The Foundation for Australian Literary Studies (FALS) has announced the shortlist for the 2026 Margaret and Colin Roderick Literary Award, worth $50,000. And we are delighted to share that Spirit of the Crocodile: A Torres Strait Island Story by Aaron Fa’Aoso and Michelle Scott Tucker with Lyn White has made the shortlist!

Chosen from 14 longlisted titles and almost 250 entries, this is a huge honour for Spirit of the Crocodile which has also been shortlisted for Book of the Year for Younger Readers at the Australian Book Industry Awards, the Children’s Book Council of Australia for Younger Readers, and the Karajia and Environment Awards for Children’s Literature and was a Queensland Literary Awards 2025 finalist!

About Spirit of the Crocodile, the judges said; ‘Worth reading, whatever your age, for the illuminating insights into TI culture and Ezra’s struggles to combine that with twenty-first century mainland culture.’

Founded in 1967, the award is named after James Cook University founding professor of English Colin Roderick, and his wife, Margaret, who collaborated on his literary scholarship.

The award recognises the best original book published in Australia in the previous calendar year that deals with “any aspect of Australian life”.

The winner will be announced in early September.

Congratulations to Aaron, Michelle and Lyn!