First timers and indie publishers dominate Miles Franklin shortlist

First timers and indie publishers dominate Miles Franklin shortlist Six wildly varied novels have been unveiled in this year’s Miles Franklin Literary Award shortlist. Among the authors are four first-timers, one former winner and one who has been shortlisted twice before. In a win for independent publishers facing a challenging economic environment, three small literary presses are behind five of the shortlisted novels. The five-person panel of judges said it had been “an extraordinary year” for the prize, first awarded …