Scholar and librarian Colin Steele, a judge of the 2013 Prime Minister's Literary Awards, has revealed a hitherto unknown captain's pick over the recipient of one of Australia's most prestigious book prizes.
In August of that year, historian Ross McMullin took home the $75,000 Prize for Australian history for his collection of World War I stories Farewell, Dear People.
But the expert judges had earlier selected another book - Frank Bongiorno's The Sex Lives of Australians - which Mr Steele says was knocked back by Mr Rudd without explanation, in favour of McMullin.
Writing in Spectrum today, Mr Steele recounts a phone call he received from an arts ministry official informing him that Bongiorno's book was not acceptable to the then prime minister.
The former prime minister disputes that claim. His spokeswoman told Fairfax: "Mr Rudd has no such recollection. He has been advised the selection of the winners of the 2013 Prime Minister's Literary Awards was taken by his predecessor, on advice provided to her."
But other judges backed up Mr Steele's account. Historian Susan Magarey, NSW Solicitor-General Michael Sexton and arts administrator Susan Hayes all recalled receiving a phone call from a bureaucrat in early August 2013, after Mr Rudd returned to the leadership, explaining their selection had been overturned by the prime minister.
"I asked 'which PM?' She said 'both of them'," Professor Magarey told Fairfax Media.
A spokesman for Ms Gillard declined to comment on the matter.
The prizes, the most generous in Australian literature, are bestowed annually across six categories including fiction and poetry. Mr Rudd founded the awards in 2008, and the pre-existing history prize (created by prime minister John Howard) was incorporated into the ceremony.
The prime minister of the day is recognised as the final arbiter of the prize awarded in their name - although they typically act on the recommendation of qualified judges.
Prime ministerial intervention in the awards is not without precedent: Tony Abbott elevated Richard Flanagan to co-winner for the 2014 fiction prize, and Mr Howard altered the result of the history prize in its inaugural year.
The 2013 awards were announced by then arts minister Tony Burke in August, deep into Labor's shambolic election campaign. That same evening, Mr Rudd was in Darwin spruiking his infamous "special economic zone" for northern Australia.
