ARA Historical Novel Prize
えーあーるえー れきししょうせつしょう
Australia/New Zealand's largest historical novel prize by prize amount. Total prize money of 150,000 dollars awarded in the adult category and children/YA category.
- Established
- 2020
- Organizer
- Historical Novel Society Australasia
- Category
- Children's Literature, Fairy Tales, and Picture Books
- Selection Method
- Open call
- Target
- Open
- Frequency
- 1 per year
- Application Deadline
- around June
- Announcement Period
- around October
- Status
- Active
Description
The ARA Historical Novel Prize is a literary award for historical novels operated by the Historical Novel Society Australasia (HNSA) and sponsor ARA Group. The total prize pool is 150,000 dollars, with 100,000 dollars to the adult category winner and 30,000 dollars to the children/young adult category winner. Shortlisted authors in each category receive 5,000 dollars each. In 2020, only the adult category was awarded; the children/YA category was introduced in 2021. Entries must meet the requirement that more than half of the events depicted in the story occurred at least 50 years before publication (HNSA's definition).
Prize
- Main Prize
- Adult category winner $100,000, Children/YA category winner $30,000. $5,000 each to 2 authors on each category's shortlist (total $150,000).
- Cash Prize
- 150,000 AUD
- Adult category winner: $100,000
- Children and Young Adult category winner: $30,000
- Each category's shortlist 2 authors: $5,000 each
- Sponsor: ARA Group
Selection
Selection Process
| Stage | Judges | Pass Rate | Announcement |
|---|---|---|---|
| Longlist | null | null | Announced on HNSA official website (e.g., September 4, 2024) |
| Shortlist | null | null | Announced on HNSA official website (e.g., October 2, 2024) |
| Winner announcement | null | null | Announced on HNSA official website and in media (e.g., October 23, 2024) |
Criteria
- More than half of the events depicted in the story must have occurred at least 50 years before publication (HNSA's definition)
- Includes subgenres such as historical mystery, historical romance, historical fantasy, alternative history, etc.
- Flexible treatment of structures spanning eras (e.g., time slips, multi-era stories, parallel narratives) is permitted provided the 50-year rule is met
Application Tips
Dos
- Confirm in advance whether the entry meets HNSA's definition (more than half of the story's events occurred 50+ years before publication)
- Accurately specify metadata such as publisher name and publication date
- Submit according to HNSA's official entry guidelines and format (check deadline and submission method on the official website)
- Conduct thorough historical research and demonstrate consistency in setting and narrative voice
Don''ts
- Do not submit works that do not meet the 50-year rule
- Do not submit in a format contrary to the entry requirements
- Do not provide inaccurate publication or publisher information