The Ned Kelly Awards are Australia's leading literary awards for crime writing in both the crime fiction

Crime fiction

Crime fiction is the literary genre that fictionalizes crimes, their detection, criminals and their motives. It is usually distinguished from mainstream fiction and other genres such as science fiction or historical fiction, but boundaries can be, and indeed are, blurred...

 and true crime

True crime

True crime is a non-fiction literary and film genre in which the author examines an actual crime and details the actions of real people.The crimes most commonly include murder, but true crime works have also touched on other legal cases. Depending on the writer, true crime can adhere strictly to...

 genres. They were established in 1996 by the Crime Writers Association of Australia to reward excellence in the field of crime writing within Australia.

The genre of crime writing has long been popular, but it wasn't until the early 1990s that a local growth of writing within the genre occurred in Australia. By the middle of the decade support for the field had grown sufficiently that it was decided to establish the Ned Kelly Awards.

The awards are affectionately referred to as 'The Neddies' within the community.

Categories

• Best First Novel
• Best True Crime
• Best Novel
• Best Teenage/Young Adult
• Readers Vote
• Best Non-Fiction
• Lifetime Achievement Awards

Previous winners

Year	Best Novel	Best First Novel	Best True Crime	Best teenage/Young Adult	Reader's Vote	Best Non-Fiction	Lifetime Achievement
1996 1996 in literature The year 1996 in literature involved some significant events and new books.-Events:*Harper Lee's novel, To Kill a Mockingbird, is removed from an advanced placement English reading list in Lindale, Texas because it "conflicted with the values of the community."* In the United Kingdom, the first...	(tie) The Malcontenta The Malcontenta The Malcontenta is a 1995 Ned Kelly Award winning novel by the Australian author Barry Maitland.-Dedication:"Dedication: For Clare and Alex/With my very special thanks to Margaret, and to those people who have helped bring Brock and Cathy [sic] to print, in particular Kate Jones and Jill... by Barry Maitland Barry Maitland Barry Maitland is an Australian author of crime fiction. After studying architecture at Cambridge, Maitland practised and taught in the UK before moving to Australia, where he became a Professor of Architecture with the University of Newcastle...   Inside Dope Inside Dope Inside Dope is a 1995 Ned Kelly Award winning novel by the New Zealand author Paul Thomas.-Notes:* This is the prequel to the author's follow-up, Guerilla Season.... by Paul Thomas Paul Thomas (writer) Paul Thomas is a New Zealand novelist, journalist, sports biographer and scriptwriter. He won the Australian Ned Kelly Award for Best Crime Novel in 1995 for Inside Dope....	Dark Angel by John Dale John Dale (writer) John Dale is an Australian author of crime fiction and true crime books. He completed a Doctorate of Creative Arts at the University of Technology, Sydney, in 1999, and subsequently joined the UTS writing Program where he is Head of Creative Practices and Director of the UTS Centre for New...	NA	NA	NA	NA	Jon Cleary Jon Cleary Jon Stephen Cleary was an Australian author.-Biography:Cleary was born in Erskineville, Sydney. He wrote many books, among them The Sundowners , a portrait of a rural family in the 1920s as they move from one job to the next, and The High Commissioner , the first of a long series of popular...
1997 1997 in literature The year 1997 in literature involved some significant events and new books.-Events:*Tom Clancy signs a book deal with Pearson Custom Publishing and Penguin Putnam Inc. , giving him US$50 million for the world-English rights to two new books . A second agreement gives him another US$25 million for a...	The Brush-Off The Brush-Off The Brush-Off is a 1996 Australian crime thriller novel, written by Shane Maloney. It is the second novel in a series of crime thrillers following the character of Murray Whelan, as he investigates crimes in the Melbourne area in the course of trying to keep his job with the Australian Labor... by Shane Maloney Shane maloney Shane Maloney born in Hamilton, Victoria is a Melbourne author best known as the creator of the Murray Whelan series of crime novels.-Life and career:...	(tie) Bad Debts Bad Debts Bad Debts is a Ned Kelly Award winning novel by Australian author Peter Temple. This is the first novel in the author's Jack Irish series.-Notes:... by Peter Temple Peter Temple Peter Temple is an Australian crime fiction writer.Formerly a journalist and journalism lecturer, Temple turned to fiction writing in the 1990s. His Jack Irish novels are set in Melbourne, Australia, and feature an unusual lawyer-gambler protagonist...   