Stella Maria Sarah Miles Franklin (14 October 187919 September 1954), known as Miles Franklin, was an Australian writer and feminist who is best known for her novel ''

My Brilliant Career ''My Brilliant Career'' is a 1901 novel written by Miles Franklin. It is the first of many novels by Stella Maria Sarah Miles Franklin (1879–1954), one of the major Australian writers of her time. It was written while she was still a teenager, ...

'', published by Blackwoods of Edinburgh in 1901. While she wrote throughout her life, her other major literary success, '' All That Swagger'', was not published until 1936. She was committed to the development of a uniquely Australian form of literature, and she actively pursued this goal by supporting writers, literary journals, and writers' organisations. She has had a long-lasting impact on Australian literary life through her endowment of a major annual prize for literature about "Australian Life in any of its phases", the

Miles Franklin Award The Miles Franklin Literary Award is an annual literary prize awarded to "a novel which is of the highest literary merit and presents Australian life in any of its phases". The award was set up according to the will of Miles Franklin (1879–1 ...

. Her impact was further recognised in 2013 with the creation of the

Stella Prize The Stella Prize is an Australian annual literary award established in 2013 for writing by Australian women in all genres, worth $50,000. It was originally proposed by Australian women writers and publishers in 2011, modelled on the UK's Baileys W ...

, awarded annually for the best work of literature by an Australian woman.

Life and career

SLNSW 822152 No 39 Suzannah F amp John Franklin parents of Stella Miles Franklin

Franklin was born at Talbingo, New South Wales, and grew up in the

Brindabella Valley The Brindabella Valley is a valley situated below the western ridge-line of the Brindabella Range, located midway along the Goodradigbee River, in the south of New South Wales, Australia. Location and features The valley is framed by the Bri ...

on a property called

Brindabella Station Brindabella Station, sometimes referred to as the Brindabella Homestead, is located within the Brindabella Ranges in the state of New South Wales, Australia. It was the childhood home of the Australian author Miles Franklin. Brindabella was first ...

. She was the eldest child of Australian-born parents, John Maurice Franklin and Susannah Margaret Eleanor Franklin, née Lampe, who was the great-granddaughter of Edward Miles (or Moyle) who had arrived with the

First Fleet The First Fleet was a fleet of 11 ships that brought the first European and African settlers to Australia. It was made up of two Royal Navy vessels, three store ships and six convict transports. On 13 May 1787 the fleet under the command o ...

in the '' Scarborough'' with a seven-year sentence for theft. Her family was a member of the squattocracy. She was educated at home until 1889 when she attended Thornford Public. During this period she was encouraged in her writing by her teacher, Mary Gillespie (1856–1938) and Tom Hebblewhite (1857–1923) editor of the local

Goulburn Goulburn ( ) is a regional city in the Southern Tablelands of the Australian state of New South Wales, approximately south-west of Sydney, and north-east of Canberra. It was proclaimed as Australia's first inland city through letters pate ...

newspaper. Miles Franklin, 1901 (31523140262)

Her best known novel, ''

'', tells the story of an irrepressible teenage girl, Sybylla Melvyn, growing to womanhood in rural New South Wales. It was published in 1901 with the support of Australian writer,

Henry Lawson Henry Archibald Hertzberg Lawson (17 June 1867 – 2 September 1922) was an Australian writer and bush poet. Along with his contemporary Banjo Paterson, Lawson is among the best-known Australian poets and fiction writers of the colonial perio ...

.Roe (1981) After its publication, Franklin tried a career in nursing, and then as a housemaid in Sydney and Melbourne. Whilst doing this she contributed pieces to ''

The Daily Telegraph ''The Daily Telegraph'', known online and elsewhere as ''The Telegraph'', is a national British daily broadsheet newspaper published in London by Telegraph Media Group and distributed across the United Kingdom and internationally. It was f ...

'' and ''

The Sydney Morning Herald ''The Sydney Morning Herald'' (''SMH'') is a daily compact newspaper published in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia, and owned by Nine. Founded in 1831 as the ''Sydney Herald'', the ''Herald'' is the oldest continuously published newspaper ...

'' under the pseudonyms "An Old Bachelor" and "Vernacular." During this period she wrote ''My Career Goes Bung'' in which Sybylla encounters the Sydney literary set, but it was not released to the public until 1946. An overtly anti-war play, ''The Dead Must Not Return'', was not published or performed but received a public reading in September 2009.

In the United States and England

In 1906, Franklin moved to the US and undertook secretarial work for Alice Henry, another Australian, at the National Women's Trade Union League in Chicago, and co-edited the league's magazine, ''Life and Labor''. Her years in the US are reflected in ''On Dearborn Street'' (not published until 1981), a love story that uses

American slang American slang is slang that is common in, or particular to, the United States. The term can refer specifically to: Language *California slang, slang used in California English, or which originates in California *Hawaiian Pidgin, English-based ...

in a manner not dissimilar to the early work of

Dashiell Hammett Samuel Dashiell Hammett (; May 27, 1894 – January 10, 1961) was an American writer of hard-boiled detective novels and short stories. He was also a screenwriter and political activist. Among the enduring characters he created are Sam Spade ('' ...

