Miles Franklin Literary Award 2020 Longlist

The Miles Franklin Literary Award was established by prolific author and feminist Stella Maria Sarah Miles Franklin, now best known for her first novel My Brilliant Career. First presented in 1957, the Award celebrates novels of the highest literary merit that tell stories about Australian life. Winning authors also receive a prize of $60,000. The Award remains Australia’s most prestigious and valued literary award.

The 2020 Miles Franklin Literary Award longlist is:

The shortlist will be announced on Wednesday 17 June, with the winner announcement to follow on Thursday 16 July.

“This year’s Miles Franklin longlist is a mix of established and newer Australian authors,” said State Library of NSW Mitchell Librarian Richard Neville on behalf of the judges. “Their novels give voice to a diversity of Australian characters whose common feature is their location on the margins, whether geographical, familial or societal. They explore the ripples and repercussions of childhood trauma, the healing power of friendship, and the unshakeable presence of the past.”

Alongside Neville, the 2020 judging panel also includes journalist for the Australian Murray Waldren, book critic Melinda Harvey, Abbey’s Bookshop senior book buyer Lindy Jones, and author and literary critic Bernadette Brennan.

Melissa Lucashenko won the 2019 Miles Franklin Literary Award for her novel Too Much Lip (UQP). For more information about this year’s longlist, see the Perpetual website.