The Victorian Premier’s Literary Awards were inaugurated by The Hon. John Cain, Premier of Victoria in 1985, to mark the centenary of the births of Vance and Nettie Palmer and to honour and reward literary achievement by Australian writers.

The awards have received bipartisan support since their inception. The Victorian government has established the following vision and aims for the Awards:

• to promote Victorian leadership by honouring Australian literature, ideas, innovation and learning;
• recognise excellence in Australian writing and in contributions to the development of Australian culture;
• advance the Victorian community’s appreciation of Australian literature and encourage commitment to reading;
• assist living authors in their careers and promote Victoria’s literary and publishing industries.