2026 Scarlet Stiletto Awards: Categories

Prizes will be awarded for the best overall stories and for those that are judged to be the winners of each individual category.In order to be eligible for a category prize, stories must incorporate the themes of that category. Please note: you may enter a single story in as many categories as you want (for …

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Scarlet Stiletto awards: Sponsors

Australia’s premier short story awards for crime fiction written by Australian women. As ever, the Scarlet Stiletto Awards are supported by a huge number of wonderful sponsors. We thank them from the bottom of our hearts for their commitment. Without these organisations the Scarlet Stiletto Awards would not be what they are: the premier short …

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Drawing of a Scarlet Stiletto on a black background

Scarlet Stiletto Awards 2026

The shortlist is decided and the event is planned! Check out the details and book your tickets.

With more than $13,000 in prizes up for grabs, the Scarlet Stilettos are Australia’s premier short story awards for crime fiction written by Australian women. More female criminal talent – of the literary kind – is about to be uncovered!

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The Vanishing of Vivienne Cameron

When I read true crime, I often have to remind myself that this is a real person’s life. They lived and breathed, loved and were loved. This was not a problem in The Vanishing of Vivienne Cameron. Vikki Petraitis never loses sight of the women. They are why she is writing and why she has doggedly pursued this case for decades. I’m grateful for the work that she has done and the grace with which she has done it.

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Like, Follow, Die

Like, Follow, Die was hard to put down. A thrilling exercise of dot connecting to work out who was responsible, and for what. I was mesmerised from the first page, but the climax was so intense, I couldn’t read quickly enough. I flew through the pages, my heart pounding, cooking dinner totally forgotten. I thoroughly recommend you read Like, Follow, Die, not just for an incredible crime story, but also as a reminder. Beware.

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Win a copy of The Graduate

Simon & Schuster is generously donating twenty copies of The Graduate by Rebecca Lim for the Crime Stack for May. It’s Rebecca’s first adult crime novel, a razor-sharp revenge thriller that blows the whistle on the cutthroat world of corporate law. This is a special offer to Sisters in Crime members. Join now and be in the running for a complimentary paperback copy of The Graduate.

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Black background with words partner and author events, and three lovely red fishies that look a bit like herrings

Red Herrings

Catch up with the latest crime events from around the nation. Already there are lots of crime events happening, especially in Queensland, New South Wales and Victoria. Whatever the time, whatever the season, don’t forget that a book is the perfect gift. It offers so much reading pleasure as well as supporting authors and the publishing industry.

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