The search for Australia’s best books is now on with entries open for the 2024 Victorian Premier’s Literary Awards – with a new award focusing on children’s literature.

Minister for Creative Industries Steve Dimopoulos today called for entries to the awards across seven categories – fiction, non-fiction, poetry, drama, writing for young adults, Indigenous writing and the new children’s literature award, as well as the Unpublished Manuscript Award.

A first for 2024, the new Award for Children’s Literature recognises the importance of books for Australia’s youngest readers. The award is open to writing for children aged 0-12 years.

Each category prize is worth $25,000, with winners going into the running for the country’s most valuable literature award – the $100,000 Victorian Prize for Literature, won last year by Jessica Au for her novel Cold Enough for Snow.

Titles published in 2022 and 2023 are eligible for the Award for Children’s Literature. All other category submissions must be works published between 1 January 2023 and 31 December 2023.

First-time authors are encouraged to submit their manuscripts for the career-breaking Award for an Unpublished Manuscript. Last year’s winner Mick Cummins secured a deal with Affirm Press weeks after winning the award, and his book So Close to Home will be published in October.

The winner of the Unpublished Manuscript Award receives $15,000 in prize money and a two-week residency at the McCraith House in Dromana as part of a partnership between the Wheeler Centre and RMIT Culture. The winner of the People’s Choice Award, which is decided by popular vote, receives a $2000 prize.

Entries close on Friday 1 September 2023 and the winners will be announced at the Awards ceremony in February 2024. The Victorian Premier’s Literary Awards are administered by the Wheeler Centre on behalf of the Victorian Government. For more information, visit wheelercentre.com/Victorian-premiers-literary-awards.