Get Rich Quick Get Rich Quick (novel) Get Rich Quick is a 1996 Ned Kelly Award winning novel by the Australian author Peter Doyle.-Reviews:* "Australian Crime Fiction database" -References:*"GET RICH QUICK ." Kirkus Reviews 72.14 : 661-662.... by Peter Doyle Peter Doyle (writer) Dr. Peter Doyle, BA, Phd is a doctor of Media and Mass Communications, author, musician, and visual artist. He lives in Newtown, and works for Macquarie University where he teaches Print Media Production, as well as being a part-time as a curator of Sydney’s Justice and Police...	NA	NA	NA	How to Write Crime edited by Marele Day	Alan Yates (aka Carter Brown Carter Brown Carter Brown, real name Alan Geoffrey Yates , was an Australian-British author of crime fiction. He was born in London but moved to Australia in 1948. He started writing full time in 1953 and wrote at least 317 novels between 1958 and 1985, mostly crime and dective stories, selling tens of millions... )
1998 1998 in literature The year 1998 in literature involved some significant events and new books.-Events:*March 5 - Tennessee Williams' 1938 play, Not About Nightingales, receives its stage première....	NA	NA	NA	NA	NA	NA	NA
1999 1999 in literature The year 1999 in literature involved some significant events and new books.-Events:*June 19 - Stephen King is hit by a Dodge van while taking a walk. He spends the next three weeks hospitalized...	Amaze Your Friends Amaze Your Friends Amaze Your Friends is a 1998 Ned Kelly Award winning novel by the Australian author Peter Doyle.-Reviews:* "Australian Crime Fiction database"... by Peter Doyle Peter Doyle (writer) Dr. Peter Doyle, BA, Phd is a doctor of Media and Mass Communications, author, musician, and visual artist. He lives in Newtown, and works for Macquarie University where he teaches Print Media Production, as well as being a part-time as a curator of Sydney’s Justice and Police...	The Last Days The Last Days (Australian novel) The Last Days: the apocryphon of Joe Panther is a 1998 Ned Kelly Award winning novel by the Australian author Andrew Masterson.-Reviews:* "Australian Crime Fiction database" * "Tabula Rasa"... by Andrew Masterson Andrew Masterson Andrew Masterson is an Australian author of crime fiction, horror and non-fiction. Masterson emigrated from the UK to Australia in 1968...	NA	NA	NA	NA	Peter Corris Peter Corris Peter Robert Corris is an Australian academic, historian, journalist and a novelist of historical and crime fiction...
2000 2000 in literature The year 2000 in literature involved some significant events and new books.-Events:* February 13 - Final original Peanuts comic strip is published...	Shooting Star by Peter Temple Peter Temple Peter Temple is an Australian crime fiction writer.Formerly a journalist and journalism lecturer, Temple turned to fiction writing in the 1990s. His Jack Irish novels are set in Melbourne, Australia, and feature an unusual lawyer-gambler protagonist...	The Wooden Leg of Inspector Anders by Marshall Browne Marshall Browne Marshall Browne is an Australian crime fiction writer.A merchant banker he has lived in Hong Kong, London, and Bhutan. He now lives in Melbourne...	(tie) Huckstepp: A Dangerous Life by John Dale John Dale (writer) John Dale is an Australian author of crime fiction and true crime books. He completed a Doctorate of Creative Arts at the University of Technology, Sydney, in 1999, and subsequently joined the UTS writing Program where he is Head of Creative Practices and Director of the UTS Centre for New...   Underbelly 3 by Andrew Rule and John Silvester	NA	NA	NA	NA
2001 2001 in literature The year 2001 in literature involved some significant events and new books.-Events:* The film version of J. R. R. Tolkien's classic book, The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring, is released to movie theaters...	(tie) Dead Point Dead Point Dead Point is a Ned Kelly Award winning novel by Australian author Peter Temple. This is the third novel in the author's Jack Irish series.-Notes:... by Peter Temple Peter Temple Peter Temple is an Australian crime fiction writer.Formerly a journalist and journalism lecturer, Temple turned to fiction writing in the 1990s. His Jack Irish novels are set in Melbourne, Australia, and feature an unusual lawyer-gambler protagonist... The Second Coming The Second Coming (Australian novel) The Second Coming: the passion of Joe Panther is a 2000 Ned Kelly Award winning novel by the Australian author Andrew Masterson.-Reviews:* "Barcelona Review" * "Sofia"... by Andrew Masterson Andrew Masterson Andrew Masterson is an Australian author of crime fiction, horror and non-fiction. Masterson emigrated from the UK to Australia in 1968...	