Once upon a time book dedications used to be written to praise and flatter patrons who gave financial help to their favoured authors – without their largesse, the books wouldn’t have been published in the first place.
These days, most book dedications are forgettable and unimaginative. Usually, they’re expressions of gratitude directed at the writer’s family, partner or any other long-suffering person or household pet who has been a supportive crutch during the long days and nights of book creation. So, if you’re at the stage of penning your own, here are 13 quirky and creative dedications to inspire you.
Thuy On is the Reviews and Literary Editor of ArtsHub and an arts journalist, critic and poet who’s written for a range of publications including The Guardian, The Saturday Paper, Sydney Review of Books, The Australian, The Age/SMH and Australian Book Review. She was the Books Editor of The Big Issue for 8 years and a former Melbourne theatre critic correspondent for The Australian.
She has three collections of poetry published by the University of Western Australian Press (UWAP): Turbulence (2020), Decadence (2022) and Essence (2025).
Threads: @thuy_on123 Instagram: poemsbythuy
