Statue of the author of My Brilliant Career, Miles Franklin, born Stella Maria Sarah Miles Lampe Franklin . Located in suburban Hurstville, the sculpture by Jacek Luszczyk commemorates her connections with Hurstville: she and her family lived at nearby Carlton and she hired a Hurstville hotel room to type in.The Miles Franklin Award, the first and most prestigious literary award in Australia, was established in 1954 with a bequest from Franklin. The award celebrates Australian character and creativity and is awarded for the novel of the year that has the highest literary merit and presents Australian life in any of its phases. The Award this year is worth $ 42,000.
The 2008 Longlist was announced on 13th March. 59 books were submitted. The longlist of nine comprised:
Landscape of Farewell by Alex Miller
Love Without Hope by Rodney Hall
Orpheus Lost by Janette Turner Hospital
Secrets of the Sea by Nicholas Shakespeare
Sorry by Gail Jones
The Fern Tattoo by David Brooks
The Memory Room by Christopher Koch
The Time We Have Taken by Steven Carroll
The Widow and Her Hero by Tom Keneally
Today the shortlist was announced, and it is those books highlighted above.
Read more about them here.
19th June - Winner announced
http://www.trust.com.au/awards/miles_franklin/
There are more photos of the sculpture at Sydney Daily Photo Extras.
I read on Marie's blog that you are visiting Jilly, Jealous, jealous, jealous!!!
ReplyDeleteLove the sculpture!
For some reason - I'm ashamed - I haven't read My Brilliant Career. Read so many Australian authors when I was in Oz and before and since, but she is one I missed. In fact, I even thought she was a he.
ReplyDeleteSome great writers in that Longlist you quote. I heard Janette Turner Hospital one time at a reading I attended in Cairns, I think?
I do like the statue.
Sally - just saw your comment on Marie's blog about Katherine Mansfield. Yes she lived in Menton at the end of her life. Many comsumptives came to Menton for the climate and I believe she was one. I 'think' she died her. Need to check on that. There is indeed a street names after her and also there is a studio named for her and each year a New Zealand writer comes and spends 6 months here - freedom to write. I'll have done a little more research by the time you arrive!
ReplyDeleteOne of my favourite books and favourite movies (which is rare - they usually don't translate well).
ReplyDeleteAND... one of my favourite pieces of music from the soundtrack - Scenes from Childhood (Kinderszenen) Op.15 for piano solo by Schumann.