ARA Historical Novel Prize
The richest individual literary prize in Australia and New Zealand
With prize money of $155,000, 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).
2026 DATES:
Shortlists Announced: 23 September
Winners Announced: 15 October
See which novels won our 2026 Prizes >
The 2027 ARA Historical Novel Prize contest will commence in March 2027.
2026 ARA HISTORICAL NOVEL PRIZE READERS’ CHOICE AWARD
The ARA Readers’ Choice Award allows our HNSA newsletter subscribers to vote for their favourite novel longlisted in the 2026 ARA Historical Novel Prize Adult Category. ARA Group is generously offering prize money of $5,000 to the winning author.
Voters will automatically go into the draw to win one of two book bundles of the 9 longlisted novels.
HNSA subscribers enjoy weekly newsletters packed with other giveaway opportunities, Imagining the Past podcasts, and updates about our festival, workshop program, and other news.
The contest is now closed.
The winner of the Readers’ Choice Award was Wayne Marshall with Henry Goes Bush.
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
The 2026 contest has closed.
The 2027 contest will commence in March 2027.
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Prize News
Shortlists
Winners
Longlists
