The Miles Franklin Literary Award 2015 – Shortlist Announced

The shortlisted authors of The Miles Franklin Literary Award, Australia’s most highly anticipated literary award, have been announced in Melbourne.

Congratulations to those writers who made the shortlist: Sonya Hartnett for Golden Boys; Sofie Laguna for The Eye of the Sheep; Joan London for The Golden Age; Christine Piper for After Darkness; Craig Sherbourne for Tree Palace.

The Miles Franklin Literary Award, first awarded in 1957 to Patrick White for Voss, was established through the will of My Brilliant Career author, Miles Franklin. The award aims to be true to the terms of Franklin’s will – awarding the highest literary merit and presenting ‘Australian life in any of its phases…’

This year’s judging panel includes State Library of NSW Mitchell Librarian, Richard Neville; journalist and columnist, Murray Waldren; Sydney bookseller, Lindy Jones; biographer and book historian, Craig Munro; and Emeritus Professor, Susan Sheridan.

Speaking on behalf of the panel, Neville, said: “The 2015 Miles Franklin shortlist presents a powerful group of Australian novels with a rich cast of unforgettable characters, and themes ranging from childhood gangs and domestic violence to itinerant thieves, wartime internment and the post-war polio epidemic.”

The winner of the 2015 Award wins $60,000 and will be announced on 23rd June 2015. Stay tuned.