The shortlist, selected by nine teen judges based around Australia, includes 10 titles across two categories – one for national and one for international fiction.

Teen judge Sylvia said agreeing on a shortlist wasn’t easy, but she relished the opportunity for young adults to have their say on the books that mattered to them.

“Being part of the Inky Awards was one of the craziest yet most rewarding experiences of my life. Not only did I get to read the 20 longlisted books, which is a book lover’s dream come true, but I made so many friends from all around Australia,” Sylvia said.

More on the Bendigo Writers Festival:

Writers festival school program coordinator Sarah Mayor Cox said it was exciting to host the Inky Awards shortlist announcement at the festival for the first time.

“The Inky Awards are a natural fit for us, and enhance the program's appeal to budding writers and young readers,” Ms Mayor Cox said.

The Gold Inky Award shortlist includes:

Meanwhile, five titles had been placed on the Silver Inky Award shortlist:

Public voting is now open to teen readers on the State Library’s youth literature website insideadog.com.au

Voting closes on 16 September at 5.30pm, and the winners will be announced at State Library Victoria on October 2.

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