We can help with:
Accelerate your career
Join us today
Book an event
Pitch your work at our flagship Literary Speed Dating events.
Learn how to nail your pitch to publishers and literary agents.
We advocate for members
Stay in the know
Stay in the know with industry news and ASA views.
Search our resources
Find ASA members
FAQs on publishing and more.
Member only guide to the Australian book industry.
1. The Award is for a novel (book-length work of fiction) first published commercially and distributed in the period 1 January 2024 – 31 December 2025 (“Publication Period”).
2. The novel must be in English. Translation of novels into the English language are eligible provided that the English language version was first published in the Publication Period.
3. The author of the novel:
(a) must be an Australian citizen or permanent resident;
(b) must be aged 18 years or over;
(c) must be living at the time of entry;
(d) may identify as any gender.
4. Novels written by two or more authors are eligible for entry.
5. Novels for adults and young adults are eligible for entry. Works of non-fiction, poetry, or children’s books are not eligible.
6. Novels published in print format or ebook format (including digital-only editions) are eligible for entry.
7. Self-published novels are eligible for entry, provided that they were first made available for purchase to members of the public via a retail platform during the Publication Period.
8. Novels may be submitted by an author, or by a publisher or literary agent on behalf of an author. If a novel is entered by a publisher or agent, the author’s consent to enter the novel must be obtained.
9. Publishers and literary agents may submit a maximum of eight titles per imprint or agency respectively.
10. All contact details for the author, publisher and agent (if applicable) must be included on the entry form for the entry to be valid.
11. The judges, Board members and employees of the Australian Society of Authors, and their immediate families, are ineligible to enter this Award. Immediate family means any of the following: spouse, ex-spouse, de-facto spouse, child or step-child (whether natural or by adoption), parent, step-parent, grandparent, step-grandparent, uncle, aunt, niece, nephew, brother, sister, step-brother, step-sister, or first cousin.
12. Entries open on 15 April 2026.
13. Entries close at 4pm, AEST, on 27 May 2026.
14. Late entries will not be eligible for entry.
15. A shortlist, from whom the winner will be chosen, and highly commended entries (if any) will be released on 16 September 2026.
16. The winner will be announced in early November at an award ceremony held during the Colin Simpson Memorial Keynote. The winner’s name will also be published on the ASA’s website and social media by no later than 20 November 2024.
17. The fee per entry for novels submitted is $70.
18. Each entrant must:
(a) complete and submit the online application form; and submit an digital copy of the novel, in Word or PDF, using the upload function on the online submission form.
(b) post or deliver one (1) hard copy of the submitted novel to:
Operations OfficerAustralian Society of AuthorsSuite C1.06, 22-36 Mountain StreetUltimo NSW 2007
19. Receipt of applications will be acknowledged by email after submission.
20. Application material will not be returned.
21. The novels will be assessed by a judging panel comprised of three (3) people. The judges will be announced on the ASA website in May 2026. The judges will consider which novel is best and will recommend a winner to the Trustee, having considered:
(a) the literary merit of each novel, defined as the entrant’s writing ability, focusing on style, appropriateness of form, skilled use of language, clarity of expression and sustained development of themes or ideas; and
(b) the work’s success in depicting women and/or girls in a positive way or in a way that otherwise empowers the status of women and/or girls in society.
22. Shortlisted titles will be those whose narratives are significantly driven by or concerned with depicting women and/or girls in a positive way or in a way that otherwise empowers the status of women and girls in society.
23. The judges may call for novels which have not been entered in the Award. Called-for entries must submit an online application form and pay the entry fee in order to be considered.
24. The shortlist and winner of the Award will be decided by the Trustee, guided by the recommendation of the judges. The decision of the Trustee is final and no correspondence will be entered into.
25. The judges may recommend to the Trustee that no Award be made if they consider that no entry is of sufficient merit.
26. The judges may recommend to the Trustee that the Award be divided between a number of entries.
27. The judges, in their absolute discretion, may disqualify any entrant or entries if they reasonably suspect any unlawful or improper conduct, such as infringing a third party’s intellectual property rights, or if there has been a breach of these terms and conditions.
28. Each author warrants that:
(a) (a) they have all necessary rights to submit their entry;
(b) their novel is their original creation;
(c) their novel is not wholly or substantially created through the use of generative AI technologies, and where generative AI tools have been used, the entrant must be transparent about the usage; and
(d) their novel is free from any claims that it infringes any third party rights.
29. By entering this Award, the author is consenting to the ASA collecting their contact details for the purposes of administering this Award. The ASA may disclose their contact details to the judging panel. Shortlisted authors will be asked to provide the ASA with a biography of approximately 250 words, a headshot and video footage to be used on the ASA website and social media for the purpose of announcing the shortlist and winner of the Award and associated publicity purposes.
30. Each entrant warrants that he or she meets the entry requirements, all details included in their entry are true and accurate, and accepts these terms and conditions.
