Announcing the 2025 #MilesFranklin Literary Award Longlist! Ten outstanding novels recognised for their contribution to Aust literature, exploring themes that challenge, illuminate and inspire. Congratulations to these authors for their important works! #MFLA2025 @copyrightagency

“Writers are redefining storytelling in Australian literature. This year’s longlist ranges from political fables to counter-histories, delving into life’s phases and offering authentic voices that linger long after the final page." 2025 Judging Panel #MFLA2025 #MilesFranklin

Chinese Postman follows Abraham Quin on a reflective journey, deepened by a surprising friendship with a Ukrainian refugee, rekindling a spark for language & nature. Discover more in Brian Castro's meditation on resilience & renewal. #MilesFranklin #MFLA2025 Copyright Agency

The Burrow is a tender portrait of a family navigating grief, guilt, and the fragile hope of healing. Read Melanie Cheng’s story about a rabbit, a tragedy, and the quiet power of connection. Melanie Cheng Text Publishing @copyrightagency #MilesFranklin #MFLA2025

Theory & Practice is a daring blend of fiction, memoir & essay, set in 1980s Melbourne. Michelle de Kretser writes about a young woman navigating relationships, academia & identity, challenging the boundaries of literary form. Text Publishing #MilesFranklin #MFLA2025

Dirt Poor Islanders is a groundbreaking novel that delves into the complexities of identity, family & belonging. Set in Mt Druitt, Winnie Dunn’s powerful coming-of-age debut offers a raw & honest portrayal of the Tongan-Australian experience. Hachette Australia Books #MilesFranklin #MFLA2025

Compassion is a gripping story of survival & resistance about Aboriginal life in the 1800s. Based on Julie Janson’s ancestor who went on trial for stealing livestock, this is a compelling story of anti-colonial revenge & roaming adventure. @MagabalaBooks #MilesFranklin #MFLA2025

Politica explores the lives of people in a town transformed by revolution & war. Families are torn apart; loyalties tested & society is forever changed. Yumna Kassab’s evocative novel traces the scars left behind through sacrifice & survival Ultimo Press #MilesFranklin #MFLA2025

Blending satire with allegory, Ghost Cities follows a Chinese-Australian man whose journey leads him to a surreal film set in a Chinese ghost city. Siang Lu explores the intersection of power, identity and the myths we build for ourselves. #SiangLu UQPBooks #MFLA2025

Highway 13’s overlapping stories tell a haunting, meditative tale about murder, memory & ghosts. Fiona McFarlane has written an illuminating book about loss & its far-reaching impacts on society. Allen & Unwin #MilesFranklin #MFLA2025

The Degenerates is a daring debut novel set in India, Australia & the US, finding its centre in Melbourne's re-imagined laneways & streets. Raeden Richardson writes about loneliness & exile & redrawing the boundaries of belonging. Text Publishing #MilesFranklin #MFLA2025

Juice is a dystopian novel of climate ruin, moral reckoning & unlikely tenderness. Set in a future Australia ravaged by environmental collapse, Tim Winton shows us an unflinching vision of collapse, survival & extraordinary urgency. Penguin Books Aus #MilesFranklin #MFLA2025

The 2025 #MilesFranklin shortlist is being announced tomorrow, with finalists in the running for the 66th Award, established with philanthropic funds and a grand vision by Miles Franklin. Which of the longlisted novels do you think will get the nod? #MFLA2025 Copyright Agency

Announcing the 2025 Miles Franklin Literary Award Shortlist! Congratulations to these six remarkable authors & their books that exemplify the finest in Australian literary talent. buff.ly/C9i2QY0 #MilesFranklin #MFLA2025 Copyright Agency

According to the judges, “The shortlist for the 2025 Miles Franklin Literary Award celebrates writing that refuses to compromise. Each of these works vitalises the form of the novel and invents new languages for the Australian experience.” #MFLA2025 Copyright Agency

Every Miles Franklin Literary Award shortlist author receives $5,000 from Copyright Agency through their Cultural Fund. Thank you!

“Castro has crafted a fine and profound novel. Abe Quin, the anti-hero of this novel, does not always find language consoling, but the lyric beauty of Chinese Postman, its restless wisdom and bitter comedy, bestow a rare gift on readers.” #MFLA2025 Judging Panel Copyright Agency

Make sure you grab a copy of the #MFLA2025 shortlisted titles so you can pick your winner from one of our supporting book retailers Dymocks, Readings, Apple Books, gleebooks and of course independent bookstores Australia-wide. Copyright Agency

“Theory & Practice is a novel of great subtlety and elegant restraint. It has a deceptive lightness of touch that is difficult to square with the hold it lays on the central wagers of subjective life.” #MFLA2025 Judging Panel

"Challenging reductive & popular racist representations of a community, Dunn’s debut novel is a captivating read into a world unfamiliar to most, evoking questions about the Australian motherland through the voice & vision of a Tongan-Australian author." #MFLA2025 Judging Panel