Tim Winton’s Cloudstreet Voted Australia’s Favourite Book in ABC Radio Poll
Tim Winton’s 1991 classic leads an ABC Radio National poll of the top 100 Australian books, followed by works from Markus Zusak and Trent Dalton.
At a glance
- Tim Winton's 1991 epic Cloudstreet placed first in a nationwide ABC Radio National poll to determine Australia's top 100 books.
- The Book Thief by Markus Zusak and Boy Swallows Universe by Trent Dalton finished in second and third place, respectively.
- The diverse list spanned works from 1874 to 2025, including children's titles, literary fiction, and iconic Australian cookbooks.
Tim Winton’s acclaimed novel *Cloudstreet* has been named Australia’s favourite book following a nationwide poll conducted by ABC Radio National to identify the country's top 100 literary works.
The results, announced over the weekend, placed Markus Zusak’s 2005 international bestseller *The Book Thief* in second position, while Trent Dalton’s *Boy Swallows Universe* secured third place.
First published in 1991, *Cloudstreet* chronicles the intertwined lives of two working-class families, the Lambs and the Pickles, sharing a large house in postwar Perth over a span of two decades. The work was Winton’s fifth novel and ninth book overall. It earned numerous honours upon release, including the prestigious Miles Franklin Literary Award in 1992, and has since sold hundreds of thousands of copies across Australia while serving as an enduring fixture in secondary school literature curricula.
This poll marks another top ranking for *Cloudstreet*, which previously won public and industry backing in separate 2003 surveys conducted by the ABC and the Australian Society of Authors. The novel was also included in the BBC's 2019 list of 100 novels that shaped the world.
Diverse Genres and Eras
The broadcaster's top 100 list spanned a broad spectrum of reading, encompassing adult fiction, nonfiction, young adult literature, children’s picture books, history, and culinary writing.
Cookbooks achieved notable placements, with *The Australian Women’s Weekly Children’s Birthday Cake Book* ranking at number 22. Stephanie Alexander’s foundational reference work *The Cook’s Companion* placed at number 56, while Nagi Maehashi’s *RecipeTin Eats: Dinner* entered the list at number 96.
Several acclaimed authors achieved multiple entries in the rankings, including Peter Carey, Helen Garner, Geraldine Brooks, Melissa Lucashenko, Anna Funder, and Hannah Kent. Notable children's authors featured on the list included Mem Fox, Paul Jennings, Alison Lester, Jeannie Baker, and Ruth Park.
The chronological range spanned more than a century and a half. The oldest entry was Marcus Clarke’s 1874 convict novel *For the Term of His Natural Life* at number 80. At the opposite end, the newest selections were Sally Hepworth’s *Mad Mabel* and Charlotte McConaghy’s *Wild Dark Shore*, both published in 2025.
Kate Evans, co-host of ABC Radio National’s literary programme *The Bookshelf*, noted that the compilation stretched from audacious literary fiction and historical analyses to vibrant children’s tales, First Nations accounts, and deeply personal family stories, showing the rich variety of Australian reading habits.
Source: The Guardian World.
Questions and answers
- Which book won the ABC Radio National poll of top Australian books?
- Tim Winton's 1991 novel Cloudstreet was voted Australia's favourite book in the nationwide poll.
- Which titles finished in second and third place?
- Markus Zusak’s The Book Thief came in second, while Trent Dalton’s Boy Swallows Universe ranked third.
- What were the oldest and newest books on the list?
- The oldest work was Marcus Clarke’s 1874 novel For the Term of His Natural Life, while the newest were 2025 releases by Sally Hepworth and Charlotte McConaghy.
