The Queensland Literary Awards showcase outstanding authors from across Australia, celebrating emerging and established authors across a range of genres. And we are delighted that a number of Jacinta di Mase creators have been recognised as 2025 Finalists!
They include;

Children’s Book Award Finalists

— Little Bones by Sandy Bigna (University Queensland Press) – Judges’ comments: “Bones has been hollow since losing those closest to her. She takes solace from a collection filled with dead animals. But when a skeleton comes alive, it sparks a redemptive journey and leads Bone’s back to life. Astounding, unusual, mesmerising, Bigna’s word-perfect debut verse novel unfurls the desolation of childhood grief and the healing power of love and friendship with magical prose and touching ingenuity.”

— Spirit of the Crocodile by Aaron Fa’Aoso and Michelle Scott Tucker with Lyn White (Allen & Unwin) – Judges’ comments: “Twelve-year-old Ezra loves a dare, his family and his life on Saibai. But he must face the expectations that come with growing up when a not-so-natural disaster threatens his home. Set against the rising tide of climate change, this heartfelt coming-of-age story offers a welcoming glimpse into life on the Torres Strait Islands, including culture, community resilience, and the deep sense of responsibility for Country.”

The University of Queensland Non-Fiction Book Award

— Näku Dhäruk The Bark Petitions: How the People of Yirrkala Changed the Course of Australian Democracy by Clare Wright (Text Publishing) – Judges’ comments: “A major achievement. A wonderfully immersive reconstruction of a previously underappreciated but crucial moment in the evolution of democracy in Australia, the 1963 bark petitions of the Yolŋu people of Yirrkala claiming rights over their land in the face of intrusion and desecration.”

The 2025 Queensland Literary Award finalists will be announced after 9am on Tuesday 9 September on the State Library website.

Congratulations to all!