Short-listed for the

Miles Franklin Literary Award

Five first-time nominees, including a debut author, are among the six talented writers shortlisted for the 2023 Miles Franklin Literary Award.

21 June 2023

 

ANNOUNCED yesterday by Perpetual as Trustee, alongside Copyright Agency’s Cultural Fund, the nominated authors will be competing for one of the most prestigious literary prizes in Australia, with the winner receiving $60,000.

 

The 2023 Miles Franklin Literary Award shortlist is:

 

• Hopeless Kingdom by Kgshak Akec (UWA Publishing)

 

• Limberlost by Robbie Arnott (Text Publishing)

 

• Cold Enough for Snow by Jessica Au (Giramondo Publishing)

 

• Chai Time at Cinnamon Gardens by Shankari Chandran (Ultimo Press)

 

• The Lovers by Yumna Kassab (Ultimo Press)

 

• Iris by Fiona Kelly McGregor (Pan Macmillan Australia)

 

According to the judges, “The 2023 Miles shortlist celebrates six works that delve deeply into archives and memory, play confidently with style and structure and strike new grounds in language and form. From deeply immersive tales to polished jewels of craft, from lyrical mappings of land to convention-breaking chronicles, this is novel-writing at its freshest and boldest.”

 

The 2023 judging panel comprises Mitchell Librarian of the State Library of NSW and Chair, Richard Neville; author and literary critic, Dr Bernadette Brennan; literary scholar and translator, Dr Mridula Nath Chakraborty; book critic, Dr James Ley; and author and editor, Dr Elfie Shiosaki.

 

Each of the 2023 shortlisted authors receives $5,000 from the Copyright Agency’s Cultural Fund.

 

Copyright Agency’s CEO, Josephine Johnston, said, “This year’s Miles Franklin Literary Award shortlist showcases exceptional writing from some of our most talented and diverse storytellers. The shortlist represents the immense breadth of literary endeavour and the Copyright Agency’s Cultural Fund is delighted to support this prestigious award. Congratulations to all the shortlisted writers!”

 

The 2023 winner will be announced on 25 July 2023.