In 2026 the Hungerford Award will celebrate its 35th year.
Proudly sponsored by Fremantle Press, the biennial Hungerford Award is Western Australia’s most prestigious award for an unpublished work of adult fiction, narrative non-fiction, young adult fiction or verse novel by an unpublished writer offers a cash prize of $15,000 from City of Fremantle, a publishing contract with Fremantle Press and a fellowship at the Centre for Stories.
ENTRIES
Award entries close at 11.59 PM AWST on 15 March 2026. Entries can only be made via the Fremantle Press Submittable page. Read the terms and conditions here.
ANNOUNCEMENT
The winner will be announced at a special event in October 2026.
The winner of the 2024 Hungerford Award was Yirga Gelaw Woldeyes.
About the author
Yirga is a writer, researcher and poet from Lalibela, Ethiopia. He currently lives in Perth, Western Australia, where he is a senior lecturer at the Centre for Human Rights Education, Curtin University. His academic and creative work revolves around African traditions, Ethiopian philosophy, epistemic justice, issues of looted manuscript repatriation, and the politics of language and belonging. His Amharic poetry was compiled and published in a solo collection titled የተራሮች ጩኸት (Yeteraroch Chuhet, The Cry of Mountains), and has been performed widely on stage and radio in Ethiopia. His English creative work has appeared in Westerly, Stories of Perth and Ways of Being Here.
About the book
Trials of Hope (የተስፋ ፈተና) is a profound, groundbreaking narrative. Yirga Gelaw Woldeyes weaves together stories of heritage and heartache. His unique memoir celebrates the beauty of Ethiopian culture while mourning its erosion – first under colonial forces, and later through internal conflict. Framing his work via the Ethiopian belief in the four elemental stages of human experience – water, fire, soil and wind – this is an essential exploration of the human condition, connecting readers to a nation of people whose sagacity and spirit have endured through generations.
Download the judges’ report here: 2024 City of Fremantle Hungerford Award Judges’ Report.
PAST RECIPIENTS
Past recipients of the award are Molly Schmidt (Salt River Road), Holden Sheppard (Invisible Boys), Madelaine Dickie (Troppo), Brenda Walker, Jay Martin (Vodka and Apple Juice), Gail Jones, Natasha Lester (What Is Left Over After), Maria Papas (Skimming Stones), Jacqueline Wright (Red Dirt Talking), Robert Edeson (The Weaver Fish), Nathan Hobby, Bruce Russell, Christopher Murray, Donna Mazza (The Albanian), Simone Lazaroo (Between Water and the Night Sky) and Alice Nelson (The Last Sky).
MORE INFORMATION
If you require assistance with your electronic submission, or for any other inquiries, please contact Fremantle Press on (08) 9430 6331.
The award is proudly sponsored by
About T.A.G. Hungerford (1915–2011)
T.A.G. Hungerford was widely admired as a quintessential Western Australian writer and identity. He was a major contributor in helping us define our sense of self and place in a rapidly changing world. His first collection of short stories was published in 1976 by Fremantle Press. In 1987 T.A.G. Hungerford was made a member of the Order of Australia. In 2002 he was the recipient of the Patrick White Award and in 2004 he was declared a Western Australian State Living Treasure. He was always a great supporter of new and emerging writers and was proud to have the award named for him. A collector’s edition of Stories from Suburban Road was released in March 2016.
Hungerford books
Winning and shortlisted books
