Writers from across the Northern Territory were recognised at the 2026 NT Writing Awards, held simultaneously in Darwin and Alice Springs.
The event brought together the NT Literary Awards, NT History Book Award and NT Book Awards, with gatherings at Danala, the home of Library & Archives NT in Darwin, and the Araluen Arts Centre in Alice Springs.
*A Piece of Red Cloth*, by Leonie Norrington, Djawundil Maymuru, Merrkiyawuy Ganambarr-Stubbs and Djawa Burarrwanga, won the NT Book Awards fiction prize. Emma Trenorden won the non-fiction prize for High Fire Danger, while Kylie Gatjawarrawuy Mununggurr received the children’s and young adult award for Raymaŋgirrbuy dhäwu When I was a little girl.
Trenorden was also recognised in the NT Literary Awards, winning the poetry prize for Guria in Me.
Martin Thomas won the NT History Book Award for Clever Men. Julie Marcus was highly commended for Sex and Savagery in the Good Colony.
The other literary award winners were Ryanna Clayton for Lure in the Brown’s Mart Theatre Award, Roland Bull for Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde Park in creative non-fiction, and Dr Dean David Mobbs for The Love Story of Mary ‘Gladys’ Namagu and Michael ‘Mick’ Daly in the essay category.
Eric Daams won the flash fiction award for The Lamentations of Whales, Halle Wamara received the Kath Manzie Youth Award for The Tale of Mr. Gibbs, and Rosie Wild won the short story award for The Things We Measure.
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