A novel rooted in Yolngu oral history and collaboratively authored by Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal writers has won the 2026 Prime Minister’s Literary Award for fiction, receiving an $80,000 prize. The book, titled *A Piece of Red Cloth*, was co-written by Leonie Norrington, Merrkiyawuy Ganambarr-Stubbs, and Yolngu knowledge holders Djawundil Maymuru and Djawa Burarrwanga.
Set in the coastal region of north-east Arnhem Land during the 1600s, the narrative explores early interactions between the Yolngu people and Makassan fishers from what is now Indonesia. It traces a transition from peaceful trade relations to a period marked by Dutch colonial control over Makassar. The story highlights the introduction of alcohol and opium as tools exploited by traders to gain access to girls and young women, and centers on a Yolngu elder’s efforts to protect her granddaughter from these emerging threats.
Merrkiyawuy Ganambarr-Stubbs described the novel as “a true history” passed down through generations via oral storytelling. Leonie Norrington, who lived in the Barunga community of Arnhem Land, emphasized the importance of the award’s recognition of a pre-colonial Australian story. Speaking ahead of the award ceremony in Canberra on Thursday night, Norrington said the win signals a shift away from traditional narratives centered on Captain Cook, recognizing instead the foundational histories of Australia’s Indigenous peoples.
The judges commended *A Piece of Red Cloth* as a “landmark achievement in fiction” and a “profound work of remembrance and re-imagination,” praising its blend of oral tradition with novelistic techniques and deep cultural insight. Djawundil Maymuru, a key contributor to the oral histories forming the novel’s basis, passed away in 2025. Norrington remarked that Maymuru, who dedicated much of her life to promoting Yolngu culture, would have been delighted by the recognition.
At the same ceremony, the nonfiction prize was awarded to investigative journalist Kate Wild for *The Red House*, which examines the 2019 police shooting of Kumanjayi Walker by Northern Territory officer Zachary Rolfe. Judges described Wild’s work as “an utterly singular” contribution that brings nuance and compassion to an ongoing national debate.
Other awards included the children’s literature prize to Zana Fraillon for *Song of a Thousand Seas*, a verse novel about an aquarium octopus longing for the ocean; the Australian history prize to environmental historian Rohan Howitt for *The Southern Frontier*, which explores Australia’s relationship with Antarctica; the poetry prize to Ender Başkan for his debut collection *Two Hundred Million Musketeers*, reflecting on parenting young children; and the young adult literature prize to Pip Hany for *Drift*, a coming-of-age story addressing themes of change, friendship loss, and anxiety.
The Prime Minister’s Literary Awards carry a total prize pool of $600,000, distributed across several categories, with winners receiving up to $80,000 tax-free each.