Generous, passionate, creative, prickly, critical, self-doubting, ‘as paradoxical as a platypus’. Miles Franklin defies easy categorisation. Her books, letters and diaries provide evidence of a complex personality, one who often struggled, but who persevered with her life’s work: to redefine the meaning of Australian literature.
Between the publication of her debut novel, My Brilliant Career, and the posthumous sensation that was the establishment of The Miles Franklin Literary Award, Miles experienced as much failure as success. Though she sometimes despaired of ever achieving lasting respect as a writer, she is now acknowledged as one of Australia’s literary greats.
