Australian author Andy Griffiths has been named the 2026 Australian Children’s Laureate, recognising his enormous impact on young readers around the world. Best known for his wildly popular Treehouse series, created with illustrator Terry Denton, Griffiths has spent decades inspiring children to read through humour, imagination, and playful storytelling. The award celebrates his ability to make books joyful and accessible, helping generations of young readers discover a lifelong love of stories.

More information ➥ Australian Children's Laurate

The State Library of Victoria (in Melbourne) features fantastic exhibitions about books and reading. One of those is the World of the Book exhibition, which showcases over 300 rare and historically significant items tracing the history of book design, production and illustration from the ancient past to the present. It includes treasures like the world's first novel, The Tale of Genji, and first editions by authors such as Jane Austen. When you are in Melbourne, it is worth a visit.

➥ State Library of Victoria World of Books 

Inspired by Triple J's iconic Hottest 100 music countdown, ABC Radio launched an annual listener-voted countdown celebrating books and literature. The theme focused on the Top 100 Books of the 21st Century (published between January 1, 2000, and August 2025). Hundreds of thousands of votes were cast by readers across Australia. The initiative covered fiction, non-fiction, historical narrative, and contemporary classics across global and Australian authorship.

➥ www.abc.net.au/listen/radionational/top100books