Each year the Australian Crime Writers Association recognises and celebrates the achievements and continuing strength of Australian authors.
The Ned Kelly Awards for crime writing are among Australia’s oldest and most recognised awards. They are a highlight of the Australian publishing and literary calendar.
The Best Debut Crime Fiction Award showcases our newest Australian writers and the diversity of style and stories they bring to the crime fiction genre.
The 2025 debut shortlist is an exciting example of a fresh crop of Australian crime authors.
The stories this year range from the claustrophobia of an Antarctic winter, the crippling effects of anaesthesia and memory, a deeply funny and tender portrayal of rural life, a sharp commentary on the social impact after a teen goes missing, the nuances of friendships after partner violence and the opulence and staggering poverty of colonial-era Vietnam.
The Australian Crime Writers Association is proud to announce the 2025 Ned Kelly Awards Shortlist for Best Debut Crime Fiction:
Down the Rabbit Hole - By Shaeden Berry
A Town Called Treachery - By Mitch Jennings
The Chilling - By Riley James
All You Took From Me - By Lisa Kenway
Everywhere We Look - By Martine Kropkowski
Those Opulent Days - By Jacquie Pham
Award categories: Best True Crime, Best Debut, Best International and Best Crime Fiction. Inquiries to: Karina Kilmore: info@austcrimewriters.com (Winners announced September)