News
16 May 2013
Miles Franklin On the Road
The Trust Company, as Trustee of the Miles Franklin Literary Award, has announced it is taking Miles On the Road in 2013; hosting a series of events throughout Australia in the lead up to the winner announcement of the 2013 Miles Franklin Literary Award.
The public events, to be held nationally, will help promote Australian literature and will feature a Q&A session with the shortlisted authors as well as a member of the judging panel.
Miles On the Road is an initiative of The Trust Company, supported by the Copyright Agency’s Cultural Fund as part of its 2013 campaign to engage a broader audience and stimulate discussion around Australia's most prestigious literary prize.
Shortlist Public Event Details
Brisbane
Date: 5 June 6pm-8pm.
Venue: State Library of Queensland
Authors attending: Romy Ash and Annah Faulkner
Cost: $10.00
To register:www.qwc.asn.au/courses-and-events/events/miles-franklin
Canberra
Date: 6 June 6pm-8pm
Venue: National Library of Australia
Authors attending: Romy Ash, Annah Faulkner, Carrie Tiffany
Cost: $5 ACT Writers Centre members / Friends of the NLA, $10 others
To register visit: www.actwriters.org.au/
30 April 2013
The Trust Company unveils all female shortlist for the 2013 Miles Franklin Literary Award
Miles of Reading Challenge to award prizes for best tweet-reviews of shortlisted novels
The Trust Company, as Trustee, and the 2013 judging panel have today announced an all-female shortlist for this year’s Miles Franklin Literary Award.
Regarded as Australia’s oldest and most prestigious literary prize, the 2013 Miles Franklin Award shortlist, announced today at the State Library of New South Wales, features five of Australia’s most talented female authors - including three first time novelists.
The Miles Franklin Literary Award was established with proceeds from the estate of My Brilliant Career author, Stella Maria Sarah Miles Franklin, to support and encourage authors of Australian literature.
The winner will be announced on Wednesday 19 June 2013 in Canberra at the National Library of Australia, and will receive $60,000 for the novel judged to be of the highest literary merit which “must present Australian life in any of its phases” in line with Miles Franklin’s wishes.
Each of the five shortlisted authors will also receive $5,000 in prize money from the Copyright Agency’s Cultural Fund, a long term partner of the Miles Franklin Literary Award.
The 2013 Miles Franklin Literary Award shortlist is:
- Romy Ash - Floundering
- Annah Faulkner - The Beloved
- Michelle de Kretser - Questions of Travel
- Drusilla Modjeska - The Mountain
- Carrie Tiffany - Mateship with Birds
A link to the author bios and novel synopses can be accessed here.
Speaking on behalf of the judging panel, Richard Neville, Mitchell Librarian, State Library of New South Wales said:
“The five novels in the 2013 Miles Franklin Shortlist are at a surface level all about family – the searching for their comfort, the crises when they fail, escaping their pervasive grasp, or the despair when they do not seem possible – but more deeply these books write about the intersection of people’s lives with national, indeed international, stories and ideas. Each approaches their subject from very different perspectives, but all deliver complex, engrossing narratives which persist long after the books are closed!”
Miles Franklin Award judges joining Mr Neville on the 2013 panel include Murray Waldren, journalist and columnist at The Australian newspaper and Anna Low, a Sydney-based bookseller. Late last year, The Trust Company appointed two new judges to strengthen the depth and breadth of experience of the panel with the appointment of Craig Munro (biographer, book historian, publishing editor and founding chair of the Queensland Writers Centre) and Susan Sheridan (Adjunct Professor in English and Women’s Studies at Flinders University, Adelaide).
Speaking on behalf of The Trust Company, which manages the estate of the late Miles Franklin and has been Trustee of the award since it was first awarded in 1957, Simon Lewis, Head of Philanthropy and Community, said:
“Congratulations to all the shortlisted authors. The shortlist demonstrates how strong Australia’s pipeline of female literary talent really is, as witnessed with last year’s Miles Franklin winner, Anna Funder, as well as by the growing number of first time female authors included in the long and shortlists in recent years.
