Posted by: Lisa Hill | May 23, 2018

2018 Miles Franklin Award longlist

Here it is, and it’s a beauty!

2018 longlist:

The shortlist will be announced on June 17th.

Congratulations to all the authors, editors and publishers!

Posted in CAREY Peter, CASTAGNA Felicity, DE KRETSER Michelle, FICTION — AUSTRALIAN, HILLS Lia, HORNUNG Eva, MACAULEY Wayne, McKINNON Catherine, Miles Franklin Award, Miles Franklin nominations, MURNANE Gerald, RAWSON Jane, SALA Michael, SCOTT Kim | Tags:

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Responses

  1. I’ve read two: The Crying Place and The Life to Come. Out of the two, I’d prefer The Crying Place. I reviewed both. A couple of others have been sitting on my pile for a while now.

    Like

    By: Theresa Smith Writes on May 23, 2018
    at 6:24 am

    Reply

    • Great, I’ve been wondering about The Crying Place (and how it passed me by).
      If I could please have the URL of your review I’ll link to it from here:)

      Liked by 1 person

      By: Lisa Hill on May 23, 2018
      at 9:44 am

      Reply

      • Thanks Lisa. It was a long time ago that I read it and it caught me by surprise seeing it pop up now for an award. It’s a novel that I feel was somewhat overlooked at its time of publication. We didn’t get many reviews on it through AWW either, but it really is well worth the read.

        Book Review: The Crying Place by Lia Hills

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        By: Theresa Smith Writes on May 23, 2018
        at 9:52 am

        Reply

        • That’s a beautiful review, Theresa, thank you:)
          I couldn’t comment there, to express my appreciation, is that intentional, to disable comments?
          What I wanted to ask, given that, from what you say of its content, (“many things I thought I understood about Aboriginal culture turned out to be not the case, and I now feel richer for the newfound knowledge”) there are going to be questions about appropriation – did you think that’s potentially an issue?

          Liked by 1 person

          By: Lisa Hill on May 23, 2018
          at 10:16 am

          Reply

          • Thank you Lisa. I had the comments turned off for a little while last year because spam comments were getting through. It doesn’t seem to be an issue anymore since I’ve turned them back on but there will be posts from last year like that. I should probably go back and switch them back on!
            In answer to your question, I’m trying to think back to the book, but I’m pretty sure there was info in the author notes that indicated authenticity. From memory, Lia went on the journey that was in the book and consulted extensively with Aboriginals along the way. I’m curious now to dig it out and take a look at the end notes again. In my view, which doesn’t really count for much in the scheme of any debate, it’s potentially an issue but I don’t think it’s justified if she has immersed herself into experiences and undertaken extensive primary research. There’s an element of permission associated with that, I believe. It will be interesting to see though if this is raised. I’m 98% sure her end notes indicated Aboriginal support and permission.

            Like

            By: Theresa Smith Writes on May 23, 2018
            at 11:40 am

            Reply

          • I knew there was an article I had read written by Lia after the book’s release. I’ll include the link here for you in case anyone else is interested also. In it Lia talks about her original journey undertaken whilst writing her first draft as well as the second journey with the book in hand heading to the NT Writer’s Festival. I think she has a good argument for those who accuse her of anything. She’s done a lot to ensure authenticity.

            Like

            By: Theresa Smith Writes on May 23, 2018
            at 12:05 pm

            Reply

            • I have to admit to being ambivalent about the whole issue. Sometimes I can see both sides, sometimes I can see neither, and I can also recognise that it’s not always my place to decide.
              I should say that I haven’t seen any accusations anywhere, but that might be because I had heard nothing about this book anyway.

              Liked by 1 person

              By: Lisa Hill on May 23, 2018
              at 2:09 pm

              Reply

          • I was sent this book by the Stella people and one of the reasons I haven’t read it is for this reason. I’m a bit anxious about it. But with this long-listing I now feel I should read it.

            Like

            By: whisperinggums on May 23, 2018
            at 9:49 pm

            Reply

            • Ah now … #NoPressure … but your review might be just what we want….

              Liked by 1 person

              By: Lisa Hill on May 23, 2018
              at 10:30 pm

              Reply

  2. Wow, it only seems like 2 months since last year’s longlist was announced. And double wow – you’ve already read most of them!

