Literary award · Australia · since 1957

Miles Franklin Literary Award

Annual Australian literature award. Established 1957.

About Miles Franklin Literary Award

The Miles Franklin Literary Award is an annual literary prize awarded to "a novel which is of the highest literary merit and presents Australian life in any of its phases". The award was set up according to the will of Miles Franklin (1879–1954), who is best known for writing the Australian classic My Brilliant Career (1901). She bequeathed her estate to fund this award. As of 2025, the award is valued at A$60,000.

From the Wikipedia article “Miles Franklin Award”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Recent winners

YearWinnerWinning work
2025Ghost Cities—
2022Jennifer Down—
2021Amanda LohreyThe Labyrinth
2019Melissa LucashenkoToo Much Lip
2018Michelle de KretserThe Life to Come
2017Josephine WilsonNone
2016A. S. PatrićBlack Rock White City
2015Sofie LagunaThe Eye of the Sheep
2014Evie WyldAll The Birds, Singing
2013Michelle de KretserQuestions of Travel
2012Anna FunderAll That I Am
2011Kim ScottThat Deadman Dance
2010Tim WintonBreath
2010Peter TempleTruth

From Wikidata; the list may be incomplete for some years.

Eligibility and entering

Check the official rules of the Miles Franklin Literary Award for the current eligibility window, accepted formats, residency or language requirements and any entry fee. For most established prizes the publisher submits on the author's behalf, often with a limit on entries per imprint.

If you are self-published, look for an explicit statement that independently published books are accepted, and budget for entry fees and copies for judges.

Sources & data