About the Premier's Literary Awards

The Victorian Premier’s Literary Awards were established in 1985 by John Cain, the Premier of Victoria at that time, to mark the centenary of the births of Vance and Nettie Palmer - distinguished writers and critics who made significant contributions to Victorian and Australian literary culture.

The aims of the Victorian Government in offering these awards are to:

• recognise excellence in Australian writing and in contributions to the development of Australian culture
• advance the Victorian community's appreciation of Australian literature and encourage a commitment to reading
• assist living authors in their careers and promote Victoria's literary and publishing industries
• assist cultural groups to maintain their diverse literary and cultural heritages and present them to the wider community.