Celebrating Stories That Shape Our Nation.

Bookoccino is honoured to be the sponsor of the 2025 Walkley Book Award — a prize that stands at the pinnacle of Australian journalism and longform non-fiction writing.

The sponsorship was sparked during a casual lunch in Bondi between Walkley Foundation Director Sally Neighbour and Ray Bonner, journalist turned bookstore owner. They had met covering the news in Indonesia in the wake of 9/11.

“When Sally asked if Bookoccino would be a sponsor of the Walkley Book Award, I didn’t hesitate,” Ray says. “The Walkleys represent the very best of Australian journalism, and the Book Award has a special resonance for me — as both a journalist and an author.”

Before becoming a bookstore owner, Ray was a foreign correspondent and investigative reporter for The New York Times and also contributed to The New Yorker and The New York Review of Books. He has written four award-winning non-fiction books — all of which, fittingly aligned with the Walkley Book Award criteria, arose from his journalism in Central America, Africa, the Philippines, and the United States.

Bookoccino’s commitment to quality journalism is evident in our regular author events, which attract some of the country’s most respected literary and journalistic voices — including former Walkley Book Award winners Leigh Sales, Chris Masters, Paul Kelly and Don Watson, and several Walkley Gold medallists such as Hedley Thomas, Peter Hartcher, Adele Ferguson, Kate McClymont, Norman Swan and Andrew Quilty. [Full list of past events is here]

The Walkley Book Award, first presented in 2005, honours writers who bring journalistic integrity and deep research into compelling narratives for a wide audience. Walkley Foundation CEO Shona Martyn — formerly Publishing Director at HarperCollins — is equally dedicated to the prize, having seen firsthand the power of longform journalism to shape public understanding.

Shona comments, “Bookoccino’s discerning customers will have read many of the recent winners. As we wait to see who wins this year, I would like to thank Bookoccino for its support.”

Now in its 70th year, the Walkley Awards honour journalism that has driven royal commissions, exposed corruption, and sparked legislative change. “In a changing world, this work is more critical than ever,” says Martyn. “It is imperative that we continue to uphold the integrity of the media industry by recognising excellent and ethical public interest journalism.”

Bookoccino is proud to be the sole sponsor of the 2025 Walkley Book Award and entries are now open. Winners to be announced in October.