Tim Winton’s Cloudstreet Voted Australia’s Favourite Book in ABC Poll
Cloudstreet Claims Top Spot in ABC Radio National Poll
Tim Winton’s 1991 novel Cloudstreet took first place in ABC Radio National’s nationwide poll to determine Australia’s top 100 books, the broadcaster announced over the weekend of October 18, 2026. The sprawling postwar Perth epic—following the working-class Lamb and Pickles families—beat Markus Zusak’s The Book Thief in second place and Trent Dalton’s Boy Swallows Universe in third.
Rounding out the top five of the listener-voted countdown were Hannah Kent’s Burial Rites and A.B. Facey’s A Fortunate Life. The final top 100 spanned adult fiction, nonfiction, young adult fiction, children’s picture books, history, and cookbooks.
Voters Split Support Across Different Australian States
Voting behavior split across state lines during the weekend event. Queensland voters favored Trent Dalton’s Boy Swallows Universe, while South Australia and the Australian Capital Territory threw their support behind The Book Thief. The rest of the nation aligned behind Cloudstreet, according to ABC Radio National data.
Winton secured four entries in the final countdown. Beyond the winning novel, his works Breath from 2008 landed at number 33, Dirt Music from 2001 took 41st place, and his 2024 book Juice placed 88th. Speaking from a Perth studio, Winton told ABC Radio National that he felt honoured and slightly bewildered by the result for a book he wrote in his twenties.
It’s something I wrote when I was in my 20s. I’m not ashamed to have written it, but I can’t quite make out what the fuss is about. I don’t go back and read it but I’m quite aware of the place it has in some people’s hearts because they write to me about it still. It’s a mystery, but it’s a great mystery. Somehow stories touch people.
Other prominent authors secured multiple positions on the list. Helen Garner, Melissa Lucashenko, Geraldine Brooks, Anna Funder, Peter Carey, and Hannah Kent each landed multiple books in the top 100.
Inclusion of Non-Fiction and Cookbooks Spark Debate
The inclusion of cookbooks generated considerable listener discussion throughout the broadcast. Stephanie Alexander’s The Cook’s Companion placed at number 56, and Nagi Maehashi’s RecipeTin Eats: Dinner entered the count at number 96. Maryanne Blacker and Pamela Clark’s The Australian Women’s Weekly Children’s Birthday Cake Book secured the 22nd spot.
The earliest published work on the list was Marcus Clarke’s 1874 novel For the Term of His Natural Life at number 80. The most recent additions were Sally Hepworth’s Mad Mabel and Charlotte McConaghy’s Wild Dark Shore, both published in 2025.
Kate Evans, host of ABC Radio National’s literary show The Bookshelf, noted that the final tally captured a broad cross-section of national literature. The countdown ranged from audacious literary fiction and historical accounts to joyful children’s books, Indigenous stories, and family narratives.
Alongside the literary countdown, the broadcast highlighted fundraising efforts for the Indigenous Literacy Foundation, with public donations reaching $142,638 by the close of the weekend event.