Victorian Premier’s Literary Awards

Your definitive guide to Australia’s best writing. 

Entries are sought for the following categories for 2027, within the eligible publishing period indicated:

• Fiction, non-fiction, poetry, John Marsden Prize for writing for young adults, children’s literature, Indigenous writing – Books published between 1 January 2026 and 31 December 2026 are eligible for these awards.
• Drama – Theatre and musical theatre scripts first produced in Australia by a professional theatre company for an audience between 1 January 2026 and 31 December 2026 are eligible for this award.
• The John Clarke Prize for Humour Writing – accepts works of fiction, non-fiction and poetry published between 1 January 2025 and 31 December 2026.

The winners of each Prize receive $25,000, and will go on to contest the major prize, the $100,000 Victorian Prize for Literature. This is the single most valuable literary award in the country.

No work can enter more than one 2027 Victorian Premier’s Literary Awards category, except works entered in the Prize for Indigenous Writing. These works can also enter the other Victorian Premier’s Literary Awards category for which they are eligible.

The Award for an Unpublished Manuscript is offered to a Victorian resident for an unpublished fiction manuscript, which may take the form of either a collection of stories or a novel. The winner of the Award for Unpublished Manuscript will receive $15,000 in prize money. They will also receive a two-week residency at McCraith House on the Mornington Peninsula, thanks to RMIT University. 

Information and enquiries

For further information, please contact:

Xanthea O’Connor
Senior Program and Special Projects Producer

Email: vpla@wheelercentre.com