THE restorative power of love, the pernicious influence of the past on the present, the tragedy of the present avoiding the past, the challenge of unconventional identities, the devastation of grief and the war zone that is the media, masculinity and a small country town....
Welcome to the five novels on the 2017 Miles Franklin Literary Award shortlist.
"Yet again the shortlist celebrates the diversity of voices and approaches to writing about Australian life," said State Library of NSW Mitchell librarian Richard Neville. "None of these novels draw on familiar tropes of Australian literature - yet each brings a distinctive pitch of truth and insight into the Australian experience."
The shortlist is:
An Isolated Incident, by Emily Maguire (Pan Macmillan Australia): An intriguing exploration of two women, a murder, and media and masculinity set in a tough regional town - RRP $32.99.
The Last Days of Ava Langdon by Mark O'Flynn (University of Queensland Press): An empathetic portrayal of a misunderstood but spirited outsider who refuses to concede to society's conventional expectations - RRP $29.95.
Their Brilliant Careers by Ryan O'Neill (Black Inc): An entertaining satire featuring 15 biographies of imagined Australian writers whose bizarre and exaggerated lives are neatly slotted into real literary history - RRP $27.99.
Waiting by Philip Salom (Puncher & Wattmann): A very human novel about a pair of odd couples who are both waiting for something or someone to change their lives - RRP $29.95.
Extinctions by Josephine Wilson (UWA Publishing): A clever, compassionate novel exploring ageing, adoption, grief and remorse; rescue and resistance to rescue - $29.99.
The winner will be announced on September 7.
The Miles Franklin Literary Award was established in 1954 by the estate of My Brilliant Career author Stella Maria Sarah Miles Franklin to celebrate the Australian character and creativity. Perpetual is award trustee, and the Copyright Agency's Cultural Fund is a supporter.
- We have a pack containing all five books to give away. For your chance to win, tell us in 25 words or less your favourite Australian novel and why.
Entries close 11.59pm, October 1.
