Fed: Winton a contender in all male Miles Franklin race

AAP General News (Australia)
04-16-2009
Fed: Winton a contender in all male Miles Franklin race

By Katherine Field, National Entertainment Writer

SYDNEY, April 16 AAP - Acclaimed author Tim Winton is up for his fourth Miles Franklin
Literary Award in an all male race.

It's the first time in 15 years that a woman has failed to make the short list for
Australia's most prestigious literary prize.

The West Australian author, nominated for his book Breath, is one of five writers competing
for the $42,000 prize.

Other contenders include another previous winner, Adelaide-born Sydney writer Murray
Bail for The Pages, and previously short listed Tasmanian Richard Flanagan for Wanting.

Acclaimed Sydney author, screenwriter and playwright Louis Nowra (Ice) and Melbourne's
Christos Tsiolkas (The Slap) round out the five.

If Winton, who took the award in 1984, 1992, and 2002, can do it again, he'll draw
equal with Thea Astley for the most wins.

Making the announcement in Sydney on Thursday, judge Professor Morag Fraser praised
the finalists, chosen from a field of more than 50 entries.

She reserved special praise for Winton's best-selling book about surfing and lost youth
in 1970s Western Australia, his first book in seven years.

"I think it is Tim Winton's most disturbing novel yet, and most compelling," she said.

"You never now what to expect next from Tim Winton."

She defended the decision to choose all men, saying the judging was based on quality not gender.

"We walked out not even realising what we had done," Ms Fraser said.

"(Then we said) 'my God, we have chosen five men'.

"Next year it might be five women writers and it might not."

It is the first time since 1994 that the short list has been exclusively male.

Ms Fraser said many of the long listed and short listed books had a common theme of
examining wider human circumstances of physical, emotional and spiritual endurance.

"They scrutinise extreme human behaviour," she said.

Tsiolkas, the only author at the announcement, said he was blown away by the honour.

"I can't believe it - to be in that short list with all those writers," Tsiolkas said.

The award, which recognises literary contributions to Australian cultural life, has
been running since 1957.

The winner will be announced at a gala dinner at the NSW State Library on June 18.

AAP kaf/tnf/mn

KEYWORD: FRANKLIN UPDATE (PIX AVAILABLE)

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