Almanacker short-listed for the Miles Franklin Award

G’day Folks

Great news:

Writer Tony Birch, who is best-known around the world for his Almanac pieces on Carlton, has been short-listed for Australia’s premier literary award, the Miles Franklin, for his novel, Blood. 

Congratulations Tony. We hope you are kicking with the breeze in the final quarter, and get the four points.

(Tony also delivered the recent seminar on Indigenous footballers and the AFL)

 

From the Penguin website:

THE COUNTRY WE WERE DRIVING THROUGH WAS FLAT AS AN IRON AND BONE DRY.  THE SKY WAS BIG, BLUE AND EMPTY, EXCEPT FOR A FLAMING BALL OF SUN, LOW IN THE SKY.  IT HAD TRACKED US ALL DAY LIKE A SATELLITE AND IT LOOKED ABOUT READY TO EXPLODE.

Jesse has sworn to protect his sister, Rachel, no matter what.  It’s a promise that cannot be broken.  A promise made in blood.  But, when it comes down to life or death, how can he find the courage to keep it?

Set on the back roads of Australia, Blood is a boy’s odyssey through a broken-down adult world.

‘Many of us have known for a long time what a wonderful storyteller Tony Birch is.  Blood confirms it – and how.  The terrain is hard, unflinching but also imbued with a deeply resonant humanism. For at its heart there is Jesse, the young narrator whose voice is urgent and compelling, sweet and direct.’
CHRISTOS TSIOLKAS

Comments

  1. Matt Zurbo says

    Good on ya, Tony! Best of luck!

  2. Rick Kane says

    Brilliant Tony, just brilliant. I’m talking about your presentation to Almanacers last week. Oh, and good on ya for the Franklin short-listing thingy as well.

    Cheers

  3. Sean Gorman says

    He was my mentor at Melbourne Uni – well done Unkle….

  4. Stephanie Holt says

    Fantastic news!

  5. Marty Spencer says

    Congratulations on the nomination Tony.

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