Historical Novel Society Australasia
Where history meets imagination
2025 ARA Historical Novel Prize
Thanks to our Foundation Partner, the ARA Group, the prize awards $100,000 to the Adult category winner, with an additional $5,000 awarded to each of the remaining two shortlisted authors. In the CYA category, the winner receives $30,000, while the two short listers receive $5,000 each.
SHORTLISTS ANNOUNCED!
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Winners announced: 16 October 2025
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Announcing the Shortlists for the 2025 ARA Historical Novel Prize
The Historical Novel Society Australasia (HNSA), in conjunction with its generous sponsor ARA Group, is delighted to announce the shortlists for the richest individual literary prize in Australasia with prize monies of $150,000 across the Adult and the Children & Young Adult categories.
Announcing Half Day Passes for History Unbound!
Loosen the bindings of history! To mark our 10th anniversary, HNSA is introducing the History Unbound Historical Novel Festival to be held at Parramatta Town Hall on 1-2 November. Half day passes are now available. Perfect for those who are time poor or are first time festival-goers wanting a taste of historical fiction magic!
Reader’s Choice Award
The HNSA is delighted to introduce our inaugural ARA Readers’ Choice Award to give our HNSA newsletter subscribers an opportunity to vote for their favourite novel longlisted in the ARA Historical Novel Prize Adult Category. ARA Group is generously offering prize money of $5,000 to the winning author.
Festivals + Events
The HNSA promotes the writing, reading and publication of historical fiction, especially in Australia and New Zealand, through its biennial conferences held since 2015. Our events showcase the best literary talent and enable readers, writers and publishing professionals to celebrate the genre.
To mark our 10th anniversary, HNSA is rebranding the conference as the History Unbound Festival with a new name and new look. The two day hybrid program will be held at Parramatta Town Hall, Sydney. The program will be livestreamed to a virtual audience and recorded. Both weekend and day online and in-person tickets include on-demand access to recordings for three months post the event.
News + Updates
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At the Historical Novel Society Australasia, we celebrate and promote historical fiction, bringing stories of the past to life for today's readers. Your support enables us to host events, provide resources for writers, and engage the community in appreciating this rich literary genre.
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The Historical Novel Society Australasia (HNSA), in conjunction with its generous sponsor ARA Group, is delighted to announce the longlists for the richest individual literary prize in Australasia with prize monies of $150,000 across the Adult and the Children & Young Adult categories.