Australian author Luke Icarus Simon wins UK Selfies Book Award
Australian author Luke Icarus Simon has won the memoir category at the 2026 Selfies Book Awards in the UK for his hybrid novel The Art in My Palm.
The Cypriot Australian writer is the first Australian author to win at the awards, which are run by UK publishing industry publication BookBrunch to recognise the best self-published titles each year.
The Art in My Palm is described by the Selfies as a genre-defying debut that blends memoir, autobiographical fiction and 1970s historical events. The book follows a queer coming-of-age story set against a backdrop of war, abuse and displacement.
Judge Neill Denny, editor of BookBrunch, described the book as “both well written and moving, with a strong narrative drive and compelling cast of characters”.
Fellow judge Peter Cox, literary agent and founder of Redhammer Management, said the novel told “a great and poignant story” about the Cypriot Australian population, exploring alienation, longing and redemption.
Established in 2018, the Selfies Book Awards were opened to international entrants for the first time in 2026, attracting double the number of entries from the previous year.
Simon is also the author of Swimming in Words. The Art in My Palm was previously longlisted for the UK’s Anglo-Hellenic League Runciman Award.