“We look forward to announcing yet another outstanding Australian female literary talent on the 19 June as the 2013 Miles Franklin Award winner,” Mr Lewis said.
Expand and Engage the Audience
As announced earlier this year, The Trust Company’s 2013 mission for the Miles Franklin Award is to expand and engage the audience. This has included partnering with Griffith REVIEW and Copyright Agency to produce exclusive reviews of longlist novels. For the shortlist, well known authors will be commissioned to write essays encompassing the shortlist themes.
Other elements of the campaign for wider engagement have been the creation of the Miles of Reading Challenge site and the official Miles Franklin Twitter account. At the shortlist event today, The Trust Company revealed the next wave of activity to boost engagement in the award with a Twitter based competition.
The Trustee is encouraging literary lovers to tweet a review of one or all of the shortlisted. More information about the competition at (www.milesfranklin.com.au/challenge) with the winner announced on 5 June.
Followers seeking inspiration can view Griffith REVIEW’s exclusive online reviews of the longlisted novels via the Miles of Reading Challenge website Reading Hub
Further details of public events in both Canberra and Brisbane will be released shortly.
Female authors dominate 2013 Miles Franklin longlist
26 March 2013
The Trust Company, as Trustee of the Miles Franklin Literary Award has today announced the 2013 longlist.
Recognised as Australia’s most prestigious literary award, this year’s longlist announced via social media sees the largest number of female authors selected since the longlist was first introduced in 2005.
From an original list of 73 novels, half of which were written by female authors, the Judges have selected 10 novels for the 2013 longlist.
It includes eight female authors, five first time novelists, four previously shortlisted authors and one former double Miles Franklin Literary Award winner.
The 2013 longlist is:
Romy Ash – Floundering
Lily Brett – Lola Bensky
Brian Castro – Street to Street
Michelle de Kretser – Questions of Travel
Annah Faulkner – The Beloved
Tom Keneally – The Daughters of Mars
Drusilla Modjeska – The Mountain
M.L.Stedman – The Light Between Oceans
Carrie Tiffany – Mateship with Birds
Jacqueline Wright – Red Dirt Talking
Speaking on behalf of the judging panel, Richard Neville, Mitchell Librarian, State Library of NSW said: “This year we have seen one of the highest number of entries indicating the robust strength of new fiction. From those 73 books the judges have selected ten outstanding novels for this year's longlist.
“These range from conventional to multiple narratives, with settings as diverse as a lonely lighthouse, battlefield hospitals on the Western Front, colonial Papua New Guinea, the dusty outback and the inner city. The list provides a feast of reading, including close encounters with a polio-stricken girl determined to be an artist, a young boy kidnapped by his runaway mother, an unexpected shipwreck adoption, a family of kookaburras, a rock journalist and a famously shambolic poet.”
Joining Richard on the panel is Murray Waldren, journalist and columnist at The Australian newspaper, Anna Low, a Sydney-based bookseller and two newly appointed judges; Craig Munro, biographer, book historian and publishing editor as well as the founding chair of the Queensland Writers Centre and Susan Sheridan, Adjunct Professor in English and Women’s Studies at Flinders University, Adelaide.
Simon Lewis, Head of Philanthropy and Community at The Trust Company said :“We are delighted with the strength and quality of applications this year. Congratulations to all the longlisted authors. With the $60,000 increased prize money and our Miles of Reading Challenge launched last week, 2013 is an exciting year for the Miles Franklin as we look to actively enhance the legacy Miles Franklin entrusted us with.
”We are calling for people to get more involved then ever before. Pick up a book and support Australian literature, and have your say by writing your own review. Our online discussion forum provides a wonderful opportunity for book lovers across Australia to get involved.”
The Miles of Reading Challenge encourages Australians to support Australian literature by reading at least one novel from the longlist and the trustee is now calling for the public to submit their own reviews of longlist novels via the Miles of Reading online forum for the chance to win copies of Miles Franklin’s celebrated novels.