. Also while in America she wrote ''Some Everyday Folk and Dawn'' (1909), the story of a small-town Australian family, which uses

purple prose In literary criticism, purple prose is overly ornate prose text that may disrupt a narrative flow by drawing undesirable attention to its own extravagant style of writing, thereby diminishing the appreciation of the prose overall. Purple prose i ...

for deliberate comic effect. She suffered regular bouts of ill health and entered a sanatorium for a period in 1912 In 1915, she travelled to England and worked as a cook and earned some money from journalism. In March 1917 Franklin volunteered for war work in the

Ostrovo Unit The Ostrovo Unit was a Field hospital unit with Transport Coloumn of the Scottish Women's Hospitals. It comprised approximately 200 tents and was situated near Lake Ostrovo, Macedonia during the First World War under the command of the Serbian ...

of the

Scottish Women's Hospitals The Scottish Women's Hospitals for Foreign Services (SWH) was founded in 1914. It was led by Dr. Elsie Inglis and provided nurses, doctors, ambulance drivers, cooks and orderlies. By the end of World War I, 14 medical units had been outfitted and ...

during the Serbian campaigns of 1917–18. She served as a cook and later matron's orderly in a 200-bed tent hospital attached to the Serbian army near Lake Ostrovo in Macedonian Greece from July 1917 to February 1918. From 1919 to 1926 Franklin worked as Secretary with the National Housing and Town Planning Association in London. She organised a women's international housing convention in 1924. Her life in England in the 1920s gave rise to ''Bring the Monkey'' (1933), a satire on the English country house mystery novel. The book reveals Franklin's views on nationality and class. The book was a literary and commercial failure.

Return to Australia

Franklin resettled in Australia in 1932 after the death of her father in 1931. During that decade she wrote several historical novels of the Australian bush, although most of these were published under the pseudonym "Brent of Bin Bin". New South Wales State Librarian, Dagmar Schmidmaier, said "Miles increasingly feared that nothing she wrote matched the success of ''My Brilliant Career'' and resorted to writing under different names, including the bizarre pseudonym Brent of Bin Bin, to protect herself from poor reviews." However, ''All That Swagger'' was published under her own name in 1936, winning the S. H. Prior Memorial Prize. Franklin also won the S. H. Prior Memorial Prize in 1939 together with

Kate Baker Catherine Baker (1861–1953) was an Irish-born Australian teacher, best known for encouraging and championing her friend Joseph Furphy, who wrote the quintessential Australian novel of its period, '' Such Is Life''. Despite an indifferent ...

for their collaborative work 'Who Was Joseph Furphy?'. Throughout her life, Franklin actively supported

Australian literature Australian literature is the written or literary work produced in the area or by the people of the Commonwealth of Australia and its preceding colonies. During its early Western history, Australia was a collection of British colonies; as such, ...

. She joined the

Fellowship of Australian Writers The Fellowship of Australian Writers (FAW) was established in Sydney in 1928, with the aim of bringing writers together and promoting their interests. The organisation played a key role in the establishment of the Australian Society of Authors in ...

in 1933 and the Sydney PEN Club in 1935. She encouraged young writers such as Jean Devanny,

Sumner Locke Elliott Sumner Locke Elliott (17 October 191724 June 1991) was an Australian (later American) novelist and playwright. Biography Elliott was born in Sydney to the writer Sumner Locke and the journalist Henry Logan Elliott. His mother died of eclam ...

and

Ric Throssell Ric Throssell (10 May 192220 April 1999) was an Australian diplomat and author whose writings included novels, plays, film and television scripts, and memoirs. For most of his professional life as a diplomat his career was dogged by unproven a ...

and she supported the new literary journals, ''

Meanjin ''Meanjin'' (), formerly ''Meanjin Papers'' and ''Meanjin Quarterly'', is an Australian literary magazine. The name is derived from the Turrbal word for the spike of land where the city of Brisbane is located. It was founded in 1940 in Brisbane ...

'' and ''Southerly''. Miles entertained literary figures at her home in Carlton, NSW. An autograph book known as Miles Franklin's Waratah Book held by the State Library of NSW was used for autographs and inscriptions. Guests were encouraged to drink tea from the Waratah Cup and to write in the Waratah Book. Miles Franklin's waratah cup and saucer 1904 a834001

Miles Franklin's waratah cup and saucer 1904 a834001

In 1937, Franklin declined appointment as an Officer of the

Order of the British Empire The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry, rewarding contributions to the arts and sciences, work with charitable and welfare organisations, and public service outside the civil service. It was established ...

