Magabala Books is thrilled to announce that Always Was, Always Will Be, Hairy Holes, Gurawul the Whale and Robert Runs have been longlisted for the 2025 ASLA DANZ Children’s Book Awards.

They were selected by over 110 children and teenagers from across Australia and New Zealand. The longlist came from an outstanding field of 135 books made up of Graphic Novels, Non- Fiction, Poetry, and Young Adult Novels celebrating diverse people and communities in a balanced and authentic way.

Hairy Holes by Brenton E McKenna appeared in the Graphic Novel category, Robert Runs by Mariah Sweetman has been recognised in the Young Adult Novel category, while Max Dulumunmun Harrison and Laura La Rosa's Gurawul the Whale and Aunty Fay Muir and Sue Lawson's Always Was, Always Will Be were listed in the Non-Fiction category.

We are over the moon to see these four wonderful books in the ASLA DANZ Children’s Book Awards and congratulate the deadly creators who made them.

Upcoming important dates for these awards:

Shortlist announced: April 2025
Winners crowned at the ASLA Conference: May 2025