sky Publishing)
The Matt Richell Award for New Writer of the Year
Nevermoor: The Trials of Morrigan Crow by Jessica Townsend
(Lothian Children’s Books, Hachette Australia)
Book of the Year for Older Children (ages 13+)
Begin, End, Begin: A #LoveOzYA Anthology by Amie Kaufman, Melissa Keil, Will Kostakis, Ellie Marney, Jaclyn Moriarty, Michael Pryor, Alice Pung, Gabrielle Tozer, Lili Wilkinson and Danielle Binks
(HarperCollins Publishers, HarperCollins Publishers)
Book of the Year for Younger Children (ages 7-13)
Nevermoor: The Trials of Morrigan Crow by Jessica Townsend
(Lothian Children’s Books, Hachette Australia)
Children’s Picture Book of the Year (ages 0-6)
No One Likes a Fart by Zoë Foster Blake
(Viking – AU YR, Penguin Random House Australia)
Audiobook of the Year
The 91-Storey Treehouse by Andy Griffiths & Terry Denton, narrated by Stig Weymss
(Bolinda Publishing Pty Ltd)
The Lloyd O’Neill Award for Services to the Australian Book Industry
Suzy Wilson
The Pixie O’Harris Award for Outstanding Commitment to Children’s Literature
Jane Covernton
Publisher of the Year
HarperCollins Publishers
Small Publisher of the Year
Thames & Hudson Australia
National Retailer
Dymocks
Independent Retailer
Readings
Rising Star of the Year
Shalini Kunahlan (Marketing Manager, Text Publishing)
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