The Australian Society of Authors (ASA) and HQ, a publishing division of HarperCollins, are delighted to announce that Karen Howie Casey has won the 2026 ASA/HQ Fiction Prize for unpublished manuscripts with her book All the Little Wide Worlds.

All the Little Wide Worlds is book club fiction, raising questions about belonging in contemporary Australia. When a local boy is found unconscious at the bottom of a river embankment, the eye of suspicion immediately turns to the town’s newest arrivals, a young mother and her son.

Karen Howie Casey is a former journalist, fiction writer, and communications professional. Her work has been published in newspapers, lifestyle, industry and literary magazines, and online.

Karen Howie Casey said, ‘I could never let go of this story. After many attempts to launch, I relegated it to the bottom of the pile only to wander back to it repeatedly. I adore these characters, even the awful ones, and the community they’re a part of. Thank you from the bottom of my heart to the ASA and HQ for giving me the opportunity to share it. I’m thrilled! Congratulations also to the runner up and all the shortlisted writers. It’s an honour to be on this journey with you.’ 

Karen will receive a publishing contract with HQ and a $10,000 advance against royalties. 

HQ Publisher Rachael Donovan said, ‘This book is so much more than it first appears. Karen’s writing is deft and realistically drawn as she takes us behind closed doors within this pressure-cooker community revealing a trove of watercooler issues – mental health illness, adoption, addiction, aging, grief and rural economic decline – perfect for book clubs and anyone who loves great Australian storytelling.’

The runner-up is Sonya Gellert with Best Served Cold, a darkly satirical novel set amid Sydney’s glossy food media scene. Sonya will receive $500 and a year’s membership of the ASA.

ASA CEO Lucy Hayward said, ’Our warmest congratulations to Karen Howie Casey! We are thrilled to partner with HQ to provide a publishing opportunity for writers, and this year’s applications have demonstrated the breadth of talent in contemporary Australian writing. We wish Karen every success with her book, and congratulate runner-up, Sonya Gellert.”

The competition received 280 entries, showcasing a wide array of uniquely Australian and New Zealand voices. The top four manuscripts were then shortlisted by HQ publishers and included Querencia by Jillian Britton and The Dark Angels Book Club by Johanna Skinner.

The ASA/HQ Fiction Prize is run every two years and open to all Australian and New Zealand fiction writers. 

FURTHER INFORMATION: 

• About the Prize
• Terms and Conditions
• Hashtag: #ASAHQPrize 

For all media queries please contact Hellai Gul, ASA Marketing and Communications Manager: [email protected] / 02 9211 1004