Sisters in Crime’s Davitt Awards for the best crime and mystery books by Australian women turn 25 next year and it plans to celebrate in style.
Meanwhile, it is opening the competition early on 1 November to give the judges extra time to evaluate the books. An early bird entry fee of $20 applies until 30 November. From 1 December-31 January, it will cost $30.
Award-winning crime short story writer, Ruth Wykes, is again the Judges’ Coordinator, and said Australian women’s crime writing is riding a huge wave that has left our shores and is now sweeping around the world.
“That wave of popularity is yet to crest. For the 24th Awards, we read 153 books, including a formidable 120 adult novels. So far, we potentially have nearly 150 books in contention for 2025. Whatever the final figure, it will be a massive increase on the seven books nominated back in 2000, when the Awards were launched at Sisters in Crime’s 10th anniversary convention SheKilda (though non-fiction crime weren’t then included),” she said.
“What we love is the hugely different approaches to writing crime. Books like Claire Sutherland’s The Crag and Hayley Scrivenor’s Girl Falling are taking the blowtorch to the rather tired rural noir trope – action has shifted from dry, dusty plains to the mountains, with nail-biting results.
“Narrelle M. Harris’s novel, The She Wolf of Baker Street, features Mrs Audrey Hudson, the housekeeper of 221B Baker Street, Sherlock Holmes’s London residence, Mrs Hudson, who was bitten by a ‘were’ in her youth and on the nights of the full moon, transforms into a werewolf and runs wild in remote parks or forests. It’s a wacky concept but the book is so funny and so well-written, it’s a ripper read.
“Jane Sullivan’s debut crime novel, Murder in Punch Lane, offers a dark view of the theatrical world of Melbourne in 1868. Pip Drysdale’s novel, The Close-Up, transports us to contemporary LA where a struggling author discovers the dark side of fame when a stalker begins reenacting violent events from her thriller.”
Wykes is hoping that more Young Adult novels and children’s novels will be entered.
“YA and children’s books are a delight – so many original themes, so much off-beat humour,” she said.
The competition is open to books by all women, whether cisgender, transgender or intersex, who are citizens/residents of Australia. Self-published books are eligible. Please note that books co-written or co-edited with men or including chapters by men are not eligible.
Publishers have until Friday 31 January 2025 to submit entries. Details here.
The Davitts are again supported by Swinburne University of Technology.
Sisters in Crime will announce a longlist in mid-May and a shortlist in late July.
Six Davitt Awards will be presented at a gala dinner in Melbourne, hopefully in late August: Best Adult Novel; Best Young Adult Novel; Best Children’s Novel; Best Non-fiction Book; Best Debut Book (any category); and Readers’ Choice (as voted the 600+ members of Sisters in Crime Australia).
The Davitts are named after Ellen Davitt, the author of Australia’s first mystery novel, Force and Fraud, in 1865.
The awards are handsome wooden trophies featuring the front cover of the winning book under perspex.
The judging panel for 2025 comprises Ruth Wykes, 2016 Scarlet Stiletto Award winner, author, editor, and review editor; Professor Emerita Christina Lee, 1994 and 1996 Scarlet Stiletto Award winner; Moraig Kisler, Sisters in Crime’s Secretary, and former review editor; Romany Rzechowicz, 2023 Scarlet Stiletto Award winner and communications manager; Dr Philomena Horsley, winner of the 2018 Scarlet Stiletto Award and medical autopsy expert; Ashleigh Meikle, blogger; writer, editor, proofreader, book reviewer; and Cecile Shanahan, editor, proof-reader, and curator of the Bendigo Writers Festival.
The previous Davitts have been presented by Sulari Gentill, multi-award-winning author (2024); Debi Marshall, true crime author & broadcaster (2023); Louise Milligan, true crime author & broadcaster (2023); Debra Oswald, crime author and playwright (2021); Val McDermid, Scottish crime writer (2020, 2010, 2003); Dr Joanne Drayton, NZ crime writer (2019); Sissel-Jo Gazan, Danish crime writer (2018); Hilary Bonney, crime author (2017); Liane Moriarty, Australian crime author (2016); Sophie Hannah, UK crime writer (2015); Lauren Beukes, South Africa crime writer (2014); Vanda Symon, New Zealand crime writer (2013); Åsa Larsson, Swedish crime writer (2012); Shamini Flint, Singaporean crime writer (2011); Justice Betty King (2009), Judge Liz Gaynor (2008); Estelle Blackburn, Walkley-winning investigative journalist (2007); Karen Kissane, true crime writer (2006); Debbie Killroy, Sisters Inside (2005); Karin Slaughter, US crime writer (2004); Sharan Burrow, ACTU President (2002); and Christine Nixon, (then) Chief Commissioner, Victoria Police (2001).
For details of the 2024 Davitt Award winners, go here. More info about the Davitts generally is here.
Sisters in Crime Australia was set up 33 years ago and has chapters in all states. It also hosts a popular annual short story competition, the Scarlet Stiletto Awards, which turns 31 this year.
To enter the Davitts, publishers should contact Ruth Wykes asap on davitts2025@sistersincrime.org.au and get books to the judges before Friday 31 January 2025.
Media comment: Ruth Wykes on davitts2025@sistersincrime.org.au; 0407 898 754 Info: www.sistersincrime.org.au