“We share this shortlist with a great deal of joy – not only because we get to celebrate these six remarkable writers, but because of what they represent: a glimpse into the future of Australian fiction. And what a future it promises to be. Some of these books will conjure entirely new worlds; others will burrow deep into the ones we know (or think we know). But none of them are written. Not yet. At present, the Paragraph Prize can only fund one project. But our hope is that every one of these stories finds its way into the world.”

Chair of the Paragraph Fellowship Judging Panel, BJ Silcox