Celebrating excellence in crime writing by Australian women.
2026 Davitt Awards Shortlist Announced, ticket bookings open for awards ceremony
Sisters in Crime and the Davitt Awards’ judges are proud to unveil the 2026 Davitt Awards Shortlist!
This year, 126 books were entered into the 26th Davitt Awards, across four categories. The judges of the 2026 Davitt Awards selected a shortlist of 16 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’.
Winners will be announced at the awards ceremony on 12 September.
26th Davitt Awards Ceremony – Book your ticket!
Davitt Awards for best crime books by Australian women will be presented by Dervla McTiernan and hosted by Louise Milligan. Sit-down dinner at the Stamford Plaza, 111 Little Collins St, Melbourne.
Saturday 12 September, 6.30pm.
Tickets: $80 (Sisters In Crime member) $95 (non-member)
DRESS CODE: Fabulous and fearless
Reserve your seat by Friday 4th September
Are you a member of Sisters in Crime? You can vote in the Readers’ Choice awards.
The 2026 Davitt Awards Shortlist (by category):
ADULT FICTION
Shaeden Barry, At Café 64, (Echo Publishing)
Zeynab Gamieldien, Learned Behaviours, (Ultimo Press)
Fiona Hardy, Unbury The Dead, (Affirm Press)
Sally Hepworth, Mad Mabel, (Macmillan Australia)
Joanna Jenkins, The Bluff, (Allen & Unwin)
Angie Faye Martin, Melaleuca, (HQ Fiction)
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 Random House Australia)
Kate Emery, A Murder Is Going Down, (Allen & Unwin)
Carla Salmon, We Saw What You Started, (Pan Macmillan Australia)
CHILDREN’S BOOKS
Sarah Armstrong, Run, (Hardie Grant Children’s)
Jacqueline Harvey, The Girl and the Ghost, (Penguin Random House Australia)
Amelia Mellor, Oceanforged: The Wicked Ship, (Simon & Schuster Australia)
Gisela Ervin-Ward, True South, (Midnight Sun)
Thanks to all the publishers, authors, and self-published authors who entered their books for consideration.
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.
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.