Celebrating excellence in crime writing by Australian women.
2026 Davitt Awards Longlist Announced
Sisters in Crime and the Davitt Awards’ judges are proud to unveil the 2026 Davitt Awards Longlist.
This year, 126 books were entered into the 26th Davitt Awards, across four categories. The judges of the 2026 Davitt Awards have selected a longlist of 28 books that reflect the excellent quality and maturity of stories written by Australian women crime writers. These stories are notable for their originality, depth and high level of the authors’ skills.
Ruth Wykes, Davitt Awards Judges’ Chair, said the 2026 entries that stood out ‘were the ones that entertained, challenged, taught us, and stayed with us long after we had read the final chapters. Stories that were bold and brave, or beautifully nuanced’.
Judging continues for the Davitt Awards’ shortlist which will be announced in July, with winners announced in August/September.
The 2026 Davitt Awards Longlist authors are (by category):
ADULT FICTION
Shaeden Barry, At Café 64, (Echo Publishing)
Jane Caro, Lyrebird, (Allen & Unwin)
Shankari Chandran, Unfinished Business, (Ultimo Press)
Pip Fioretti, Skull River, (Affirm Press)
Sara Foster, When She Was Gone, (Harper Collins Australia)
Susan Francis, Revelation Beach, (Wild Dingo Press)
Zeyneb Gamieldien, Learned Behaviours, (Ultimo Press)
Fiona Hardy, Unbury The Dead, (Affirm Press)
Sally Hepworth, Mad Mabel, (Macmillan Australia)
Elise Janes, The Canvas Killings, (JETT Books)
Joanna Jenkins, The Bluff, (Allen & Unwin)
Angie Faye Martin, Melaleuca, (HQ Fiction) Debut
Laura McCluskey, The Wolf Tree, (Harper Collins Australia) Debut
Fleur McDonald, The Prospect, (Harper Collins Australia)
Tanya Scott, Stillwater, (Allen & Unwin) Debut
Patricia Wolf, Nemesis, (Echo Publishing)
NON-FICTION
Sonia Orchard, Groomed, (Simon & Schuster)
Lucy Sussex & Megan Brown, Outrageous Fortunes, the biography of Mary and Geroge Fortune, (Black Inc Books)
Kate Wild, The Red House, (Allen & Unwin)
YOUNG ADULT
Amy Doak, What Have They done to Liza McLean?, (Penguin Randon House Australia)
Kate Emery, A Murder Is Going Down, (Allen & Unwin)
Carla Salmon, We Saw What You Started, (Pan Macmillan Australia) Debut
CHILDREN’S BOOKS
Sarah Armstrong, Run, (Hardie Grant Children’s)
Jacqueline Harvey, The Girl and the Ghost, (Penguin Randon House Australia)
Amelia Mellor, Oceanforged: The Wicked Ship, (Simon & Schuster Australia)
Gisela Ervin-Ward, True South, (Midnight Sun) Debut
Jessica Townsend, Silverborn: The Mystery of Morrigan Crow, (Hachette Children’s)
Sue Whiting, Promises and Other Lies, (Walker Books)
Thanks to all the publishers, authors, and self-published authors who entered their books for consideration. Sisters in Crime congratulates all authors who have made the Longlist!
Stay tuned for updates on how to vote for the Kerry Greenwood Readers’ Choice Award (open to Sisters in Crime financial members) and the announcements of the Shortlist and the 2026 Davitt Awards Ceremony.
JUDGES
Judging of the Davitt Awards is by a panel of seven judges. The judges are chosen for their experience and expertise in the industry and hail from Victoria, ACT, NSW, and Queensland. The panel operates independently from Sisters in Crime.
These are the key dates for the 2026 Davitt Awards:
- February – July 2026: Judging
- June 2026: longlist announced
- July 2026: shortlist announced, and Readers’ Choice voting gets underway
- August/September 2026: Davitt Awards Gala Ceremony
The winners are notified approximately a month before the awards ceremony and invited to attend as guests of Sisters in Crime Australia. The awards ceremony is always in Melbourne.
About the Davitt Awards
For a quarter of a century, Sisters in Crime Australia has been shining a spotlight on the incredible achievements of women crime writers – fiction and non-fiction. From the first year with its seven entries to the present day where around 180 books are entered, it’s been an astonishing journey, filled with inspiring talent and unforgettable stories.
The Davitt Awards have always been about more than just recognising great writing; they’re about celebrating the voices that shine a light on society as a whole, push boundaries, and keep readers on the edge of their seats. From debut novels to well-established voices, the Davitts honour the diversity and power of Australian women writers in the worlds of crime fiction and true crime.
This spans adult, young adult, and children’s novels, as well as non-fiction.
The Davitt Awards celebrate the history, the thriving present, and the exciting future of women’s crime writing in this country: stronger and more diverse than ever, popular as well as experimental, and for readers of all ages as well as lovers of different genres and forms.
– Dr Kelly Gardiner, President, Sisters in Crime
All questions about the Davitt Awards should be sent to Ruth Wykes, the awards co-ordinator.