Fiona Kelly McGregor, a writer based in Redfern, has been shortlisted for the 2023 Miles Franklin Literary Award for her recent historical novel, Iris.
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The Miles Franklin Award is Australia’s most prestigious literary prize, given annually to recognise the year’s best work of fiction “of the highest literary merit” that presents “Australian life in any of its phases.” The winner, which will be announced on 25 July 2023, will receive a $60,000 cash prize.
Ms McGregor’s novel Iris tells a fictionalised story set in the gritty underworld of 1930s Sydney, inspired by the real life of Iris Webber, a petty criminal and busker living in the city’s slums at the time. The book has been praised for its extensive historical research into the era and its ability to authentically capture the atmosphere of Depression-era inner Sydney.
In announcing Ms McGregor’s shortlisting, the Miles Franklin judges highlighted Iris as “grounded in extensive historical research, which Ms McGregor draws on to capture the authentic texture of the times.” They also noted the book “brilliantly reinvents” the tradition of Australian literature focused on the urban poor.
The Miles Franklin Literary Award was established in 1957 according to the will of celebrated Australian writer Miles Franklin, best known for her classic 1901 novel My Brilliant Career. The award is presented each year to an outstanding work of Australian literature.
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Iris has brought further recognition for Ms McGregor this year, also being shortlisted for the NSW Premier’s Literary Awards and long-listed for the Stella Prize.
Aside from being an accomplished writer, Ms McGregor is also an artist, critic and teacher with over 30 years of experience. She has published eight books, including Indelible Ink which won The Age Book of the Year and Suck my Toes which received a Queensland Literary Award (Steel Rudd).
Published 13-July-2023