Miles Franklin - Go Girls

Of the eight novels recently selected for the longlist for the Miles Franklin Literary Award 2007, five are by women:
Beyond the Break by Sandra Hall
Careless by Deborah Robinson
The Unexpected Elements of Love by Kate Legge
Carpentaria by Alexis Wright
Dreams of Speaking by Gail Jones
The award was established in 1954 with a bequest from Miles Franklin. It has been running since 1957, and in that fifty years it has been won by a woman 12 times (including an amazing four times by Thea Astley in 1962, 1965, 1972 and 2000) It's interesting to look back at the winners. Just one year on Roger McDonald's book The Ballad of Desmond Kale , seems completely unmemorable up against Kate Grenville's Secret River (which I think would have been the people's choice).
The shortlist will be announced on Thursday 19 April. The winner, who will receive $42,000, will be announced at a gala dinner on Thursday 21 June.