Winton wins Miles Franklin Literary Award

Winner of the 2009 Miles Franklin Literary Award is Tim Winton for his work Breath (published by Penguin). On his win, Tim Winton said that this award has tried to do its part over time to stiffen the resolve and bolster the confidence of Australian writers and by honouring local stories and voices it's contributed to the success our literary culture has enjoyed in recent years.
Commenting on the winner's novel, the Judging Panel wrote: “Breath is a searing document about masculinity, about risk, and about young people's desire to push the limits. Winton is at the height of his powers as a novelist, and this is his greatest love letter yet to the sea, to the coast of West Australia, and a compelling testimony to the role of surfing in Australian culture. Written in Winton's own distinctive voice, we can sense that it is also a homage to some of his favourite writers: Salinger, Faulkner, Melville and Hemingway. But as we are drawn in by the elemental currents of its narrative and the compelling, wave-like force of events, Breath raises disturbing questions about desire and 'the damage done'. What lines are crossed during rite's passage? What ethical constraints affect relations between different generations of men and women? Throughout the novel we hear the scream of wind and storm waves and the distant, siren call of the bombora  surf breaking far out at sea. After 'so much damage, too much shame', can there be a going back?” To read more about the author and awards go to the Miles Franklin Trust website http://www.trust.com.au/awards/miles_franklin/