Aurealis Awards Children’s Fiction 2023 shortlist

The annual Aurealis Awards were established in 1995 by Chimaera Publications, the publishers of Aurealis magazine, to recognise the achievements of Australian science fiction, fantasy and horror writers.

The Aurealis Awards are intended to complement the Annual Australian National Science Fiction Convention’s Ditmar Awards and the Australian Children’s Book Council Awards and the various other state-based and national literary awards. None of those awards distinguishes between the different categories of speculative fiction.

BEST CHILDREN’S FICTION SHORTLIST 2023

We have highlighted the titles that have been reviewed in StoryLinks and have no hesitation in recommending these titles for your home or school library.

The Wintrish Girl, Melanie La’Brooy (University of Queensland Press)

Gus and the Starlight, Victoria Carless (HarperCollins Publishers)

The Wrath of the Woolington Wyrm, Karen Foxlee, illustrated by Frieda Chiu (Allen & Unwin)

The Raven’s Song, Zana Fraillon & Bren MacDibble (Allen & Unwin)

The Goodbye Year, Emily Gale (Text Publishing)

Mars Awakens, H M Waugh (Allen & Unwin)