The Challenge includes an interactive online discussion forum supported by the Copyright Agency’s Cultural Fund and Griffith REVIEW, and has been endorsed by 2012 Miles Franklin winner, Anna Funder.
Griffith REVIEW will be providing exclusive online reviews of the longlisted novels by some of Australia’s most high profile authors through to the winner’s announcement on 19 June in Canberra. These, along with information on the individual books and publisher reading notes on the Miles Franklin website will promote discussion between book lovers and assist with making these novels more accessible to a broader audience. The Trust Company will also promote the Challenge through Australia’s library networks.
The Miles Franklin 2013 shortlist will be announced at a public event at the State Library of New South Wales on Tuesday 30 April 2013. The winner announcement will take place in Canberra on Wednesday 19 June.
18 March 2013
Miles Franklin Reading Challenge to the Nation
The Trust Company, as trustee of the Miles Franklin Literary Award has today launched the 2013 Miles of Reading Challenge to encourage Australians to pick up a book and support Australian literature.
The Trust Company welcomes the support of last year’s Miles Franklin winner Anna Funder who is also urging Australians to read at least one book from the Miles Franklin longlist. The full long list will be announced on 26 March.
The initiative will involve an interactive online discussion forum and is also supported by the Copyright Agency’s Cultural Fund and Griffith REVIEW.
Simon Lewis, Head of Philanthropy and Community at The Trust Company said:
“As Trustee of the Award, we are actively working to maintain its heritage as Australia’s most prestigious literary award and enhance the legacy Miles Franklin entrusted with us.
“We feel the Miles of Reading Challenge is a great way to continue to honour her wish of supporting Australian Literature.
“We are simply saying to Australians, pick up a book and support the exciting talent in Australia.”
Anna Funder said: “I am absolutely behind the Miles of Reading Challenge. I think it is a fantastic initiative and I think it is important that we read Australian literature so that we know who we are.”
To hear Anna’s full views on the campaign watch our interview with her. Anna will also be taking part in a live webchat with fans at 11am on Thursday 21 March.
The Miles of Reading Challenge is part of The Trust Company’s vision to engage a broader audience and promote discussion for Australia’s most prestigious literary prize and what it stands for. The prize has been awarded to some of Australia’s greatest literary names including Patrick White, Tim Winton and Thea Astley.
As part of the program to expand and engage Australians, The Trust Company has launched Miles Franklin on twitter (@_milesfranklin) and will be exclusively revealing the longlist via the social networking site on 26 March. From 9am on 26 March a picture of the longlisted finalists will be tweeted.
Mr Lewis added: “Twitter is a great platform for us to grow the network of like-minded readers and encourage them to share their thoughts and comments with their peers. We hope everyone who is able will take part in the debate.”
Griffith REVIEW will be providing exclusive online reviews of the longlisted novels by some of Australia’s most high profile authors through to the winner’s announcement on 19 June in Canberra. There will also be interactive discussion forums at the revamped website launched today. There will also be reading notes available to help readers and promotion of the Challenge throughout Australia’s library networks.
The shortlist will be announced at the State Library of NSW on 30 April which will be a public event.
24 January 2013
Miles goes social The Trust Company aims to increase recognition of Australian literature
The Trust Company, as Trustee of the Miles Franklin Literary Award, today unveiled a Miles Franklin twitter account @_milesfranklin as part of its 2013 mission to engage a broader audience and discussion for Australia’s most prestigious literary prize. The 2013 Miles Franklin longlist will be announced in mid-March, followed by the shortlist announcement at a public event on 30 April at the State Library of New South Wales. The winner will be announced at the National Library of Australia in Canberra on 19 June. There have been 73 entries received for the 2013 Award representing a 30% increase from 2012.
The Trust Company’s Head of Philanthropy and Community, Simon Lewis, announced the Trustee’s focus for the 2013 award was to expand and engage the audience behind the award, by encouraging as many Australians as possible to support and recognise the importance of Australian literature.
“Twitter is a great vehicle to reach a new audience for the Miles Franklin Literary Award and further promote Australian literature, a wish expressed by Miles in her will which established the award,” Mr Lewis said. “As Trustee of the Award, we are actively working to maintain its heritage as Australia’s most prestigious literary award and enhance the legacy Miles Franklin entrusted with us.”
