The 2023 Stella Prize
The 2023 Stella Prize is now officially open for entries
The Stella Prize is open to books by Australian women and non-binary writers. The winning book of fiction, nonfiction, or poetry will be awarded $60,000 thanks to the generous support of the Wilson Foundation.
Visit our Entries and Eligibility page for more details and FAQs.
The 2023 Stella Prize will be judged by award-winning writer, and former Stella Prize-listed author, Alice Pung OAM (Chair); broadcaster and bibliophile, Astrid Edwards; essayist and literary critic, Beejay Silcox; Walkley Award-winning journalist, writer, and broadcaster, Jeff Sparrow; and Gomeroi poet, essayist, and legal scholar, Alison Whittaker.
Together, they will select the most original, excellent and engaging book as the winner of the 2023 Stella Prize.
You can learn more about the judges, and hear what they’ll be looking for in their expansive reading list via Stella’s interview series.
The 2022 Stella Prize was awarded to Evelyn Araluen for her debut collection of poetry and prose Dropbear. On winning the Stella Prize, Araluen said:
“Winning the Stella Prize is literally a dream come true… I’m deeply interested in the lives, histories, and dreams of women and gender diverse writers in Australian publishing, and it’s an honour to be recognised by a prize designed to champion those stories.”
According to Nielsen BookData, the leading provider of search, commerce, consumer research and retail sales analysis services for the book industry, Evelyn Araluen’s Dropbear saw in its Stella Prize-winning week an increase of 832% in volume sales on the previous week. As of the week ending the 18th of June 2022, it is the highest selling poetry title in Australia this year-to-date, evidence that the ‘Stella effect’ is stronger than ever.
Stay up-to-date with the latest Prize news and announcements by subscribing to Stella’s eNews, and save these 2023 key dates in your diaries.
We look forward to celebrating another year of outstanding Australian women’s writing with you.
