Page 15 - books

the Miles Franklin award

Awards

The shortlist for this award, Australia’s best known and most Go get it. Whether it wins the Miles or not. It deserved your
prestigious literary award has just been announced. attention.
The books are: The winner will be announced on June 26th. The prize is worth
$60,000.
The Narrow Road to the Deep North by Richard Flanagan Good luck to all the short listees.
The Night Guest by Fiona McFarlane The Stella Award.
My Beautful Enemy by Cory Taylor This is the second year of the Stella Award, given to an Aus-
Eyrie by Tim Winton tralian woman for a book written in any genre. This makes it
The Swan Book by Alexis Wright unusual, and the shortlisted books covered fction, memoir,
All the Birds by Evie Wyld. history and current afairs.
The winner is a very appropriate one, as it is about the role of
The list is quite varied this year, with two previous winners women in the goldfelds in Ballarat during the gold rush period
of the Miles in Winton and Wright and a debut author, Fiona there. The Forgotten Rebels of Eureka by Clare Wright is a very
McFarlane on the list. worthy winner. It has just come out into paperback, and is a
This is a very strong list, but my pick, from the moment I read good, meaty, but very entertaining read. We are selling books
it, is the Richard Flanagan. Every person in Australia should read at an event with Clare on the 29th May at Northcote Library
The Narrow Road to the Deep North because apart from and I am very much looking forward to hearing her speak. $35
being wonderful, it also tells a story of a generation who never for a big chunky paperback.
talked about what really happened to them while at war.