Update 23/6/22 The shortlist was announced today. Shortlisted titles are in bold.
Here’s the 2022 Miles Franklin longlist, in reverse alphabetical order. Links are to my reviews.
- Grimmish by Michael Winkler. I heard Michael talk about this book at the Port Fairy LitFest.
- 7½ by Christos Tsolkias
- The Performance by Claire Thomas, see my review.
- One Hundred Days by Alice Pung
- The Airways by Jennifer Mills, see my review.
- The Dogs by John Hughes, see my review.
- The Magpie Wing by Max Easton
- Echolalia by Briohny Doyle
- Bodies of Light by Jennifer Down
- Scary Monsters by Michelle de Kretser, see my review.
- After Story by Larissa Behrendt, see my review.
- The Other Half of You by Michael Mohammed Ahmed
FWIW, these were my suggestions when Martin Shaw of @ShawLiterary called for predictions. I was correct about only one, but I was right that all of them are first class reading :
- The Dogs by John Hughes; see my review.
- Yours Sincerely, Ethel Malley, by Stephen Orr; see my review.
- The Price of two Sparrows, by Christy Collins; see my review.
- The Beach Caves, by Trevor Shearston; see my review.
- Bila Yarrudhanggalangdhuray, by Anita Heiss; see my review.
- Now That I See You, by Emma Batchelor, see my review.
ANZ LitLovers LitBlog 
I haven’t read any of these but have certainly heard of a few of them.
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By: Travellin Penguin (Pam) on May 24, 2022
at 9:40 am
Yes, no surprises there really. I’d be interested to see if others find it exciting. I’ve read all the ones I wanted to but there are three I started and abandoned. (I won’t rain on their parade by naming them.)
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By: Lisa Hill on May 24, 2022
at 9:47 am
Hello Lisa & blog enthusiasts,
The books on the Miles Franklin Award long list seem very diverse. I recognize the authors Alice Pung and Larissa Behrendt. I admire these writers for their commitment to their writing craft and insights on the literary landscape and the world at large.
Sonia (U.S.A)
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By: Sonia Adams on May 24, 2022
at 9:52 am
Hi Sonia, you would be pleased to see how diverse our parliament is becoming now too!
I’m starting to look forward to the day when we no longer comment on these things because we take them for granted as the norm, and I think we’re on the way to that.
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By: Lisa Hill on May 24, 2022
at 12:09 pm
I’ve read four (Down, Pung, Tsiolkas. Thomas). Of those I’ve read, the Down was exactly my kind of book, as was the Thomas but for different reasons. Was I saying to you (or Sue?) recently that I didn’t think The Performance has got the prize recognition it deserved, so would love to see that win.
Of the Tsiolkas and Pung – enjoyed them both but not sure either break new ground.
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By: Kate W on May 24, 2022
at 10:50 am
Re The Performance? Me, I think.
But when it comes to prize recognition, I have no idea why The Price of Two Sparrows hasn’t had the recognition it deserves, and the same is true for Sincerely, Ethel Malley and for The Beach Caves, which is such a beautiful book.
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By: Lisa Hill on May 24, 2022
at 12:07 pm
Your list is good too! You could start an alternative Miles Franklin and call it the Stella… oh wait.
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By: Nathan on May 24, 2022
at 11:15 am
Hey no, if I won Tatts tomorrow (which would be hard because I’ve never bought a ticket) #DuckingForCover I would never set up a prize that excluded anybody on any grounds.
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By: Lisa Hill on May 24, 2022
at 12:02 pm
That could be hard to judge! You mean any (English-speaking?) novel by anyone in the world? Anything else starts to exclude! I have no problem with a diverse array of awards.
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By: whisperinggums on May 24, 2022
at 6:04 pm
Ah well, if I had lots of money, as in obscenely wealthy, I could range far and wide!
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By: Lisa Hill on May 24, 2022
at 6:13 pm
You could!
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By: whisperinggums on May 24, 2022
at 10:18 pm
No surprises with this list… I’ve read four (Behrendt, de Kretser, Tsiolkas & Pung)… and have the John Hughes on the TBR. It’s good to see independent presses get recognised and to see a variety of ethnic backgrounds and both genders represented, but I’m not sure there’s any book on here that has really WOWED me.
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By: kimbofo on May 24, 2022
at 4:46 pm
I know what you mean.
BTW I’m also wondering about Loop Tracks by Sue Orr. That *was* a WOW-worthy book. It was published in 2021, but I think that was in NZ and its publication in Australia was 2022. So I don’t know if it was eligible.
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By: Lisa Hill on May 24, 2022
at 5:18 pm
I need to read that one.
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By: kimbofo on May 24, 2022
at 7:49 pm
Are you finding that the Covid is making your brain foggy, as I’ve heard it can do.
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By: Lisa Hill on May 24, 2022
at 11:33 pm
It is very much so. It’s okay if you focus on one thing at a time (so reading is fine) but makes multitasking impossible! It also makes you forgetful. I put a load of washing on at 10am but only remembered to unload at 6pm 🤯
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By: kimbofo on May 25, 2022
at 8:09 pm
Well, just make sure you look after yourself and don’t try to do too much. xo
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By: Lisa Hill on May 25, 2022
at 10:17 pm
I’ve read Hughes, and have a couple more on the physical TBR.
I am reading Sincerely … at the moment, but have had to put it aside again for my next reading group book. I just want to finish it!
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By: whisperinggums on May 24, 2022
at 6:06 pm
Such a wonderful book, I just loved Ethel!
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By: Lisa Hill on May 24, 2022
at 6:13 pm
She’s a good character, but for some reason I’m not powering through it. I’ll see how I feel when I get the end.
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By: whisperinggums on May 24, 2022
at 10:20 pm
I’ve read the De Kretser, Behrendt and Thomas and that will probably do me. I might read The Other Half of You or Grimmish, but they’re not high on my reading priority list at this stage.
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By: Brona's Books on May 28, 2022
at 9:33 am