TURNING THE PAGE ON A NEW CHAPTER
The Northern Territory has never been short on stories. Territory writers have long captured the people, places and cultures that make the Top End and Central Australia unlike anywhere else.
WORDS BROOKE GIBBS
IMAGE LISA HATZ
THOSE VOICES TAKE centre stage at the inaugural NT Writing Awards, bringing together some of the Territory’s most celebrated authors, emerging writers and literary champions.
Combining the long-running NT Book Awards with the NT Literary Awards for the first time, the new event marks an exciting evolution for the Territory’s literary calendar. Taking place simultaneously in Darwin and Alice Springs, with audiences also able to tune in online, the celebration aims to unite communities across the NT while recognising excellence in writing across multiple genres
For more than 15 years, the NT Book Awards have recognised published works that capture the richness and diversity of Territory life. Whether exploring remote communities, contemporary issues, remarkable histories or unforgettable fictional worlds, the Awards have showcased books that resonate well beyond the NT while remaining deeply connected to Country and place.
This year’s Book Awards honour books published during 2024 and 2025 across Fiction, Non-Fiction and Children’s/Young Adult. The shortlist is announced after this edition rolls off the printing press, with category winners revealed at this month’s ceremony.
Alongside the published book categories, the NT Writing Awards also celebrates emerging voices through the NT Literary Awards, recognising unpublished work across a range of forms and encouraging the next generation of Territory storytellers.
Executive Director of the NT Writers’ Centre, SezzaJai Sykes, says the Awards continue to shine a spotlight on the extraordinary breadth of writing coming from the Territory.
“These Awards continue to raise the profile of remote, regional and First Nations voices celebrating the diverse literary culture of the NT,” they said.
“Written by incredibly dedicated and skilled NT authors, these unique books and stories are an important contribution to the Australian literary canon. These varied texts often reveal the beauty and complexity of the NT.”
“Written by incredibly dedicated and skilled NT authors, these unique books and stories are an important contribution to the Australian literary canon. These varied texts often reveal the beauty and complexity of the NT.”
“You see this amazing richness of life in the Northern Territory and a lot of cultural diversity through varied stories. What I feel is that sometimes the rest of the country may not be super aware of the depth and richness of life in the Territory,” she says.
“So, by having the Awards and the best books rise to the top, it becomes shining examples of what the Northern Territory has to offer. I feel like there’s a platform for the rest of the country to see what’s going on, what people are talking about, what’s important and what people are focusing on in the Northern Territory. It makes me a bit homesick reading all these books.”
With entertainment, refreshments and audiences joining from Darwin, Alice Springs and online, the inaugural NT Writing Awards promise to be more than an awards presentation – it’s a celebration of storytelling in all its forms and the community that makes it possible.
Whether you’re an avid reader, an aspiring writer or simply curious about the people documenting life across the Northern Territory, the NT Writing Awards offers the perfect reminder that some of Australia’s most compelling stories are being written right here.
NT Writing Awards Ceremony
WHEN WED 23 SEP | 5.30PM
AT CDU DANALA CAMPUS & ARALUEN ARTS CENTRE | STREAMED ONLINE
COST FREE
INFO ntwriters.com.au
