Founded in 2012, the organisation’s flagship program is the annual Stella Prize – a major literary award celebrating Australian women’s writing.

Stella also delivers a suite of year-round initiatives which actively champion Australian women writers, tackle gender bias in the literary sector, and connect outstanding books with readers.

The Stella winner for 2026 is:

Cannon by Lee Lai 

The Stella shortlist for 2026:    

• The Rot by Evelyn Araluen (Poetry)
• Memorial Days by Geraldine Brooks (Non-Fiction/Memoir)
• Fireweather by Miranda Darling (Fiction)
• Cannon by Lee Lai (Graphic Novel)
• 58 Facets: On violence and the law by Marika Sosnowski (Non-Fiction)
• I Am Nannertgarrook by Tasma Walton (Fiction)

The Stella longlist for 2026 is:

• KONTRA by Eunice Andrada (Poetry)
• The Rot by Evelyn Araluen (Poetry)
• Memorial Days by Geraldine Brooks (Non-fiction/Memoir)
• Ankami by Debra Dank (Non-fiction/Memoir/Social commentary)
• Fireweather by Miranda Darling (Fiction)
• Apron-Sorrow / Sovereign-Tea by Natalie Harkin (Non-fiction)
• Cannon by Lee Lai (Graphic novel)
• Wild Dark Shore by Charlotte McConaghy (Fiction)
• Wait Here by Lucy Nelson (Fiction)
• Find Me at the Jaffa Gate by Micaela Sahhar (Non-fiction/Memoir)
• 58 Facets by Marika Sosnowski (Non-fiction)
• I Am Nannertgarrook by Tasma Walton (Fiction)