Introducing the ARA Historical Novel Prize
A new $30,000 literary prize celebrating historical fiction
Historical Novel Society Australasia is delighted to announce the inauguration of the ARA Historical Novel Prize which will celebrate the historical fiction genre with prize money of $30,000. Major sponsor, ARA Group, is joining with HNSA, in association with the New England Writers Centre, to reward and recognise excellence in writing, depth of research, and reader appeal in this increasingly popular genre. Now Australian and New Zealand historical novelists have a chance to be recognised in a class of their own, with the most significant prize money for any genre-based prize in Australasia.
About the Prize
The prize is open to all authors whether traditionally or self published who are citizens or residents of Australia or New Zealand. Books published between 1 January 2019 and 30 June 2020 are eligible. Books may be submitted by authors, publishers or agents. The definition of the genre set by HNSA will ensure a breadth of talented writers can enter with historical fiction defined as a novel written at least 50 years after the events described, or by someone not alive at the time of those events who therefore must approach them only by research. Sub-genres included in the definition are historical mystery, historical romance, alternate history, historical fantasy, pseudo histories, time-slip, multiple-time, and parallel narrative novels. For the purposes of the Prize, historical novels written for children and young adults are also deemed to be an historical sub-genre.
Key dates
- Openingdate: 1 May 2020 at 9 am AEST
- Closingdate for entries: 30 June 2020 at 5 pm AEST
- Longlistof 6 books announced: Mid-September
- Shortlistof 3 books announced: Mid-October
- PrizeWinner announced at event at the ARA Darling Quarter Theatre: 18 November
For more information please visit ARA Historical Novel Prize to download the rules, or email contact@hnsa.org.au
Authors, publishers and agents - time to get those books ready!
About ARA Group
ARA Group provides acomprehensive range of building services and products to major customersthroughout Australia and New Zealand and – through its workplace givingprogram, The ARA Endowment Fund – plays a proud and positive role in thecommunity.
The ARA Endowment Fund currently donates 100 per cent of the interest earnedannually to The Go Foundation, The Indigenous Literacy Foundation and The DavidLynch Foundation.
ARA Group has also sponsored the Historical Novel Society Australasia’sbiennial conferences since 2017, is Principal Partner of Sydney WritersFestival, the Monkey Baa Theatre, the National Institute of Dramatic Art, andPresidential Partner of Taronga Zoo.
About New England Writers’ Centre
NEWC is a dynamicregional literary organisation which has been operating for 25 years in thebeautiful, vast New England region of northern New South Wales. We runworkshops in all aspects of writing and publishing, host visiting authors,offer professional development and pitching opportunities for aspiring regionalwriters and illustrators, and showcase local book industry professionals,including writers, illustrators, editors and publishers. We also run twoprestigious national awards, the New England Thunderbolt Prize for Crime Writing, and the NewEngland Illustration Prize, as well as theVaruna/New England Writers’ Centre Fellowship, run in partnership withVaruna the National Writers’ House. You can find out more about us at our website.
