The Miles Franklin Literary Award shortlist was announced today … here they are in the order they were tweeted. Tip: do not waste your time following the official Twitterfeed … it’s 12.18 now and The Guardian has already posted an article about the shortlist but the official MF Twitter page is still proudly telling us that the announcement will be made shortly, a tweet posted two hours ago.
- Hope Farm by Peggy Frew, Scribe, see my review.
- Leap by Myfanwy Jones, Allen & Unwin, see my review
- Black Rock White City by A.S. Patric, Transit Lounge see my review
- Salt Creek by Lucy Treloar, Pan Macmillan, see my review
- The Natural Way of Things by Charlotte Wood, Allen & Unwin, see my review
And for reference, this is the original longlist. If you read my reviews of the books that didn’t make the shortlist, you will understand my disappointment that some of the best books were not included.
- Ghost River by Tony Birch, UQP, see my review
- Coming Rain by Stephen Daisley, Text Publishing, see my review
- Hope Farm by Peggy Frew, Scribe, see my review.
- Leap by Myfanwy Jones, Allen & Unwin, see my review
- The World Without Us, Bloomsbury, by Mirielle Juchau. See my review
- The Hands, an Australian Pastoral by Stephen Orr, Wakefield Press, see my review and a Sensational Snippet
- Black Rock White City by A.S. Patric, Transit Lounge see my review
- Salt Creek by Lucy Treloar, Pan Macmillan, see my review
- The Natural Way of Things by Charlotte Wood, Allen & Unwin, see my review
Congratulations to all the authors, editors and publishers!
The winner will be announced in June #Update 30/5/16 on August 26th on the Opening Night of the Melbourne Writers Festival. Assuming, *shrug* that their announcement late yesterday on Twitter is correct, and the official information is incorrect on the Miles Franklin key dates web page at Perpetual (viewed today 30/5/16 at 10.45AM).
PS (later the same day) Readings has a special offer if you buy all five of the shortlist.
ANZ LitLovers LitBlog 
That’d be right. the only two I’ve read aren’t in the shortlist. Since they are the only two I’ve read I guess I can’t comment but I did love The hands, in particular. I must read Wood before the announcement. It must surely be the front-runner.
LikeLike
By: whisperinggums on May 29, 2016
at 2:11 pm
I’m disappointed for Stephen Orr. I’m sure the others are good too.
LikeLike
By: Emma on May 29, 2016
at 5:11 pm
I am too, The Hands is a very fine book that will stand the test of time.
LikeLike
By: Lisa Hill on May 29, 2016
at 5:26 pm
I’ve only read two of the shortlist (Frew and Wood) but looking forward to the others – have heard consistently good things about the Jones and Treloar but must say that after reading your review, Black Rock White City intrigues me most.
LikeLike
By: Kate W on May 29, 2016
at 6:15 pm
I think of it every time I drive past the Sandringham Hospital! (Which I do often, because it’s on the way to a friend’s place).
LikeLiked by 1 person
By: Lisa Hill on May 29, 2016
at 6:32 pm
Have just ordered Black Rock White City on the strength of your review.
LikeLiked by 1 person
By: BookerTalk on May 29, 2016
at 7:19 pm
That’s great – I’ll be really interested to see how the novel travels with an international audience:)
LikeLike
By: Lisa Hill on May 29, 2016
at 9:43 pm
At my pace of reading it will probably be next decade before I get around to reading it
LikeLike
By: BookerTalk on June 1, 2016
at 6:32 am
I haven’t read them all but I’m astonished Stephen Daisley didn’t make the shortlist.
LikeLike
By: amandacurtin on May 29, 2016
at 9:12 pm
Me too. New Zealand got it right and awarded him the Ockham Prize. A bit like Richard Flanagan – overlooked at home, but winning prizes elsewhere?
It makes you wonder what a writer has to do when authors like Daisley, Orr and Birch get overlooked.
LikeLiked by 1 person
By: Lisa Hill on May 29, 2016
at 9:47 pm
Too early for a backlash prize for the male writers who are being unfairly overlooked? ;)
LikeLiked by 1 person
By: Tony on May 29, 2016
at 9:17 pm
Well, it is starting to look a bit ridiculous…
LikeLike
By: Lisa Hill on May 29, 2016
at 9:48 pm
I can’t believe the Frew is on there… But pleased for Charlotte Wood. I can’t get the Myfanwy Jones book but my dad kindly sent the Treloar and I’ve got the Patric in my TBR.
LikeLike
By: kimbofo on May 29, 2016
at 11:10 pm
I can’t wait to see what you think of them!
LikeLike
By: Lisa Hill on May 29, 2016
at 11:12 pm
[…] In the meantime, check out Lisa’s reviews, which she has listed here. […]
LikeLike
By: The 2016 Miles Franklin Literary Award shortlist | Reading Matters on May 30, 2016
at 12:27 am
And so what is your pick for the win Lisa? I’ve only read Charlotte Wood so far.
LikeLike
By: Louise on May 30, 2016
at 12:48 am
I’m too flummoxed to pick a winner. I still can’t quite believe that they haven’t included even one of the three men with outstanding books i.e. Daisley, Orr and Birch.
LikeLike
By: Lisa Hill on May 30, 2016
at 11:09 am
[…] The shortlisted novels and the original longlist, and my reviews of all of them can be found here. […]
LikeLike
By: A.S. Patric wins 2016 Miles Franklin Award for Black Rock White City | ANZ LitLovers LitBlog on August 26, 2016
at 8:42 pm