Supporting and promoting Australian literature

Writing Australia, located within Creative Australia, will provide direct support to the literature sector to grow local and international audiences for Australian books, planning for new investments and providing strategic advice. 

Writing Australia was established by the Creative Australia Act 2023. This was the final piece of legislation in establishing all the functions of Creative Australia under the National Cultural Policy, Revive: A place for every story, a story for every place.

The new body is responsible for:  

• supporting and promoting the Australian literature sector
• supporting and promoting the development of markets and audiences for Australian literature
• The Prime Minister’s Literary Awards, which has been delivered by Creative Australia since 2023, will be delivered by Writing Australia from 2025.  

The Writing Australia Council will provide strategic advice and recommendations regarding the priority investment, development, and research needs of the book industry in Australia. Appointments to the Council were announced by the Hon Tony Burke MP, Minister for the Arts on 1 July 2025.

Writing Australia will receive more than $26m over three years for new investment. This is in addition to the $7.8 million that Creative Australia invests annually for literature projects. View the latest investment opportunities.

We have launched important reading research which will provide insights about Australian’s reading habits and identify tools the industry can use to drive engagement with books and reading. This research will also inform the development of programs considered by the Writing Australia Council.