The 2025 Stella Prize shortlist has been announced, so once again it’s time to catch up on six of the best books by Australian women writers.
This year’s shortlist is a trailblazer because it is the first time that all the books have been written by women of colour. It is also an edgy and gripping mix of equal parts fiction and non-fiction.
Stella Prize chair, Astrid Edwards, says the books on the shortlist “showcase an incredible command of craft and understanding of our uncertain time. These works are riveting, and also stood out to the judging panel for their integrity, compassion and fearlessness.”
Starting with the fiction works but otherwise, in no particular order, this year’s shortlisted books are…
01
The Burrow
Melanie Cheng (Text)
Set during the pandemic, this tale of unimaginable grief, hope and healing begins when a rabbit is adopted as a pet in an inner city share house. The Burrow has also been shortlisted for the Victorian Premier’s Award and the ABIA Small Publisher’s Adult Book of the Year.
02
Theory & Practice
Michelle de Kretser (Text)
From the author of the Miles Franklin winning Questions of Travel and The Life to Come, Michelle de Kretser’s Theory and Practice plays with the limits of what a novel can be, while exploring a relationship that is similarly pushing boundaries in bohemian St Kilda in 1986.
03
Translations
Jumaana Abdu (Penguin)
A mother and her nine-year-old daughter move west, escaping past tragedy and building a new life in rural NSW. It is a beautiful, engrossing, thoughtful book about friendship, trauma, identity and also community. This is Jumaana Abdu’s debut novel.
04
Black Convicts
Santilla Chingaipe (Simon & Schuster)
Even on the First Fleet, 15 convicts were of African descent. Furthermore, by 1840, there were almost 500 Black convicts living in the colony. Filmmaker, historian and author Santilla Chingaipe uncovers this long-neglected aspect of Australia’s history.
05
Black Witness
Amy McQuire (UQP)
A searing collection of essays by renowned Darumbal and South Sea Islander journalist and academic, Amy McQuire, criticising the colonial nature of the Australian media and furthermore calling for the elevation of Black voices, Black perspectives, Black stories and truth.
06
Cactus Pear For My Beloved
Samah Sabawi (Penguin)
A love of family, country and also a deep respect for humanity are cornerstones of Cactus Pear For My Beloved. Samal Sabawi tells the courageous, heartfelt story of her family across generations, leading to her parents’ flight from their Palestinian homeland to make a new life in Queensland.
What is the Stella Prize?
Now in its 13th year, the Stella Prize is an annual literary award presented to the “most excellent, original and outstanding book” written by an Australian woman or non-binary writer.
The prize was born out of a panel discussion to celebrate International Women’s Day in 2011, at Readings bookstore in Melbourne. The topic was the underrepresentation of women in the literary pages of Australian newspapers, and also as winners of literary prizes. Inspired by the conversation, a group of Australian women went on to create a prize modelled on the UK’s Orange Prize (now the Women’s Prize).
The Stella is still the only Australian literary prize that specifically recognises excellence in women’s writing.
Who was the Stella Prize named after?
The Stella Prize is named after Stella Maria ‘Miles’ Franklin, author of the classic Australian novel, My Brilliant Career.
When will the 2025 Stella Prize winner be announced?
The winner of this year’s Stella Prize will be announced on 23 May at the Sydney Writers Festival.
