Readings names six‑book shortlist

Readings published the six-book shortlist for its 2026 New Australian Fiction Prize on Sept. 3, adding another entry to Australia’s spring literary-awards calendar. The Melbourne bookseller and literary prize organizer posted the finalists on its website and said the award remains focused on new Australian writing. (readings.com.au) Books+Publishing separately reported the shortlist the same day. The prize has been running since 2014 and is part of the broader Readings Prize structure. ### Which books made the shortlist? The 2026 shortlist includes Desolation by Hossein Asgari, Mantle by Romy Ash, Arborescence by Rhett Davis and Plastic Budgie by Olivia De Zilva, according to Readings and Books+Publishing. (readings.com.au) Readings said the shortlist contains six books in total, though the search results available here surface only those four titles by name. Books+Publishing described the announcement as the six-book shortlist for the 2026 prize, matching Readings’ own listing page for the award. Readings also created a dedicated collection page for the shortlisted books. (readings.com.au) ### What is this prize for? Readings says the New Australian Fiction Prize celebrates “outstanding new Australian writing” and is aimed at supporting debut and emerging authors. The guidelines page says eligible books are automatically considered if they are stocked by Readings and meet the prize criteria. (readings.com.au) The eligibility rules say the author must be an Australian citizen or permanent resident, the book must be the author’s first or second published work of fiction, and the work must be a full-length novel published or distributed in Australia by an Australian publisher or the Australian arm of an international publisher. (readings.com.au) Readings also excludes books marketed as genre fiction, memoir, short-story collections, graphic novels and verse novels. ### What changed in 2026? Readings said on its guidelines page that it was making changes to how the prize operates in 2026, while keeping its focus on debut and emerging authors and “rich, varied reads” for its community. (booksandpublishing.com.au) The page does not spell out those changes in the excerpt available through search results, but it does confirm the revised 2026 timeline. Angela Crocombe, listed by Readings as the prize manager, is the contact for questions about process and eligibility. Readings also published a separate item about Crocombe discussing how this year’s shortlist was decided. (readings.com.au) ### How established is the award? Readings says the New Australian Fiction Prize was first awarded in 2014. The guidelines page lists previous winners including Ceridwen Dovey, Stephanie Bishop, Zoë Morrison, Jennifer Down, Jessica Au, Tracey Lien, Emma Darragh and Dominic Amerena. The broader Readings Prize now spans three fiction categories: children’s, young adult and new Australian fiction, according to Readings’ prize overview page. (readings.com.au) ### What happens next? Readings says the winner of the 2026 New Australian Fiction Prize will be announced in October. The guidelines page also says the winning author may be featured in the lineup for A Day in Carlton in November, where possible. (readings.com.au 1) (readings.com.au 2)