The winner of the 2021 Miles Franklin Literary Award, Australia's most prestigious literary award, was announced via a live online presentation on 15 July 2021. This year the award and its $60,000 prize went to Tasmanian author, Amanda Lohrey, for her novel, The Labyrinth.
The Labyrinth tells the story of a woman who leaves her life in Sydney and moves to a small coastal town to be closer to the prison where her son is incarcerated. She lives in an oceanside rundown shack, and obsesses over building a stone labyrinth while she processes her feelings of maternal guilt over her son's actions.
The Chair of the judging panel, Richard Neville said 'It is beautifully written reflection on the conflicts between parents and children, men and women, and the value and purpose of creative work.'
Amanda Lohrey is the author of seven novels, including the Stella Prize longlister A Short History of Richard Kline (2015), Reading Madame Bovary (2010) and two novels previously nominated for the Miles Franklin Award - Camille's Beard (1995) and The Philosopher's Doll (2004). Lohrey is the recipient of the 2012 Patrick White Award which acknowledges authors which have not been sufficiently recognised for their creativity.
Amanda Lohrey is the author of seven novels, including the Stella Prize longlister A Short History of Richard Kline (2015), Reading Madame Bovary (2010) and two novels previously nominated for the Miles Franklin Award - Camille's Beard (1995) and The Philosopher's Doll (2004). Lohrey is the recipient of the 2012 Patrick White Award which acknowledges authors which have not been sufficiently recognised for their creativity.
With much of Australia's population in some form of COVID lockdown, the announcement of the winner was live streamed: