The Asher Literary Award was established in 2005 and is one of five prizes and awards administered by the Australian Centre at the University of Melbourne. It is worth $10,000.
The 2009 winner was The Orphan Gunner (Sara Knox, Giramondo) and The Ghost at the Wedding (Shirley Walker, Penguin).
2011 Shortlist
The shortlisted titles are:
* Swamplands (Van Badham, play)
* Tales from a Mountain City (Quynh Dao, Odyssey Books)
* Ruin (Roberta Lowing, Interactive Press)
* Pirate Rain (Jennifer Maiden, Giramondo)
* The Old School (P M Newton, Penguin).