Submissions are now open for the 2026 Victorian Premier’s Literary Awards, with a special tribute to honour the legacy of novelist and teacher John Marsden.
The 2026 Victorian Premier’s Literary Awards are now open for submissions. The awards champion and recognise excellence across a diverse range of categories, and highlight the depth of Australian talent in writing and storytelling.
Established in 1985, the awards have long celebrated both published and unpublished writers from across Australia working across different genres.
This year will see the Victorian Premier’s Literary Award for Writing for Young Adults named in honour of teacher and author John Marsden, who passed away in late 2024.
Marsden is known for his immense impact on Australian youth literature, inspiring a generation of young readers and writers with his classics including Tomorrow, When the War Began and So Much to Tell You, among more than 40 published works.
Alongside the John Marsden Prize for Writing for Young Adults, the 2026 Victorian Premier’s Literary Awards includes awards for Fiction, Non-Fiction, Drama, Poetry, Indigenous Writing and Children’s Literature.
Each category winner will go on to compete for the coveted Victorian Prize for Literature.
The VPLAs have also served as a vital launchpad for new Australian voices with the Award for an Unpublished Manuscript. Past recipients have gone on to secure major publishing deals and critical acclaim, with the likes of Graeme Simsion’s bestselling The Rosie Project and Jane Harper’s The Dry first unearthed through the prize.
The Victorian Premier’s Literary Awards are administered by The Wheeler Centre on behalf of the Premier of Victoria.
Submissions for the 2026 awards are open until 29 August 2025, with entries accepted from published authors as well as eligible new works applying for the Prize for an Unpublished Manuscript.
For full eligibility criteria and submission guidelines, visit The Wheeler Centre.
The 2026 shortlists will be announced in December 2025.
Winners for all categories will be announced at the Victorian Premier’s Literary Awards Ceremony in February 2026.