ARA Historical Novel Prize
The richest individual literary prize in Australia and New Zealand
With prize money of $150,000, the ARA Historical Novel Prize gives Australian and New Zealand historical novelists the chance to be recognised in a class of their own, with the most significant individual prize purse for literature in Australasia. The Prize incorporates both an Adult category and a category for Children and Young Adult (CYA).
Information about the ARA Historical Novel Prize
The ARA Historical Novel Prize now 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 receives $5,000 each.
The prize is open to authors who are citizens or residents of Australia and New Zealand. Novels must have been first published in the relevant fiscal year the current prize is being held.
About the Prize
The ARA Historical Novel Prize is the result of a shared vision of the Historical Novel Society Australasia and Edward Federman, Founder, Executive Chair, and CEO of the ARA Group. Since its inception in 2020 the contest has raised the profile of dozens of historical novelists, rewarded the winners, and fostered the genre on a grander scale. Visit Past Prize Winners to learn more.
The ARA Historical Novel Prize has been made possible by the generosity of our Foundation Partner, ARA Group which is committed to supporting the arts and literature. They do this in a number of ways – as a Principal Partner of the Sydney Writers’ Festival, the Melbourne Writers Festival, the National Institute of Dramatic Art, the Monkey Baa Theatre, and the Story Factory– and now as the sponsor of this very significant literary prize.
Important dates
Early bird submissions open: 19 March 2025 at 9 am AEST
Early bird submissions close: 14 May 2025 at midnight AEST
General submissions open: 15 May 2025
Submissions period closes: 11 June 2025 at 5pm AEDT
Longlists announced: 3 September 2025
Shortlists announced: 24 September 2025
Winners announced: 16 October 2025
Looking for more?
Prize Entry Rules
Meet the 2025 Judges
View past winners
Prize opens on 19 March 2025
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