books
Wyld wins Miles Franklin Award for ‘All The Birds, Singing’
'All the Birds, Singing' by Evie Wyld. – AFP/Relaxnews pic, June 28, 2014.Evie Wyld's tale of sheep farming, a hidden hunter and a troubled past is this year's winner of the Miles Franklin Award, valued at A$60,000 (about RM181,690)
Set up in 1957 by "My Brilliant Career" author Miles Franklin, the annual award is designed to recognise a work "of the highest literary merit" that presents "Australian Life in any of its phases".
"'All the Birds, Singing' draws the reader into its rhythm and mystery, through wonderfully and beautifully crafted prose, whose deceptive sparseness combines powerfully with an ingenious structure to create a compelling narrative of alienation, decline and finally, perhaps, some form of redemption," said judges' spokesperson Richard Neville, Mitchell Librarian at the State Library of New South Wales.
"Flight from violence and abuse run through the core of the novel, yet never defeat its central character. 'All the Birds, Singing', an unusual but compelling novel, explores its themes with an unnervingly consistent clarity and confidence."
Also shortlisted were "The Narrow Road to the Deep North" by Richard Flanagan, "The Night Guest" by Fiona McFarlane, "My Beautiful Enemy" by Cory Taylor, "Eyrie" by Tim Winton and "The Swan Book" by Alexis Wright.
Australian expat Wyld now lives in London and has previously seen February 2013 publication "All The Birds, Singing" win the Encore Award for best sophomore novel after it picked up a Costa Book Award nomination earlier in 2013. – AFP/Relaxnews, June 28, 2014.
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