In continuing this theme, The Trust Company also today announced the Copyright Agency’s Cultural Fund has agreed to provide financial support for a project with the English Teacher’s Association to develop teaching modules to promote the teaching of Australian literature in schools.
“The Miles Franklin Literary Award is an important event in celebrating Australian Literature and this initiative broadens this to the education system, and complements the work the Copyright Agency is already doing in funding the Reading Australia Project,” Mr Lewis said.
The Trust Company recently announced the prize money for the Miles Franklin Literary Award would rise to $60,000 this year (up from $50,000 in 2012) and continues to campaign the Government to make the prize, and other iconic awards, tax free.
12 December 2012
The Trust Company announces new judges to the 2013 Miles Franklin judging panel
Award value pool boosted by 20%
The Trust Company as Trustee of the Miles Franklin Literary Award has unveiled the 2013 judging panel which includes two new judges, and announced an increase in the prize money to $60,000.
The two new judges are both leading industry experts in publishing and literature. Craig Munro is a biographer, book historian and publishing editor as well as the founding chair of the Queensland Writers Centre. Susan Sheridan is Adjunct Professor in English and Women’s Studies at Flinders University, Adelaide.
They will join the existing panel of Richard Neville, State Library of New South Wales, Mitchell Librarian, Murray Waldren, journalist and columnist at The Australian newspaper and Anna Low, a Sydney-based bookseller.
Simon Lewis, Head of Philanthropy and Community at The Trust Company made the announcement ahead of today’s closing of applications of the 2013 Miles Franklin Literary Award.
Recognised as Australia’s most prestigious literary prize, the Miles Franklin Literary Award was established in 1954 through the Will of My Brilliant Career author Stella Maria Sarah Miles Franklin to encourage and support writers of Australian literature. The annual Award is presented to the novel of the year which is judged to be of the highest literary merit and “must present Australian Life in any of its phases”.
“We are delighted to announce we are increasing the prize money to $60,000 – up $10,000 on 2012. This is an important national prize which continues to have relevance in today’s society, and we want to ensure the legacy of Miles Franklin, and her passion in supporting
Australian literature, is experienced by as many audiences as possible across the country,” Mr Lewis said.
Mr Lewis also reiterated The Trust Company’s campaign for the Government to consider making the prize money tax free in line with The Prime Minister’s Literary Awards, for which the winner receives $80,000 tax free.
Commenting on the new judging panel, Chair Richard Neville said: “I am delighted to welcome Susan and Craig to the panel for 2013. They will both bring valuable perspectives and expertise to the judging panel, and I am sure they will enjoy the experience. Given its heritage and character, the Miles Franklin is absolutely the nation’s most prestigious literary award.”
With 60 submissions received so far, the judges will be reading all books over the Christmas break and the months beyond whittling the entrants down to a long-list to be announced in March.
“The selection of the Judges and the veracity of their adjudication process is central to the quality and reputation of the Award. As Trustee, we consider our role in promoting the legacy of Miles Franklin to be one of our most treasured responsibilities, and we look forward to working with the judges in what we expect will be an exciting 2013 Miles Franklin calendar,” Mr Lewis concluded.
20 June 2012
The Trust Company announces Anna Funder as winner of the 2012 Miles Franklin Literary Award.
Debut novelist awarded Australia’s most prestigious literary prize for her novel, All That I Am
The Trust Company, as Trustee, and the 2012 judges have announced Anna Funder as the winner of this year’s Miles Franklin Literary Award at an event held at the State Library of Queensland, Brisbane for her first novel, All That I Am.
The Miles Franklin Literary Award, recognised as Australia’s most prestigious literary prize, was established in 1954 through the Will of My Brilliant Career author, Stella Maria Sarah Miles Franklin, to encourage and support writers of Australian literature. The annual Award is presented to the novel of the year which is judged to be of the highest literary merit and “presents Australian Life in any of its phases”. Funder will receive $50,000 in prize money.
