Best Australian books of the 21st century – Part 2
The literary world has been buzzing with conversations about The New York Times’ recently announced 100 Best Books of the 21st Century. As fierce advocates for Australian literature we were disappointed not to see any of our own remarkable writers on the list . . . and as fierce advocates for Australian literature we’ve decided to do something about it.
We reached out to members of the Australian literary community, from writers to publishers and our own passionate booksellers, asking them to nominate their favourite Australian books, published since 2000. The result is this list of the 30 best Australian books of the 21st century. We hope it will encourage you to pick up a local book that you haven't read yet, or to shout out your own favourite – we're excited to see the community's response to these rankings!
From over 600 votes, here are the titles that made it to number 11–20 on the list. Keep an eye on our website and social media over the next couple of days as we count down to number one.
– Joe Rubbo
In case you missed it, see the books that make up numbers 21-30 on our list here!
#20
Year of Wonders by Geraldine Brooks
'Geraldine Brooks won the Pulitzer Prize for her sophomore novel March, but it's Year of Wonders that I return to again and again. Set during the Great Plague of London, this brilliant historical novel fictionalises the true story of the people of Eyam, who made the decision to quarantine their village for over a year rather than risk spreading the plague to their neighbours. I most recently reread this book during the 2020 pandemic lockdowns in Victoria, and it was such a timely and vivid reminder of the power of community action and the importance of holding on to your humanity when the world is collapsing around you.'
– Lian Hingee, bookseller
'Year of Wonders was not only an insight into an historical event but an utterly gripping and wonderful read'
– Leone Hodgson, publisher
#19
The White Girl by Tony Birch
In The White Girl, Tony Birch has created memorable characters whose capacity for love and courage are a timely reminder of the endurance of the human spirit. Odette Brown has lived her whole life on the fringes of a small country town. Raising her granddaughter Sissy on her own, Odette has managed to stay under the radar of the welfare authorities who are removing Aboriginal children from their communities. When the menacing Sergeant Lowe arrives in town, determined to fully enforce the law, any freedom that Odette and Sissy enjoy comes under grave threat.
#18
Jasper Jones by Craig Silvey
Late on a hot summer night in 1965, Charlie Bucktin, a precocious and bookish boy of 13, is startled by an urgent knock on the window of his sleep-out. His visitor is Jasper Jones, an outcast in the regional mining town of Corrigan.
Rebellious, mixed-race and solitary, Jasper is a distant figure of danger and intrigue for Charlie. So when Jasper begs for his help, Charlie eagerly steals into the night by his side, terribly afraid but desperate to impress. Jasper takes him through town and to his secret glade in the bush, and it’s here that Charlie bears witness to Jasper’s horrible discovery.
#17
The Museum of Modern Love by Heather Rose
'All these books come back to me in some way however it's Heather Rose's The Museum of Modern Love that still evokes images and lines of writing to come into my mind – even though I read it in 2017. Weaving two central narratives, that of the performance artist Marina Abramovic alongside her piece 'The Artist is Present', which went for 75 days in the summer of 2010 and a fictional attendee, Arky Levin whose life is at a difficult crossroads. Art and love are central to this work, with smaller stories of other attendees interspersed throughout. I think it is the character Jane who best sums up this work and it's impact upon me: 'I think art saves people all the time . . . I know art has saved me on several occasions'
– Carolyn Watson, bookseller
#16
Too Much Lip by Melissa Lucashenko
Too much lip, her old problem from way back. And the older she got, the harder it seemed to get to swallow her opinions. The avalanche of bullshit in the world would drown her if she let it; the least she could do was raise her voice in anger.
Wise-cracking Kerry Salter has spent a lifetime avoiding two things - her hometown and prison. But now her Pop is dying and she's an inch away from the lockup, so she heads south on a stolen Harley.
Gritty and darkly hilarious, Too Much Lip offers redemption and forgiveness where none seems possible.
#15
How to End a Story: Diaries 1995-1998 by Helen Garner
Helen Garner’s third volume of diaries is an account of a woman fighting to hold on to a marriage that is disintegrating around her. This is a harrowing story, a portrait of the messy, painful, dark side of love lost, of betrayal and sadness and the sheer force of a woman’s anger. But it is also a story of resilience and strength, strewn with sharp insight, moments of joy and hope, the immutable ties of motherhood and the regenerative power of a room of one’s own.
#14
Stasiland by Anna Funder
'Stasiland changed the Australian literary landscape forever. The book is both personal and political, tracing how the surveillance state corrupted even the most intimate relationships between people in the former East Germany. It's a powerful reminder that Australian authors don't have to stick to only Australian themes and histories – that with Funder-esque brilliance and moral courage, we can develop unique perspectives on the rest of the world.'
– Ceridwen Dovey, author
#13
Boy Swallows Universe by Trent Dalton
A story of brotherhood, true love and the most unlikely of friendships, Boy Swallows Universe will be the most heartbreaking, joyous and exhilarating novel you will read all year – an instant Australian classic.
Brisbane, 1983: A lost father, a mute brother, a mum in jail, a heroin dealer for a stepfather and a notorious crim for a babysitter. It’s not as if Eli’s life isn’t complicated enough already. He’s just trying to follow his heart, learning what it takes to be a good man, but life just keeps throwing obstacles in the way – not least of which is Tytus Broz, legendary Brisbane drug dealer.
#12
True History of the Kelly Gang by Peter Carey
'A lyrical, wild and brutal novel, Carey leans on the often unreliable history of the Kelly outbreak. The narrative breathes life into a dubious icon with an unforgettable and fresh voice for a well-trodden subject. Carey’s work captures the social divisions and landscape that make north east Victoria ‘Kelly Country’.'
– Leilani Mason, publisher
#11
The Boat by Nam Le
In 1979, Nam Le’s family left Vietnam for Australia, an experience that inspires the first and last stories in The Boat. In between, however, Le’s imagination lays claim to the world.
The Boat takes us from a tourist in Tehran to a teenage hit man in Colombia; from the city of Hiroshima just before the bomb is dropped to the haunting waste of the South China Sea in the wake of another war. Each story is absorbing and fully realised as a novel. Together, they make up a collection of astonishing diversity and achievement.
See the books that make up the top 10 here!
