Evelyn Araluen’s Dropbear (University of Queensland Press) was named as the winner of 2022 Stella Prize for Australian women’s writing.
The winner was announced at a special celebration of Australian women’s writing presented in partnership with State Library Victoria. The gala event marked 10 years since the inaugural Stella Prize was awarded.
Acclaimed film and television actor and producer, Claudia Karvan, hosted the evening.
Karvan was one of five Stella Prize judges for the inaugural Prize in 2013. This year’s prize was presented by award-winning Bundjalung author and the 2022 Stella Prize Chair of Judges, Melissa Lucashenko.
The 2022 Stella Prize was awarded to Evelyn Araluen for her debut collection of poetry and prose Dropbear.
With 2022 marking the first year that poetry publications have been eligible for the Stella Prize, it is particularly significant that Dropbear has been selected as the most original, excellent, and engaging work by an Australian woman or non-binary writer.

• Dina Kluska