Biffy James’s Completely Normal (and Other Lies) has won $15,000 in the Young Adult Fiction Award category (for readers aged 12 to 18 years), at the 2024 South Australian Literary Awards!

Introduced in 1986, the South Australian Literary Awards are supported by the Government of South Australia through Arts South Australia, and proudly managed by the State Library of South Australia. 2024 heralds a new era for the Awards with the unveiling of a fresh look and new name.

Of Biffy’s win, award judges noted “Completely normal (and other lies) was unputdownable, a cracker of a read, and the unanimous winner.” They went on; “A beautifully crafted novel that speaks to the here and now of young people’s experiences in a sophisticated and layered way. Elizabeth ‘Biffy’ James insightfully explores love, grief, mental health and friendship, capturing the heartbreaking and hilarious day-to-day life of the modern teenager.”

This South Australian Literary Award win is one of a slew that Biffy and Completely Normal have racked up since the debut novel launched in 2022 with Hardie Grant Books. Biffy was also the Readings Books’ inaugural winner of the Gab Williams Prize, Griffith University Young Adult Book Award winner, and CBCA Shadow Judging winner too!

Another hearty congratulations to this most extraordinary YA author!