Meet the 2023 Victorian Premier’s Literary Award winners

‘Writers, I think, spend a lot of time alone in their houses, producing things that we can’t ever quite be sure that they’re being read or understood. So I think these awards help to bridge that disconnect because we get to interface with readers and fellow writers and audiences.’

– Eda Gunaydin, 2023 Prize for Non-Fiction winner

In February 2023, the Victorian Premier’s Literary Awards awarded $275,000 in prize money to nine Australian writers from a diverse range of backgrounds, publishing houses and styles.

We sat down with some of the winners of this year’s Awards to discuss the impact of literary prizes, the thrill of winning and the joy that comes from sharing your work with the world.

The Victorian Premier’s Literary Awards were inaugurated by the Victorian Government in 1985 to honour literary achievement by Australian writers. The awards are administered by the Wheeler Centre on behalf of the Premier of Victoria.

Explore the full list of 2023 winners, as well as the 2023 shortlist and highly commended works.