The Ned Kelly Awards, awarded by the Australian Crime Writers Association have been announced for 2022 with the ACWA chair Karina Kilmore congratulating all 135 authors who entered this year's award.
The full details are included in the announcement below:
The Australian Crime Writers Association received 135 entries for the 2022 Ned Kelly Awards, in another strong year of crime writing. The entries were narrowed to a shortlist of 19 books, across the four award categories: Best Crime Fiction, Best True Crime, Best Debut Crime Fiction, and Best International Crime Fiction published in Australia.
2022 BEST CRIME FICTION
The winner of the 2022 Ned Kelly Award for Best Crime Fiction is: The Chase by Candice Fox (Random House Australia).
The judges praised Fox’s fast-paced storytelling and strong sense of character and setting. “Another great novel from a great writer.”
Fox won the Ned Kelly Award for Best Debut in 2014 for Hades and then followed up by winning the Ned Kelly Award for Best Crime in 2015 for the sequel, Eden. She has also been shortlisted for Ned Kelly Awards for Fall, Crimson Lake and Redemption Point.
2022 BEST TRUE CRIME
The winner of the 2022 Ned Kelly Award for Best True Crime is: Banquet: The Untold Story of Adelaide’s Family Murders, by Debi Marshall (Random House Australia).
The judges said while Banquet was an unflinching look at horrific crimes, it was handled with sensitivity, ensuring the survivors’ stories are explored with compassion.
Marshall is an award-winning investigative journalist who has previously won a Ned Kelly Award for Best True Crime in 2007 for Killing for Pleasure: The Definitive Story of the Snowtown Murders.
2022 BEST DEBUT CRIME FICTION
The winner of the 2022 Ned Kelly Award for Best Debut Crime Fiction: Banjawarn by Josh Kemp (UWA Publishing).
“Banjawarn operates across two genres, gothic and crime, while remaining fiercely Australian. Its engrossing and highly controlled narrative has a strong sense of place and indigenous sovereignty.”
Banjawarn was also joint winner of the 2021 Dorothy Hewett Award for an Unpublished Manuscript.
2021 BEST INTERNATIONAL CRIME FICTION
The winner of the 2022 Ned Kelly Award for Best International Crime Fiction published in Australia is: The Maid by Nita Prose (HarperCollins).
The judges loved the quirky main character, Molly Gray, and the highly readable originality of the story by this debut author.
Browse through the entire listing of the 2022 Ned Kelly Award shortlists or winners and nominees from previous years by visiting out Ned Kelly Awards page.