Last Drinks Last Drinks Last Drinks is a 2000 Ned Kelly Award winning novel by the Australian author Andrew McGahan.A stage version premiered at Brisbane's La Boite Theatre in August 2006.-Reviews:* "Aussiereviews" * "The Australian Public Intellectual network"... by Andrew McGahan Andrew McGahan Andrew McGahan is a bestselling Australian novelist, best known for his cult first novel Praise, and for his Miles Franklin Award-winning novel The White Earth.-Early life and education:...	Broken Lives by Estelle Blackburn Estelle Blackburn Estelle Blackburn is a journalist who has played a crucial role in the review of some controversial criminal cases in Western Australia.-Early life:...	NA	Bleeding Hearts by Lindy Cameron	NA	Professor Stephen Knight Stephen Thomas Knight Stephen Thomas Knight MA PhD . F.A.H.A., F.E.A. currently holds the position of Distinguished Research Professor at Cardiff University in the School of English, Communications and Philosophy. His areas of expertise include English literature, Medieval literature, Cultural studies, Crime fiction,...
2002 2002 in literature The year 2002 in literature involved some significant events and new books.-Events:*March 16: Authorities in Saudi Arabia arrested and jailed poet Abdul Mohsen Musalam and fired a newspaper editor following the publication of Musalam's poem The Corrupt on Earth that criticized the state's Islamic...	Death Delights Death Delights Death Delights is a 2001 Ned Kelly Award winning novel by the Australian author Gabrielle Lord.-Notes:*Dedication: "To Greg, the original Reginald, and to all the friends of Bill W."... by Gabrielle Lord Gabrielle Lord Gabrielle Craig Lord is an Australian writer who has been described as Australia's first lady of crime. She has published a wide range of writing including reviews, articles, short stories and non-fiction, but she is best known for her psychological thrillers.-Life:Lord was born in Sydney...	(tie) Apartment 255 Apartment 255 Apartment 255 is a 2001 Ned Kelly Award winning novel by the Australian author Bunty Avieson.-Reviews:* "Australian Crime Fiction database"... by Bunty Avieson Bunty Avieson Carolyn "Bunty" Avieson is an Australian journalist, novelist and travel writer. Prior to becoming a full-time writer she was editor of the mass-circulation magazines Woman's Day and New Idea....   Who Killed Angelique? by Emma Darcy Emma Darcy Emma Darcy is the pseudonym used by the Australian husband-wife writing team of Wendy Brennan and Frank Brennan , they wrote in collaboration over 45 romance novels. In 1993, in the Emma Darcy Pseudonym's 10th anniversary, They created the "Emma Darcy Award Contest" to encourage authors to finish...	(tie) Razor by Larry Writer The Hanged Man by Mike Richards	Blue Murder by Ken Catran Ken Catran Ken Catran is a children's novelist and television screenwriter from New Zealand.Catran is the author of many teen novels, including Taken at the Flood, Voyage with Jason, Doomfire on Venus, Space Wolf, Jacko Moran:Sniper, Talking to Blue and its sequel Blue Murder...	Apartment 255 Apartment 255 Apartment 255 is a 2001 Ned Kelly Award winning novel by the Australian author Bunty Avieson.-Reviews:* "Australian Crime Fiction database"... by Bunty Avieson Bunty Avieson Carolyn "Bunty" Avieson is an Australian journalist, novelist and travel writer. Prior to becoming a full-time writer she was editor of the mass-circulation magazines Woman's Day and New Idea....	NA	Patrick Gallagher
2003 2003 in literature The year 2003 in literature involved some significant events and new books.-New books:*Peter Ackroyd - The Clerkenwell Tales*Atsuko Asano - No...	White Dog White Dog (novel) White Dog is a 2003 Australian novel by Peter Temple. The fourth novel in the "Jack Irish" series, it won the 2003 Ned Kelly Awards Best Novel for Crime Writing. It was reprinted in the United Kingdom in 2007 by Quercus.-Plot summary:... by Peter Temple Peter Temple Peter Temple is an Australian crime fiction writer.Formerly a journalist and journalism lecturer, Temple turned to fiction writing in the 1990s. His Jack Irish novels are set in Melbourne, Australia, and feature an unusual lawyer-gambler protagonist...	Blood Redemption by Alex Palmer	Blood Stain by Peter Lalor	NA	NA	NA	Kerry Greenwood Kerry Greenwood Kerry Greenwood is a solicitor from Melbourne, Australia. She is also the author of many plays and books, most notably a string of historical detective novels centred on the character of Phryne Fisher. She writes mysteries, science-fiction, historical fiction, and children's stories, as well as...
