Special Award

2023

In exceptional circumstances, the judges may propose that a Special Award ($10,000) be created, either for:

an Australian literary work that is not readily covered by the existing Awards categories;
in recognition of an Australian writer’s achievements generally; or
in recognition of the contribution to the literary life of Australia.

The Special Award is not open for public nomination.

Winner

Year	Recipient
1982	Christina Stead
1984	Marjorie Barnard
1985	Grace Perry
1986	William H. Wilde, Joy Hooton, Barry Andrews for The Oxford Companion to Australian Literature, Oxford University Press
1987	Glenda Adams for Dancing on Coral, Angus & Robertson
1988	Patricia Wrightson
1989	A.D. Hope
1990	Bruce Beaver
1991	Bill Neskovski, Judith Wright
1992	Ronald McCuaig
1993	Mudrooroo Nyoongah
1994	Dal Stivens
1995	David Horton for The Encyclopaedia of Aboriginal Australia, Aboriginal Studies Press
1996	Thomas Shapcott
1997	Colin Thiele
1999	Leslie Rees
2000	Dorothy Hewett
2001	Ron Pretty
2002	Thea Astley
2003	Nick Enright
2004	Ruth Park
2005	Ruby Langford Ginibi
2006	Rosemary Dobson
2007	Gerald Murnane
2008	Tom Keneally
2009	Katharine Brisbane AM
2010	The Macquarie PEN Anthology of Australian Literature
2011	Libby Gleeson
2012	Clive James
2013	David Ireland AM
2014	Rodney Hall OAM
2015	David Williamson AO
2016	Dr Rosie Scott AM
2019	No Friend But the Mountains: Writing from Manus Prison by Behrouz Boochani and translated by Omid Tofighian
2021	Melina Marchetta
2023	Bankstown Poetry Slam