“The judges admired this ambitious novel that moves across continents and decades to remind us that experiences of exile and dislocation have long been part of Australian life.
“Inspired by interviews and memoirs of those who resisted the Third Reich from the beginning, Funder’s novel is shaped by the flawed memories and recollections of its two narrators, Ruth and Toller, who survive to bear witness. In this way the novel is both a testimony to those who led the resistance to Nazism, and a reflection on the limited ways that fiction and history can represent the traumatic past and do justice to its victims,” said Prof Gillian Whitlock, Australian Research Council Professorial Fellow at the University of Queensland speaking on behalf of the 2012 judging panel.
The panel also included Richard Neville, State Library of New South Wales, Mitchell Librarian, Murray Waldren, journalist and columnist at The Australian newspaper, Anna Low, a Sydney based bookseller and Prof Julianne Schultz AM, founding editor of Griffith REVIEW.
Based on real people and events, All That I Am is a masterful and exhilarating exploration of bravery and betrayal, of the risks and sacrifices some people make for their beliefs, and of heroism hidden in the most unexpected places.
While All That I Am is Funder’s first novel, she is also author of the international, non-fiction bestseller Stasiland, which won the 2004 Samuel Johnson Prize and was published in 20 countries and translated into 16 languages.
Funder was selected as the 2012 winner of the Miles Franklin Literary Award by the judging panel from the field of five shortlisted authors including; Tony Birch Blood, Gillian Mears Foal’s Bread, Frank Moorhouse Cold Light and Favel Parrett Past the Shallows.
In announcing the winner John Atkin, CEO of The Trust Company, reiterated his call for the Government to consider making the $50,000 prize money tax free in line with The Prime Minister’s Literary Awards, for which the winner receives $80,000 tax free.
“It is my great honour to announce Anna Funder as the winner of the 2012 Miles Franklin Award. As Trustee of the Award, we consider our role in propagating the legacy of Miles Franklin to be one of our most treasured responsibilities and extend our congratulations to Anna.
“This has been a very exciting year for the Miles Franklin Literary Award as we constantly work to enhance the heritage of the Award as the most prestigious in Australia and ensure Miles Franklin’s legacy remains relevant to future generations of Australian literature. The Trust Company will continue its campaign for the prize to become tax free continuing our support for Australian authors,” he said.
Read more:
Support The Trust Company’s Campaign to make the Miles Franklin Literary Award prize money tax free
As Trustee of Australia’s most prestigious literary prize, The Miles Franklin Award, we have written to the Federal Government urging them to make the prize money tax free to show its support for Australia’s struggling arts sector.
John Atkin, CEO of The Trust Company which administers the Miles Franklin Literary Award, wrote to Minister for Arts the Hon Simon Crean MP to urge him to consider making the award tax free. This is in line with Government-sponsored literary awards such as the Prime Minister’s Literary Awards for which the prize money of $80,000 is tax-free.
My Brilliant Career author, Stella Miles Franklin, left the residue of her estate to establish an award for “the advancement, improvement and betterment of Australian literature to improve the educational style of such authors”. The Trust Company as Trustee distributes $50,000 each year to the winner of the prestigious award, which is then taxed at the author’s marginal tax rate.
John Atkin said the management and promotion of the Miles Franklin Literary Award was one of the Company’s greatest honours. “We are constantly working to refresh the Award, liaising with the literary community and sharing our ownership of Miles Franklin’s legacy because she is such an important part of our cultural history.
“Miles Franklin’s aim in setting up the award was the advancement of Australian literature and as guardians of her legacy we feel that the tax, waived for the Government Awards, is unfair and unnecessary. The revenue the tax brings in is minimal in terms of the Government budget, but is a substantial sum to the authors. It would be a simple gesture by your Government with a significant outcome to show your commitment to the arts and the advancement of Australian Literature” he said.
Show your support for our campaign by liking it and sharing it on your page.
The winner of the 2012 Miles Franklin Literary Award will be announced in Brisbane on 20 June 2012 at the State Library of Queensland.
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.