Two novels published by UWA Publishing have been longlisted in the older readers’ category of the Children’s Book Council of Australia Book of the Year Awards.

Graham Akhurst’s debut novel Borderland and Brendan Ritchie’s Eta Draconis have made the Children’s Book Council of Australia Notables List, a longlist of Australian children’s literature published throughout 2023.

Entries in the older readers category can be fiction, drama or poetry and must be appropriate in style and content for readers 13 to 18 years of age.

Image: Authors Brendan Ritchie and Graham Akhurst.

The judges described Borderland as a novel told with sparse writing that draws the reader in and maintains a grip, while painting a vivid picture of the Queensland outback through the eyes of a city-born Indigenous teen experiencing his first connection to his Country.

“With a unique concept and much to unpack in the pages, this is an excellent example of authentic Australian storytelling,” they said.

Akhurst said it was an honour to have his novel recognised by Children’s Book Council of Australia.

“I wrote Borderland for our young Indigenous men and I'm hopeful this recognition might mean there is a greater chance they come across the book,” he said.

The judges said Eta Draconis, a story about two resilient sisters who are determined to live their life in a world on the brink of destruction, reads as an allegory for COVID.

“It has a lyrical, introspective style that will speak deeply to young people whose lives changed so drastically in 2020,” they said.

“It’s coming-of-age themes quite literally showcase a young person’s changing reliance from family to the wider world.”

Ritchie, winner of the 2022 Dorothy Hewett Award, said it was a great outcome for his book and UWAP to be recognised by an organisation such as the Children’s Book Council of Australia.

The shortlist will be announced on Tuesday 19 March 2024.