Literary Awards

• Queensland Premier's Literary Award for Fiction, 2003, for DUE PREPARATIONS FOR THE PLAGUE

. Patrick White Award for lifetime literary achievement, Australia, 2003

. Davitt Award for "Best Crime Novel by an Australian Woman in 2003" awarded by Sisters in Crime, one of Australia's largest literary societies, for DUE PREPARATIONS.

. OYSTER: New York Times' Editors' Choice and Notable Books List, 1998
finalist for Australia’s Miles Franklin and National Book Awards, l996
finalist for Canada’s Trillium Award, l996

. THE LAST MAGICIAN: listed in Publishers' Weekly "Best 50 Books of l992" and "Best 12 Novels of l992";
New York Times' "Most Notable Books of l992" list;
finalist for Miles Franklin Award, Australia;
finalist for the Trillium Award, Canada

. National Magazine Awards, Canada, l991: Gold Medal for Travel Writing (article on India, published Kingston Whig-Standard Magazine in spring 1990.

. ISOBARS: finalist for the Trillium Award, Canada, 1990

. CHARADES: finalist for Australia's two major literary awards, the Miles Franklin Award and the National Book Council award, l989

. DISLOCATIONS: winner of 1988 Fiction Award, Fellowship of Australian Writers; Torgi Award, Canadian Assoc for the Blind, l988

. Runner-up for National Book Award, Australia, at Adelaide Arts Festival l986, for BORDERLINE.

. Named in Canada's Best Ten Younger Writers, l986

. The Seal Award ($50,000) for THE IVORY SWING, Canada, l982

. First Prize, Magazine Fiction, Foundation for the Advancement of Canadian Letters, l982