Western Australian Premier's Book Awards
1 appearances
-
Edition 0 (2019) Winner
Holden Sheppard
ホルデン・シェパード
Horuden Sheppādo
Profile
- Gender
- Male
- Born
- 1988-06-26 （Geraldton, Western Australia）
- Nationality
- Australian
- Languages
- English
- Residence History
- Geraldton, Western Australia → Far north Perth, Western Australia
Career
- Occupations
- Novelist, Labourer
- Active Years
- 2017-2025
- Nominations
- Victorian Premier's Literary Awards 2020 (shortlisted), Readings Young Adult Book Prize 2020 (nominated), Ethel Turner Prize 2023 (shortlisted)
Education
| Institution | Faculty | Department | Degree | Period | Country |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Edith Cowan University | — | English Literature | 学士（英語文学） | 2006頃-2010頃 | Australia |
Edith Cowan University
English Literature
Degree:
学士（英語文学）
Period:
2006頃-2010頃
Year of Graduation:
2010
Country:
Australia
Part-time grocery store assistant at Woolworths Supermarkets while studying
Awards
| Year | Award | Work | Category | Organization | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2017 | Ray Koppe Residency Award | — | — | — | Won |
| 2018 | T.A.G. Hungerford Award | Invisible Boys | Manuscript | Fremantle Press | Won |
| 2019 | Western Australian Premier's Book Awards | Invisible Boys | Emerging Writer | State Library of Western Australia | Won |
| 2023 | Indie Book Awards | The Brink | Young Adult | — | Won |
| 2025 | Minderoo Award | — | — | — | Won |
Ray Koppe Residency Award
2017
Result:
Won
T.A.G. Hungerford Award
2018
Work:
Invisible Boys
Category:
Manuscript
Organization:
Fremantle Press
Result:
Won
Western Australian Premier's Book Awards
2019
Work:
Invisible Boys
Category:
Emerging Writer
Organization:
State Library of Western Australia
Result:
Won
Indie Book Awards
2023
Work:
The Brink
Category:
Young Adult
Result:
Won
Minderoo Award
2025
Result:
Won
Awards & Nominations
Works
Major Works
Invisible Boys
2019 Young adult novel, Drama, LGBTQFollows three gay teenage boys in rural Western Australia after one of them is outed. It explores themes of masculinity, sexuality and mental health.
masculinitysexualitymental health
Adaptations
- [Television series] Invisible Boys (2025)
The Brink
2022 Young adult thrillerA group of school leavers on a remote island off the coast of Western Australia discover a dead body.
youthsuspenseisolation
King of Dirt
2025 NovelExplores a traumatised, addicted, mentally-unwell Aussie bloke in his 30s named Giacomo “Jack” Brolo, tackling themes of masculinity, sexuality, mental illness, trauma, family dysfunction, estrangement, fatherhood, love, loss and hope.
masculinitysexualitymental illnesstraumafamily dysfunction
Bibliography
- The Scroll of Isidor
- A Man
- The Black Flower
- Poster Boy
- Invisible Boys
- Bright Lights, No City
- The Brink
- King of Dirt
Style & Themes
- Literary Style
- Dramatic young adult narrativeRealistic and emotionally rich prose
- Recurring Motifs
- masculinitysexualitymental healthtrauma
Legacy
Prominent Australian young adult novelist known for works exploring LGBTQ+ themes, masculinity, sexuality, and mental health. Multiple award winner, with Invisible Boys adapted into a TV series.
In Popular Culture
- Invisible Boys adapted as a 2025 TV series on Stan
Quotes
-
King of Dirt tackles themes of masculinity, sexuality and mental illness and trauma in men and what that looks like. It also dives deep into issues of family dysfunction, family estrangement and fatherhood, as well as love and loss and finding hope after losing everything.
Source: Interview (2025)
Trivia
- Openly gay, married to novelist Raphael Farmer since 2019
- Grew up gay in rural Geraldton, drawing from personal experiences
- Publicly shared experience attempting gay conversion therapy