Prime Minister Julia Gillard and Arts Minister Simon Crean today announced the winners of the 2012 Prime Minister's Literary Awards.
The inaugural poetry award went to Interferon Psalms byLuke Davies.
Gillian Mears was awarded the 2012 fiction award for her novel Foal's Bread.
When We Were Twoby Robert Newton won the young adult fiction award.
In the children's fiction category, the bedtime picture book Goodnight, Mice! by Frances Watts and illustrated by Judy Watson took out the prize.
An Eye for Eternity: The Life of Manning Clarkby Mark McKenna won the non-fiction award
Bill Gammage won the Prime Minister's Prize for Australian History for his workThe Biggest Estate on Earth: How Aborigines Made Australia.
The Prime Minister congratulated the winners who were selected from an impressive and competitive list of 30 shortlisted entries across the six categories.
This year saw the largest number of entries since the inception of the Awards. With the introduction of the new poetry award and incorporation of the Prize for Australian History, the number of works entered grew from 379 in 2011 to 509 in 2012.
The winner of each category receivedan $80,000 tax free prize and the shortlisted authors received$5,000 tax free as recognition for their achievement.
The Prime Minister encouraged all Australians to read not only the winners but also the shortlisted entries that represent the most creative and engaging writing in Australia today.
In recognition of the importance of reading and literacy, the Gillard Government has invested $1.3 million in the 2012 National Year of Reading to encourage Australians everywhere to reignite their passion for reading and great Australian stories.
Mr Crean said this year's winning and short listed entries again demonstrate the breadth and diversity of Australian literary talent and historical expertise.
From powerful insights into moments in Australian history to skilled biography and technically daring poetry, Australia is celebrating an era of confident creativity.
For more information about the Prime Minister's Literary Awards, visit www.arts.gov.au/pmla
For more information about the National Year of Reading, visit www.love2read.org.au