Acclaimed Tasmanian author Amanda Lohrey has been awarded Australia’s prestigious Miles Franklin Literary Award for her novel The Labyrinth.
Seven-time novelist Ms Lohrey has appeared on the Miles Franklin longlist three times and on the shortlist twice, making this a well-deserved win. Ms Lohrey will receive $60,000 in prize money for The Labyrinth.
The Labyrinth explores the state of grief in a lyrical and evocative story about loneliness, violence and art. The novel follows Erica Marsden, who retreats to a quiet hamlet near the prison where her son has been incarcerated for homicidal negligence. Living in a rundown shack, she obsesses over creating a labyrinth by the ocean. To build it, Erica will need the help of strangers.
Judge and Mitchell Librarian of the State Library of NSW and Chair, Richard Neville, said, “The Labyrinth is an elegiac novel, soaked in sadness. It is a beautifully written reflection on the conflicts between parents and children, men and women, and the value and purpose of creative work.”