Miles Franklin Literary Award

The Miles Franklin Literary Award is Australia's most prestigious literary prize, awarded annually to a novel or play that is of the highest literary merit and presents Australian life in any of its phases. The award was established through the bequest of Stella Maria Sarah Miles Franklin (1879–1954), the author of My Brilliant Career, who left funds to endow the prize upon her death. The first award was made in 1957. Eligibility is restricted to Australian citizens or permanent residents, and works must have been published during the year of entry. The prize is administered by the Perpetual Trustee Company and carries a cash prize of AUD $60,000, making it one of the richest literary prizes in the Asia-Pacific region. The award recognises the full range of Australian literary fiction—from realism to experimentalism—and has launched or confirmed the careers of writers including Patrick White, Peter Carey, Tim Winton, and more recently, Tara June Winch, Alexis Wright, and Jennifer Down. The award has generated occasional controversy over eligibility, most notably when it was clarified that the phrase 'Australian life' need not preclude works set partly or wholly overseas, so long as the work is authored by an Australian. A shortlist is announced each year before the winner is revealed.