Nita Kibble Literary Award


The Kibble Literary Awards comprise two awards — the Nita B Kibble Literary Award, which recognises the work of an established Australian female writer, and the Dobbie Literary Award, which is for a first published work by a female writer. The Awards recognise the works of women writers of fiction or non-fiction classified as 'life writing'. This includes novels, autobiographies, biographies, literature and any writing with a strong personal element.
The Kibble Literary Awards were established in 1994 and are named in honour of Nita Kibble, who was the first woman to be a librarian with the State Library of New South Wales. She was Principal Research Librarian from 1919 until her retirement in 1943, and was a founding member of the Australian Institute of Librarians.
The Kibble Awards for Women Writers were established by Nita Dobbie, through her will, in recognition of her aunt, Nita Kibble, who had raised her from birth after her mother died. Miss Dobbie followed her aunt into the library profession. She believed there was a need to foster women’s writing in the community. The awards are currently worth A$35,000 in total.
The Trust established for the award is managed by Perpetual Limited, and the award is administered in association with the State Library of New South Wales.
Both awards were presented annually from their inception until 2016, when they were changed to biennial presentation.

Winners of the Nita B Kibble Literary Award for Women Writers

Winners are listed in bold type.
2014
2013
2012
2011
2010
2009
  • Births Deaths and Marriages: True tales, Georgia Blain
  • An Exacting Heart: The story of Hephzibah Menuhin, Jacqueline Kent
  • The After Life: A memoir, Kathleen Stewart
2008
  • Sorry, Gail Jones
  • Burning In, Mireille Juchau
  • Nights in the Asylum, Carol Lefevre
2007
  • Agamemnon's Kiss, Inga Clendinnen
  • Captain Starlight's Apprentice, Kathryn Heyman
  • Dreams of Speaking, Gail Jones
  • Ida Leeson: A Life, Sylvia Martin
  • Careless, Deborah Robertson
2006
2005
2004
2003
2002
  • The Fog Garden, Marion Halligan
  • A Certain Style: Beatrice Davis, A Literary Life, Jacqueline Kent
  • Other People's Words, Hilary McPhee
2001
2000
  • Stravinsky's Lunch, Drusilla Modjeska
  • Isobel on the Way to the Corner Shop, Amy Witting
1999
  • , Geraldine Brooks
1998
  • Glass After Glass: Autobiographical Reflections, Barbara Blackman
  • Snake Cradle, Roberta Sykes
  • Paradise Mislaid: In Search of the Australian Tribe of Paraguay, Anne Whitehead
1997
  • Night Surfing, Fiona Capp
  • The Service of Clouds, Delia Falconer
  • , Helen Garner
1996
  • Judy Cassab: Diaries, Judy Cassab
  • Caravanserai: Journey among Australian Muslims, Hanifa Deen
1995
1994'''