The 2025 Stella Prize shortlist has just landed, and it’s one for the history books – literally
For the first time since the award kicked off thirteen years ago, the Stella Prize shortlist is made up entirely of women of colour. It’s a powerful moment, and a long-overdue one.
The judges – Astrid Edwards (Chair), Debra Dank, Leah Jing McIntosh, Yassmin Abdel-Magied and Rick Morton – sorted through more than 180 entries to land on this year’s final six. It’s an even split between fiction and non-fiction, but what unites the books is what Edwards calls “integrity, compassion and fearlessness.”
“These works showcase an incredible command of craft and understanding of our uncertain time,” she says. “They’re riveting.”
Here’s who made the cut for 2025:
-
Black Convicts by Santilla Chingaipe (non-fiction)
-
Black Witness by Amy McQuire (non-fiction)
-
Cactus Pear For My Beloved by Samah Sabawi (non-fiction)
-
The Burrow by Melanie Cheng (fiction)
-
Theory & Practice by Michelle de Kretser (fiction)
-
Translations by Jumaana Abdu (fiction)
Each shortlisted author picks up $4,000, while one lucky winner will walk away with the $60,000 Stella Prize – announced on May 23 as part of the Sydney Writers’ Festival. In a first for Stella, the announcement event will be open to the public, so if you’re keen to witness a major moment in Aussie literature, grab a ticket here.
Since 2013, the Stella Prize has been shining a spotlight on women and non-binary writers doing big things in Australian lit – and this year’s shortlist is a reminder that the future of storytelling is diverse, bold, and here right now.