    Like

    By: sharkell on May 23, 2018
    at 6:57 am

    Reply

    • Yes, they haven’t gone for outliers this year. It would have been ridiculous if they had, given the prestige of these novelists who released a book in the eligible period.

      Like

      By: Lisa Hill on May 23, 2018
      at 9:46 am

      Reply

  3. I thought the McKinnon and the Rawson were both very good, so good on them for making the longlist. Kim Scott is always very good. I’m currently reading Murnane and if I read one more it will be de Kretser of whom I have read far too little.

    Like

    By: wadholloway on May 23, 2018
    at 8:34 am

    Reply

    • I’m very pleased to see Storyland getting the attention it deserves. It is such a stunning book, it’s one I want everyone to read:) And From the Wreck too, I like inventive books with a serious intent:)

      Like

      By: Lisa Hill on May 23, 2018
      at 9:47 am

      Reply

  4. This is a great list, not least because I’ve got most of these books in my TBR and have read two of them and am half way through a third! Given you’ve read almost all of them, do you have a favourite, Lisa?

    Like

    By: kimbofo on May 23, 2018
    at 8:50 am

    Reply

    • Well, I’m going to answer that by saying that among a very, very strong field of contenders, the like of which we haven’t seen in years, Gerald Murnane should win. The man is a serious contender for the Nobel Prize, America has discovered him over the last year, but our most prestigious award hasn’t come his way yet, and this is, his says, his last work of fiction. So this may be their last chance to avoid looking stupid when he gets the Nobel and the world sees that he is as good as unrecognised in his own country.
      Oh, and the book is, a wonder…

      Liked by 1 person

      By: Lisa Hill on May 23, 2018
      at 9:52 am

      Reply

      • I’m looking forward to reading the book; I bought it a few weeks ago. Strangely, it is a US edition cos he’s still not published in the UK. I’m told And Other Stories, a small indie publisher based in Sheffield, is going to publish a handful of his titles next year.

        Like

        By: kimbofo on May 23, 2018
        at 6:03 pm

        Reply

        • His genius has been recognised in Europe for some time, but I am starting to think/hope that he is going to become more widely known these days…

          Liked by 1 person

          By: Lisa Hill on May 23, 2018
          at 6:34 pm

          Reply

  5. The only one I’ve read was Taboo, but I do want to read some more Michelle de Kretser, Questions of Travel was fantastic.

    Like

    By: Michael @ Knowledge Lost on May 23, 2018
    at 12:44 pm

    Reply

    • Yes, I’ve been reading her since her first book was published, and I’ve liked everything she’s written (except The Lost Dog. I did not like that one at all).

      Liked by 1 person

      By: Lisa Hill on May 23, 2018
      at 2:10 pm

      Reply

      • I didn’t mind The lost dog, but it hasn’t “stuck” like some of her others.

        Like

        By: whisperinggums on May 23, 2018
        at 9:53 pm

        Reply

  6. Wow: congrats on so very nearly having read the entire list upon announcement. Good on you! There are so many here which sound good, but i did enjoy your thoughts on why you would throw your weight behind Gerald Murnane. It’s nice to see the reading world recognise an author whose works you feel passionately about promoting!

    Like

    By: BuriedInPrint on May 24, 2018
    at 1:47 am

    Reply

    • Thanks, but really, the reason I’ve read them is because they’re high profile authors that I’ve been reading for a long time, and I always get their new books and read them ASAP.

      Like

      By: Lisa Hill on May 24, 2018
      at 8:48 am

      Reply

  7. Yes, congrats indeed…having read the longlist…with just one to go! Chapeau au bas!

    Like

    By: N@ncy on May 25, 2018
    at 5:24 pm

    Reply

  8. […] with his Border Districts. This year there’s a really strong shortlist as indeed was the longlist but since Murnane says that this is his last work of fiction, it’s our last opportunity to […]

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    By: Six Degrees of Separation, from Atonement, to … | ANZ LitLovers LitBlog on August 4, 2018
    at 10:58 pm

    Reply

  9. […] see what was a very fine shortlist, click here, and for the longlist, see […]

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    By: Michelle de Kretser wins the 2018 Miles Franklin Award for The Life To Come | ANZ LitLovers LitBlog on August 26, 2018
    at 4:54 pm

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