2004 2004 in literature The year 2004 in literature involved some significant events and new books.-Events:* Canada Reads selects Guy Vanderhaeghe's The Last Crossing to be read across the nation....	Degrees of Connection Degrees of Connection Degrees of Connection is a 2003 Ned Kelly Award winning novel by the Australian author Jon Cleary.-Notes:*Dedication: "For Joy ".*This is the 20th, and so far last, novel in the author's Scobie Malone series.... by Jon Cleary Jon Cleary Jon Stephen Cleary was an Australian author.-Biography:Cleary was born in Erskineville, Sydney. He wrote many books, among them The Sundowners , a portrait of a rural family in the 1920s as they move from one job to the next, and The High Commissioner , the first of a long series of popular...	(tie) The Walker by Jane R. Goodall Jane R. Goodall Jane R. Goodall is an Australian author.Born in Yorkshire, England, Goodall studied at London and Oxford Universities. She currently lectures in drama at the School of Community Arts, University of Western Sydney.... Junkie Pilgrim by Wayne Grogan	Killing Juanita by Peter Rees	NA	NA	NA	Bob Bottom
2005 2005 in Australian literature The year 2005 in Australian literature involves some significant new books, drama, poetry and events.For an overview of world literature see 2005 in literature.See also:2004 in Australian literature,2005 in Australia,...	Lost Lost (Australian novel) Lost is a 2005 Ned Kelly Award winning novel by the Australian author Michael Robotham.-Reviews:*"Crime Down Under" *"ShotsMag... by Michael Robotham Michael Robotham Michael Robotham is an Australian crime fiction writer.Formerly a journalist with the Fairfax Press in Sydney he travelled to London and got a job on Fleet Street in 1986. He later became the best-selling pseudonymous author of ten "autobiographies" of people in the arts, Military and sport...	A Private Man by Malcolm Knox	(tie) Joe Cinque's Consolation Joe Cinque's Consolation Joe Cinque’s Consolation: A True Story of Death, Grief and the Law is a non-fiction book written by Australian author Helen Garner, and published in 2004... by Helen Garner Helen Garner Helen Garner is an award-winning Australian novelist, short-story writer, screenwriter and journalist.-Life:Garner was born in Geelong, Victoria, the eldest of six children. She attended Manifold Heights State School, Ocean Grove State School and then The Hermitage in Geelong...   Mr Big by Tony Reeves	NA	NA	NA	Stuart Coupe
2006 2006 in Australian literature The year 2006 in Australian literature involves some significant new books, drama, poetry and events.For an overview of world literature see 2006 in literature.See also:2005 in Australian literature,2006 in Australia,...	(tie) Crook as Rookwood Crook as Rookwood Crook as Rookwood is a 2005 Ned Kelly Award winning novel by the Australian author Chris Nyst.-Notes:*Dedication: "To my beautiful sons and my darling daughters".... by Chris Nyst Chris Nyst Chris Nyst in Blackall, Queensland, is an Australian solicitor and crime fiction writer.Chris Nyst is the founding principal of Nyst Lawyers...   The Broken Shore The Broken Shore The Broken Shore is a Duncan Lawrie Dagger award winning novel by Australian author Peter Temple.-Plot Summary:The novel's central character is Joe Cashin, a Melbourne homicide detective. Following serious physical injuries he is posted to his hometown where he begins the process of rebuilding... by Peter Temple Peter Temple Peter Temple is an Australian crime fiction writer.Formerly a journalist and journalism lecturer, Temple turned to fiction writing in the 1990s. His Jack Irish novels are set in Melbourne, Australia, and feature an unusual lawyer-gambler protagonist...	Out of the Silence by Wendy James Wendy James (author) Wendy James is an Australian author of crime and literary fiction. James received a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Sydney and an MA from University of Technology, Sydney....	Packing Death by Lauchlin McCulloch	NA	NA	NA	Andrew Rule and John Silvester John Silvester John Silvester is an Australian journalist and crime writer. He has written for major Melbourne based newspapers such as The Age, the Sunday Herald Sun and others. Silvester has also co-written a number of bestselling books with Andrew Rule, based on crime in Melbourne. Some of their works formed...
