The Trust Company, as Trustee of the Miles Franklin Literary Award, unveiled a Miles Franklin twitter account @_milesfranklin as part of its 2013 mission to engage a broader audience and discussion for Australia’s most prestigious literary prize.
The 2013 Miles Franklin longlist will be announced in mid-March, followed by the shortlist announcement at a public event on 30 April at the State Library of New South Wales. The winner will be announced at the National Library of Australia in Canberra on 19 June.
There have been 73 entries received for the 2013 Award, representing a 30% increase from 2012.
The Trust Company’s Head of Philanthropy and Community, Simon Lewis, announced the Trustee’s focus for the 2013 award is to expand and engage the audience behind the award, by encouraging as many Australians as possible to support and recognise the importance of Australian literature.
“Twitter is a great vehicle to reach a new audience for the Miles Franklin Literary Award and further promote Australian literature, a wish expressed by Miles Franklin in her will which established the award,” Mr Lewis said. “As Trustee of the Award, we are actively working to maintain its heritage as Australia’s most prestigious literary award and enhance the legacy Miles Franklin entrusted with us.”
In continuing this theme, The Trust Company also today announced the Copyright Agency’s Cultural Fund has agreed to provide financial support for a project with the English Teacher’s Association to develop teaching modules to promote the teaching of Australian literature in schools.
“The Miles Franklin Literary Award is an important event in celebrating Australian Literature and this initiative broadens this to the education system, and complements the work the Copyright Agency is already doing in funding the Reading Australia Project,” Mr Lewis said.
The Trust Company recently announced the prize money for the Miles Franklin Literary Award would rise to $60,000 this year (up from $50,000 in 2012) and continues to campaign the Government to make the prize, and other iconic awards, tax free.