The votes are in. Your Favourite Australian Author is…

After an Australia-wide call for nominations and two weeks of voting (first the heats, then the finals), your Favourite Australian Author for 2017 is ready to be revealed!

This year we had an incredible response to our poll. We received well over 100,000 of votes, so thank you all for taking the time to vote. In doing so, you’ve made this poll one of the most popular and authoritative reader polls in Australia!

As Booktopia ships books to every corner of Australia – from our concrete jungles to lush rainforests, from our isolated cattle stations to our suburban sprawls – you can be sure our readers and voters represent a diverse cross-section of Australians. This poll then is a true representation of who Australians love to read.

So who did Australia vote for? Who made the Top 10? And most importantly, who is Australia’s Favourite Australian Author for 2017? Scroll to find out!

Also, congratulations to our winner of the $1000 book pack! P. Fox, Maroubra, NSW.

Australia’s Favourite Australian Authors: 10-1

10. Markus Zusak

Markus Zusak is the author of the international bestseller, The Book Thief, which is translated into more than forty languages and has spent more than a decade on the New York Times bestseller list.

In 2014, Zusak received the American Library Association’s Margaret Edwards Award for significant and lasting contribution to young adult literature, for his body of work ranging from The Underdog to The Book Thief. Visit Markus’ Booktopia author page.

9. Andy Griffiths

Andy Griffiths is one of Australia’s most popular children’s authors. Andy is best known for The Treehouse series (illustrated by Terry Denton), The JUST! books and The Day My Bum Went Psycho. Over the last 20 years Andy’s books have been New York Times bestsellers, adapted for the stage and television, and won more than 50 Australian children’s choice awards.

Andy, a passionate advocate for literacy, is an ambassador for The Indigenous Literacy Foundation and The Pyjama Foundation. Visit Andy’s Booktopia author page.

8. Liane Moriarty

Liane Moriarty is the author of seven internationally best-selling novels, including The Husband’s Secret, Big Little Lies and Truly Madly Guilty. Liane became the first Australian author to have a novel debut at number one on the New York Times bestseller list with Big Little Lies. Film and television rights were snapped up by Nicole Kidman and Reese Witherspoon and the series will screen in February 2017.

Truly Madly Guilty also debuted at number one in its first week of publication on the New York Times bestseller list, and both Big Little Lies and Truly Madly Guilty were number one bestsellers in Australia. Listen to Liane chat about Truly Madly Guilty. Visit Liane’s Booktopia author page.

7. Di Morrissey

Di Morrissey is one of the most successful Australian authors, with over two million copies of her books sold. She trained as a journalist, working in the media around the world. Her fascination with different countries – their landscape, and  their cultural, political and environmental issues – forms the inspiration for her novels.

Some of Di’s titles include: Heart of the Dreaming, The Last Rose of Summer, The Songmaster, Scatter the Stars, Blaze,  The Reef, The Valley, The Silent Country, The Plantation, The Opal Desert, The Golden Land, The Winter Sea, The Road Back and Rain Music. Her new novel A Distant Journey was published in 2016. Listen to Di chat about this latest novel. Visit Di’s Booktopia author page.

6. Anh Do

Anh Do is a Vietnamese-born Australian author, actor and comedian. He has appeared on many Australian TV shows such as Thank God You’re Here and Good News Week, and was runner-up on Dancing With The Stars in 2007.

His children’s books include the popular WeirDo series, The Little Refugee and his latest, What Do They Do with All the Poo from All of the Animals at the Zoo? His memoir is The Happiest Refugee. He’s won multiple awards including the ABIA (Australian Book Industry Awards) Book of the Year, ABIA Biography of the Year 2011, ABIA Newcomer of the Year 2011, and the Non-fiction Indie Book of the Year 2011. Visit Anh’s Booktopia author page.

5. John Marsden

John Marsden is Australia’s most popular writer of young adult fiction. His books have sold more than a million copies worldwide, and he has either won or been shortlisted for every major award for young adult literature in Australia. This includes the Children’s Book Council of Australia Book of the Year, the National Children’s Book Award, and many children’s choice awards.

The gripping war series, which began with Tomorrow When the War Began, broke all sales records for young adult fiction and was recently released as a feature film. So Much to Tell You, originally published in 1987, was his first young adult novel. Visit John’s Booktopia author page.

4. Bryce Courtenay

Bestselling author Bryce Courtenay was born in 1933 in South Africa. He grew up among farm folk and the African people. His life inspired incredible stories such as The Power of One, Tania, The Night Country and many more bestsellers.

Bryce died in Australia in 2012.  The Silver Moon: Reflections and Stories on Life, Death and Writing was published in 2014, where Bryce reflected on how he tried to make the most out of life. Visit Bryce’s Booktopia author page.

3. Mem Fox

Mem Fox is Australia’s most highly regarded picture-book author. Her first book, Possum Magic, is the best selling children’s book ever in Australia, with sales of over three and a half million. And in the USA Time for Bed and Wilfrid Gordon McDonald Partridge have each sold over a million copies. Time for Bed is on Oprah’s list of the twenty best children’s books of all time.

Mem has written over thirty picture books for children and five non-fiction books for adults, including the best-selling Reading Magic, aimed at parents of very young children. Her book Ten Little Fingers and Ten Little Toes beautifully illustrated by Helen Oxenbury, was on the New York Times bestseller lists for 16 weeks in 2008/2009. Visit Mem’s Booktopia author page.

2. Tim Winton

The pre-eminent Australian novelist of his generation, Tim’s first novel, An Open Swimmer, won the Australian Vogel Award and his second novel Shallows, won the Miles Franklin Award. Tim’s fifth novel, Cloudstreet has been a bestseller since publication in 1991. The Riders was shortlisted for the Booker Prize. Dirt Music was published to critical acclaim and was shortlisted for the 2002 Man Booker Prize, and won the 2002 Miles Franklin Award. Breath was awarded the 2009 Miles Franklin Prize for Literature.

His latest title is his memoir, The Boy Behind the Curtain. He lives in Western Australia with his wife and three children. Get an intimate and rare view of Tim’s imagination in his chat with John Purcell. Visit Tim’s Booktopia author page.

1. Matthew Reilly

Matthew Reilly is the international bestselling author of numerous novels including Ice Station, Area 7, Scarecrow (books in the Scarecrow series), Seven Ancient Wonders, The Six Sacred Stones and The Five Greatest Warriors (books in the Jack West Jr. series), Contest, and Hover Car Racer.

Published in over 20 countries and known for their highly visual style, fast pace and large-scale action scenes, over 7.5 million copies of his books have been sold around the world, more than a million copies apiece between Australia, the UK and the USA.

Some of his works have been optioned by film studios for series or feature production, and he continues to create works of fiction across all major media platforms, from short stories, through to novellas and screenplays.Visit Matthew’s Booktopia author page.

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About the Contributor

Anastasia Hadjidemetri

Anastasia Hadjidemetri is the former editor of The Booktopian and star of Booktopia's weekly YouTube show, Booked with Anastasia. A big reader and lover of books, Anastasia relishes the opportunity to bring you all the latest news from the world of books.