News
Tuesday 15 May 2012
UPCOMING PUBLIC EVENT
Meet the Shortlist
The Trust Company, as Trustee of the Miles Franklin Literary Award, in conjunction with the National Library of Australia and Copyright Agency Limited's Cultural Fund, is pleased to invite you to meet the 2012 shortlisted authors.
Established by writer Miles Franklin to support and encourage authors of Australian literature, the Miles Franklin Literary Award is Australia's oldest and most prestigious literary prize.
Meet shortlisted authors Frank Moorhouse, Tony Birch and Favel Parrett at an evening celebrating Australian writing.
Tuesday 29 May, 6pm
National Library of Australia
Free (includes book signing)
Bookings essential: 02 6262 1271 or events.nla.gov.au
Thursday 3 May 2012
The Trust Company unveils 2012 Shortlist for the Miles Franklin Literary Award
Five Australian authors shortlisted for prestigious literary prize
The Trust Company, as Trustee, and the 2012 judges today announced the shortlist for this year’s Miles Franklin Literary Award, regarded as Australia’s most prestigious literary prize.
Announced at the State Library of New South Wales, the 2012 shortlist features five works of fiction and includes a mixture of well-established Australian authors and first time novelists.
Established by writer, Miles Franklin, to support and encourage authors of Australian literature, the Miles Franklin Literary Award is Australia’s oldest and most prestigious literary prize. The winner of the award will receive $50,000 for the novel of the year judged to be of the highest literary merit which “must present Australian life in any of its phases”.
For the first time this year the five person judging panel were formally authorised by the Trustee to use their discretion to modernise the interpretation of Australian life beyond geographical boundaries to include mindset, language, history and values.
The 2012 Miles Franklin Literary Award shortlist is:
Tony Birch – Blood
University of Queensland Press
Anna Funder – All That I Am
Hamish Hamilton (Penguin Group Australia)
Gillian Mears – Foal’s Bread
Allen & Unwi
Frank Moorhouse – Cold Light
Vintage (Random House Australia
Favel Parrett – Past the Shallows
Hachette Australia (Hachette imprint)
Judging the 2012 Miles Franklin Literary Award is Richard Neville, State Library of New South Wales Mitchell Librarian, Professor Gillian Whitlock, Australian Research Council Professorial Fellow at the University of Queensland, Murray Waldren, journalist and columnist at The Australian newspaper, Anna Low, a Sydney based bookseller and Dr Julianne Schultz AM, founding editor of Griffith REVIEW.
Speaking on behalf of the judging panel, Gillian Whitlock said: “This year we had a big longlist that made the judging panel reflect on the power of historical fiction, extending from the colonial period through to memories of the world wars and their aftermath. We see this reflected in the shortlisted fictions by Anna Funder and Frank Moorhouse.
“We also see more contemporary lives explored with a turn to trauma narratives and childhood, in the shortlisted novels by Tony Birch, Favel Parrett and Gillian Mears.
“The breadth of the shortlist includes well-known and loved Australian authors and includes the end of one of the great historical trilogies in Cold Light, as well as featuring two wonderful first time novelists.
“The Miles Franklin prize is now more than ever a national celebration of Australian writing.”
John Atkin, CEO of The Trust Company, commended the five shortlisted authors on their challenging and evocative novels, “The Trust Company is extremely proud to be associated with the Miles Franklin Award and as Trustee we are constantly working to maintain and develop the legacy Miles Franklin entrusted us with for the advancement of Australian literature.
“As part of that role we have been looking at the ambiguity around 'Australian life in any of its phases'. It has been much cause for debate and there has been a traditionally conservative interpretation of the quote. I wrote to the judges authorising them to use their discretions to modernise the interpretation of “Australianess” beyond geographical boundaries to include mindset, language, history and values, as is in keeping with the current Australian literary landscape.”
Each of the shortlisted authors will be awarded $5,000 prize money from Copyright Agency Limited’s Cultural Fund, a long term partner of the Miles Franklin Literary Award.
The shortlist events at National Library of Australia, Canberra on 29 May, also sponsored by the Copyright Agency’s Cultural Fund include a public meet the author event. The winner will be announced in Brisbane on the 20 June 2012 at the State Library of Queensland.
For further information please contact:
Rachel Caton, Honner Media, 02 8248 3745 or 0439 872 221
rachel@honnermedia.com.au
Miles Franklin 2012 Shortlist (309 KB)
For shortlisted author biographies and judges' comments click here.
About the Miles Franklin Literary Award:
The Trust Company Limited is trustee for the Miles Franklin Literary Award. - My Brilliant Career author Stella Maria Sarah Miles Franklin left the residue of her estate to establish the award in 1954. Celebrating Australian character and creativity, the Award was established to support authors for the advancement, improvement and betterment of Australian literature. Last year’s winner of the $50,000 prize was Kim Scott for his novel, That Deadman Dance.
Copyright Agency Limited’s (CAL) Cultural Fund is a proud supporter of the Miles Franklin Literary Award.
About The Trust Company
The Trust Company is one of Australia’s foremost trustee companies, offering trustee services for individuals, companies and charitable trusts from our offices in Australia, New Zealand and Singapore.
The Trust Company Group has around A$1 billion in charitable funds under administration. Currently serving as trustee for over 800 charitable trusts, This includes the Marten Bequest Travelling Scholarships and the Portia Geach Memorial Award. The Trust Company has recently launched a new Engaged Philanthropy program, designed to create lasting social impact in the community. This is led by 17 strategic partnerships with key non-profit organisations across the sector.
The Trust Company provides a wide range of financial services including:
- Personal Services offering estate planning and administration, lifestyle and executor assist, financial planning, personal trusts, wealth management and Health & Personal Injury services.
- Corporate Services offering Responsible Entity, Property & Infrastructure Custody, Superannuation Compliance & Trustee, Structured Finance Trustee and REIT Trustee services.
