Entries are now being accepted for consideration in the 2026 Western Australian Premier’s Book Awards.
A significant celebration of WA stories and voices, this year’s awards will have a total prize pool of $120,000 spread across eight categories.
Premier Roger Cook says the awards are a vital platform for celebrating the creativity, talent, and diversity of local writers and publishers.
“By investing in creative industries, my government is celebrating creativity as a force that strengthens communities and fosters a vibrant and creative economy,” Cook said.
“The awards are one of the ways the State Library is ensuring that the voices shaping WA’s cultural identity are heard across the State and beyond.”
Categories include fiction, non-fiction, poetry, emerging writer, children’s and young adult writing. The Daisy Utemorrah Award for Unpublished Indigenous Junior and Young Adult Writing, sponsored and administered by Magabala Books, is open to all Australian writers.
The WA Book of the Year will be selected from the winners of each of these groups.
The State Library of WA is also seeking prospective judges for the competition panel. Readers, writers, booksellers, parents and library fans are invited to apply.
“The Premier’s Book Awards are one of the state’s most significant cultural honours, recognising creative brilliance and inspiring new generations of writers and readers,” adds Creative Industries Minister Simone McGurk.
“Every year, these awards bring forward new voices and honour the writers who help shape how we see ourselves and the world.
“Western Australia is home to an extraordinary community of storytellers, and these awards are a joyful reminder of the talent and skill that thrive in our creative industries sector.”
To apply for the awards or the judging panel, head to slwa.wa.gov.au
