The organisers of the awards today announced the 62 short-listed authors. The independently run awards were created in the wake of Campbell Newman's post-election decision to axe the government-supported Queensland Premier's Literary Awards.

Organisers of the new Queensland Literary Awards received more than 600 entries from across the 14 categories this year.

QLA chairman Stuart Glover said the standard of entry had been “overwhelming” with leading names like Peter Carey, Anna Funder, Kate Grenville, Frank Moorhouse, Jane Gleeson-White, William McInnes and Brisbane's Patrick Holland all short listed in different categories.

“In the Young Adult Book category we have five shortlisted; however, we could easily have shortlisted 15 given the calibre of entries; it was remarkable,” he said in a statement.

“Similarly, the Short Story category attracted one of the strongest fields in years; this will be hotly contested – again testament to the unwavering appeal of the written word.”

Dr Glover said the awards had happened this year “because businesses, universities, cultural organisations and hundreds of individuals have got behind them”.

“We don't know what will happen in 2013, but we hope we will continue to receive support from all levels of the community,” he said.

“We would welcome the return of government support, as government is one of many stakeholders in state's literary life, but regardless, the community has spoken about the importance of writing and literature.”

The winners of this year's awards will be announced on September 4.

Full list of nominees:

FICTION BOOK AWARD

• Peter Carey, The Chemistry of Tears, Penguin Books
• Anna Funder, All That I Am, Penguin Books
• Kate Grenville, Sarah Thornhill, Text Publishing
• Alex Miller, Autumn Laing, Allen&Unwin
• Frank Moorhouse, Cold Light, Random House Books

SCIENCE WRITER AWARD

• Robyn Arianrhod, Seduced by Logic, UQP
• Frank Bowden, Gone Viral, UNSW Press
• Rob Brooks, Sex, Genes & Rock 'n' Roll, UNSW Press
• Dr Richard Smith, Australia: The Time Traveller's Guide, ABC

NON-FICTION BOOK AWARD

• Robin De Crespigny, The People Smuggler, Penguin Books
• Jane Gleeson-White, Double Entry, Allen&Unwin
• Patrick Holland, Riding the Trains in Japan, Transit lounge
• William McInnes and Sarah Watt, Worse Things Happen at Sea, Hachette Australia
• Alice Pung, Her Father's Daughter, Black Inc

EMERGING QUEENSLAND AUTHOR – MANUSCRIPT AWARD

• Aaron Smibert, Scratches on the Surface
• Luke Thomas, Home Mechanics
• Catherine Titasey, Island of the Unexpected
• Ariella Van Luyn, Hidden Objects

UNPUBLISHED INDIGENOUS WRITER – DAVID UNAIPON AWARD

• Siv Parker, Story
• Ellen van Neerven-Currie, Hard
• Dorothy Williams-Kemp, My Journey that May Never End

LITERARY OR MEDIA WORK ADVANCING PUBLIC DEBATE – HARRY WILLIAMS AWARD

• Paul Cleary, Too Much Luck: The Mining Boom and Australia's Future, Black Inc
• George Megalogenis, The Australian Moment: How We Were Made for These Times, Penguin Books
• Michael Wesley, There Goes the Neighbourhood, UNSW Press

POETRY COLLECTION – JUDITH WRIGHT CALANTHE AWARD

• Anthony Lawrence, The Welfare of My Enemy, Puncher & Wattman Poetry
• David McCooey, Outside, Salt Publishing
• Rhyll McMaster, Late Night Shopping, Brandl & Schlesinger
• Peter Rose, Crimson Crop, UWA Publishing
• Simon West, The Yellow Gum's Conversion, Puncher & Wattman

HISTORY BOOK AWARD

• Robyn Arianrhod, Seduced by Logic, UQP
• James Boyce, 1835: The Founding of Melbourne and the Conquest of Australia, Black Inc
• Bill Gammage, The Biggest Estate on Earth, Allen&Unwin
• Nicole Moore, The Censor's Library, UQP

CHILDREN'S BOOK AWARDS

• Pamela Rushby, The Horses Didn't Come Home, HarperCollins
• John Flanagan, Brotherband 1: The Outcasts, Random House Books
• Libby Gleeson and Freya Blackwood, Look a Book!, Little Hair Books
• Elizabeth Honey, Ten Blue Wrens, Allen&Unwin
• Briony Stewart, Kumiko and the Shadow Catchers, UQP

YOUNG ADULT BOOK AWARD

• Kirsty Eagar, Night Beach, Penguin Books
• Neil Grant, The Ink Bridge, Allen&Unwin
• Judith Clarke, Three Summers, Allen&Unwin
• Margo Lanagan, Sea Hearts, Allen&Unwin
• Vikki Wakefield, All I Ever Wanted, Text Publishing

AUSTRALIAN SHORT STORY COLLECTION - STEELE RUDD AWARD

• Rodney Hall, Silence, UWA Publishing
• Marion Halligan, Shooting the Fox, Allen&Unwin
• John Kinsella, In the Shade of the Shady Tree, Swallow Press, Ohio University Press
• Ryan O'Neill, The Weight of a Human Heart, Black Inc
• Janette Turner Hospital, Forecast: Turbulence, HarperCollins

TELEVISION SCRIPT AWARD

• Blake Ayshford, The Straits Yawor - My Lovely Episode 3, Matchbox Pictures
• Brendan Cowell, The Slap Harry - Episode 3, Matchbox Pictures
• Anthony Mullins, Strange Calls Phantom - Episode 3, Hoodlum Active
• Sue Smith, Mabo, Blackfella Films
• Liz Doran, Dance Academy The Prix de Fonteyn - Episode 24, Werner Films

DRAMA SCRIPT (STAGE) AWARD

• Angela Betzien, War Crimes
• Wayne Blair, Bloodland
• Patricia Cornelius, Taxi
• Rita Kalnejais, Baby Teeth
• Lally Katz, A Golem Story

FILM SCRIPT AWARD

• Louise Fox, Dead Europe, See-Saw Films
• Miro Bilbra, Being Venice, Dragon Net Films
• Shane Armstrong and SP Krauss, Rarer Monsters
• Brendan Cowell, Save Your Legs, Robyn Kershaw Productions