The Trustees of the Miles Franklin Literary Award, have announced the 2015 longlist. The 10 authors in competition for the $60,000 prize this year include three debut novelists – Suzanne McCourt, Omar Musa and Christine Piper.
The Miles Franklin Literary Award is regarded as Australia’s most prestigious literature prize and was established through the will of My Brilliant Career author, Miles Franklin. First awarded in 1957, the prize is awarded each year to the novel which is of the highest literary merit and presents Australian life in any of its phases.
Nominees on the 2015 Miles Franklin Literary Award longlist are:
Elizabeth Harrower – In Certain Circles
Text Publishing
Sonya Hartnett – Golden Boys
Penguin Books Australia
Sofie Laguna – The Eye of the Sheep
Allen & Unwin
Joan London – The Golden Age
Random House Australia
Suzanne McCourt – The Lost Child
Text Publishing
Omar Musa – Here Come the Dogs
Penguin Books Australia
Favel Parrett – When The Night Comes
Hachette Australia
Christine Piper – After Darkness
Allen & Unwin
Craig Sherborne – Tree Palace
Text Publishing
Inga Simpson – Nest
Hachette Australia
Speaking on behalf of the judging panel, State Library of NSW Mitchell Librarian, Richard Neville, said this year’s Miles Franklin Literary Award longlist includes some exceptional novels that explore the human condition from many original perspectives.
“From a contemporary rap symphony and a 1950s polio love affair, to the suburban father too good to be true and the spiritual journey of an Antarctic supply ship, this year’s Miles Franklin longlist showcases the extraordinary vitality and range of recent Australian fiction,” said Mr Neville.
“Within this diversity, a common theme present throughout the longlisted novels is the complexity of families and the impact of family history on the present. Interestingly, a number of the novels are written from the child’s perspective, with unravelling families, or families in tension, driving the narratives.”
Mr Neville is joined on the judging panel by The Australian journalist and columnist – Murray Waldren; Sydney-based bookseller – Lindy Jones; biographer, book historian, publishing editor, and Queensland Writers Centre founding chair – Craig Munro; and Emeritus Professor – Susan Sheridan.
The Miles Franklin 2015 shortlist will be announced at the Australian Booksellers Association Conference at the State Library of Victoria on Monday 18 May 2015, following an oration by past Miles Franklin winner, Steven Carroll.
The winner of the Miles Franklin Literary Award 2015 will be revealed on 23 June 2015. For more information, visit: www.milesfranklin.com.au for details.