Overview

• Nam Le’s second publication, 36 Ways of Writing a Vietnamese Poem, was named Book of the Year and won the Multicultural NSW Award at the 2025 NSW Literary Awards.
• The judges praised the work for its poetic brilliance and its unflinching exploration of diasporic identity, addressing themes of family, race, and trauma.
• This marks Le’s second Book of the Year win at the NSW Literary Awards, following his 2009 debut success with The Boat.
• Other major winners include Fiona McFarlane for Highway 13 (Christina Stead Prize for Fiction) and James Bradley for Deep Water (Douglas Stewart Prize for Non-fiction).
• The 2025 awards drew 733 entries, with judges commending the fearless integrity and thematic depth of this year’s winners.