2007 2007 in Australian literature The year 2007 in Australian literature involves some significant new books, drama, poetry and events.For an overview of world literature see 2007 in literature.See also:2006 in Australian literature,2007 in Australia,...	Chain of Evidence Chain of Evidence Chain of Evidence is a 2007 Ned Kelly Award winning novel by the Australian author Garry Disher.-Notes:This is the fourth novel in the author's "Challis/Destry" series of crime novels, following The Dragon Man , Kittyhawk Down , and Snapshot .-Reviews:*"The Age" *"The Australian" *"Australian... by Garry Disher Garry Disher Garry Disher is an Australian author of crime fiction and children's literature.- Awards :*Ned Kelly Awards for Crime Writing, Best Novel, 2007: winner for Chain of Evidence...	Diamond Dove by Adrian Hyland	(tie) Written On The Skin by Liz Porter Killing For Pleasure: The Definitive Story of the Snowtown Murders by Debi Marshal	NA	NA	NA	Sandra Harvey and Lindsay Simpson Lindsay Simpson Lindsay Jane Simpson is an Australian journalist, a university teacher and a writer of crime fiction. Born in Scotland, Simpson arrived in Australia in 1976.Simpson worked as an investigative journalist for The Sydney Morning Herald for twelve years...
2008 2008 in Australian literature The year 2008 in Australian literature involves some significant new books, drama, poetry and events.For an overview of world literature see 2008 in literature.See also:2007 in Australian literature,2008 in Australia,...	Shatter Shatter (novel) Shatter is a psychological thriller written by the Australian author Michael Robotham that was published in 2008. Professor Joseph O'Loughlin is tasked by the police with stopping a woman, Christine Wheeler, from committing suicide, only to fail... by Michael Robotham Michael Robotham Michael Robotham is an Australian crime fiction writer.Formerly a journalist with the Fairfax Press in Sydney he travelled to London and got a job on Fleet Street in 1986. He later became the best-selling pseudonymous author of ten "autobiographies" of people in the arts, Military and sport...	The Low Road The Low Road The Low Road is a 2007 Ned Kelly Award winning novel by the Australian author Chris Womersley.-Awards:*Victorian Premier's Literary Award, Prize for an Unpublished Manuscript by an Emerging Victorian Writer, 2006: shortlisted... by Chris Womersley Chris Womersley Chris Womersley is an Australian author of crime fiction, short stories and poetry. He trained as a radio journalist and has travelled extensively to such places as India, South-East Asia, South America, North America, and West Africa...	Red Centre, Dead Heart by Evan McHugh	NA	NA	NA	Marele Day
2009 2009 in Australian literature The year 2009 in Australian literature involves some significant new books, drama, poetry and events.For an overview of world literature see 2009 in literature.See also:2008 in Australian literature,2009 in Australia,...	Deep Water Deep Water (Peter Corris novel) Deep Water is a 2009 novel in the Cliff Hardy series by Peter Corris. In April 2009, The Independent Weekly called Deep Water "a web of intrigue"... by Peter Corris Peter Corris Peter Robert Corris is an Australian academic, historian, journalist and a novelist of historical and crime fiction... and Smoke & Mirrors by Kel Robertson	Ghostlines by Nick Gadd	The Tall Man by Chloe Hooper Chloe Hooper Chloe Hooper is an Australian author. Her first novel, A Child’s Book of True Crime , was short-listed for the Orange Prize for Literature and was a New York Times Notable Book...	NA	NA	NA	Shane Maloney Shane maloney Shane Maloney born in Hamilton, Victoria is a Melbourne author best known as the creator of the Murray Whelan series of crime novels.-Life and career:...
2010 2010 in Australian literature -Awards and honours:*22 June – Peter Temple wins the Miles Franklin Award for his crime novel Truth.-See also:* Literature* List of years in Australian literature* List of Australian literary awards* 2010 in Australia* 2010 in literature* 2010 in poetry...	Wyatt by Garry Disher Garry Disher Garry Disher is an Australian author of crime fiction and children's literature.- Awards :*Ned Kelly Awards for Crime Writing, Best Novel, 2007: winner for Chain of Evidence...	Kings of the Cross by Mark Dapin Mark Dapin -Writing career:From 1998 to 2002, Dapin was editor and then editor-in-chief of Ralph magazine. He has written for a variety of publications including The Australian Financial Review, Meanjin and Good Weekend...	Pitcairn: Paradise Lost by Kathy Marks Kathy Marks Kathy Marks is a British journalist best known for her work on The Independent who became the newspaper's Asia-Pacific correspondent based in Sydney, Australia, in 1999. Marks covered the Pitcairn sexual assault trial of 2004 on and off that Pacific island and has written a book on the...	NA	NA	NA	Peter Doyle Peter Doyle (writer) Dr. Peter Doyle, BA, Phd is a doctor of Media and Mass Communications, author, musician, and visual artist. He lives in Newtown, and works for Macquarie University where he teaches Print Media Production, as well as being a part-time as a curator of Sydney’s Justice and Police...