.Roe (2004) In this period of her life Franklin was a constant attendee and speaker at various cultural and literary events. Her message was centered on free speech and the championing of Australian literature. Franklin was not a member of any political party, although her diaries reveal an interest in socialism and ASIO did have a file on Franklin during the Cold War. Franklin's literary friend P.R. ('Inky') Stephenson launched the pro-isolationist, anti-war

Australia First Movement The Australia First Movement was a fascist movement, founded in October 1941. It grew out of the Rationalist Association of New South Wales and the Victorian Socialist Party, and was led by former Rhodes scholar Percy Stephensen and Adela P ...

in late 1941, to which Franklin was vehemently opposed, as evidenced by her diary entries and correspondence at the time - "Reds or pinks or 'rightists' all showed their ignorance" she wrote after attending a AFM meeting, and of Stephenson "I could not have anything to do with his politics". Franklin was staunchly anti-war and, traumatized by her WWI experiences, very much feared a war on Australian soil at this time. While Miles Franklin had many suitors, she never married. She died on 19 September 1954, aged 74 and her ashes were scattered in Jounama Creek, Talbingo close to where she was born.

Collaborations

Miles Franklin engaged in a number of literary collaborations throughout her life. In addition to co-editing the journal ''Life and Labor'' with Alice Henry in the US, she also wrote ''Pioneers on Parade'' in collaboration with Dymphna Cusack and a biography of Joseph Furphy (1944) "in painful collaboration with

". Previously, in 1939, she and Baker had won the Prior Memorial prize for an essay on Furphy. Dever writes that the letters between Dymphna Cusack and Miles Franklin that are published in ''Yarn Spinners'' "provide a see-sawing commentary on the delicate art of literary collaboration".

Legacy

In her will she made a bequest for her estate to establish an annual literary award known as The

. The first winner was

Patrick White Patrick Victor Martindale White (28 May 1912 – 30 September 1990) was a British-born Australian writer who published 12 novels, three short-story collections, and eight plays, from 1935 to 1987. White's fiction employs humour, florid prose, ...

with ''

Voss Voss () is a municipality and a traditional district in Vestland county, Norway. The administrative center of the municipality is the village of Vossevangen. Other villages include Bolstadøyri, Borstrondi, Evanger, Kvitheim, Mjølfjell, ...

'' in 1957. The

Canberra Canberra ( ) is the capital city of Australia. Founded following the federation of the colonies of Australia as the seat of government for the new nation, it is Australia's largest inland city and the eighth-largest city overall. The ci ...

suburb of Franklin and the nearby primary school Miles Franklin Primary School are named in her honour. The school holds an annual writing competition in her memory. Additionally the Franklin Public School in

Tumut Tumut () is a town in the Riverina region of New South Wales, Australia, situated on the banks of the Tumut River. Tumut sits on the north-west foothills of the Snowy Mountains and is located on the traditional lands of the Wiradjuri, Wolgalu ...

, NSW is also named in her honour. During her lifetime Miles Franklin donated several items to the Mitchell Library. Manuscript material was presented over the period 1937–1942. The various drafts of "Pioneers on Parade" were presented in 1940. She bequeathed her printed book collection, correspondence and notes as well as the poems of Mary Fullerton. 47 of Miles Franklin's diaries are in the

State Library of New South Wales The State Library of New South Wales, part of which is known as the Mitchell Library, is a large heritage-listed special collections, reference and research library open to the public and is one of the oldest libraries in Australia. Establis ...

, including one copy discovered in 2018. A revival of interest in Franklin occurred in the wake of the

Australian New Wave The Australian New Wave (also known as the Australian Film Revival, Australian Film Renaissance, or New Australian Cinema) was an era of resurgence in worldwide popularity of Australian cinema, particularly in the United States. It began in the ea ...

film ''

'' (1979), which won several international awards. In 2014,

Google Doodle A Google Doodle is a special, temporary alteration of the logo on Google's homepages intended to commemorate holidays, events, achievements, and notable historical figures. The first Google Doodle honored the 1998 edition of the long-running an ...

celebrated her 135th birthday.

Awards

* 1936: S. H. Prior Memorial Prize awarded by The Bulletin for ''All that Swagger'' * 1939: S. H. Prior Memorial Prize for ''Joseph Furphy: The Legend of a Man and His Book''

Selected works

Novels

*''

'' (1901) *'' Some Everyday Folk and Dawn'' (1909) *'' Old Blastus of Bandicoot'' (1931) *'' Bring the Monkey'' (1933) *'' All That Swagger'' (1936) *'' Pioneers on Parade'' (1939) – with Dymphna Cusack *'' My Career Goes Bung'' (1946) *'' On Dearborn Street'' (1981)

Under the pseudonym of "Brent of Bin Bin"

* '' Up the Country'' (1928) * '' Ten Creeks Run'' (1930) * '' Back to Bool Bool'' (1931) * '' Prelude to Waking'' (1950) * '' Cockatoos'' (1954) * ''Gentleman at Gyang Gyang'' (1956)

Non-fiction

*''Joseph Furphy: The Legend of a Man and His Book'' (1944) *''Laughter, Not for a Cage'' (1956) *''Childhood at Brindabella'' (1963)

References

Bibliography

Australian Women Biographical Entry ''Franklin, Stella Maria ( Marian) Sarah Miles (1879–1954)''
Accessed: 2007-09-01

Accessed: 2007-09-01 *[https://web.archive.org/web/20070904171228/http://www.sl.nsw.gov.au/media/2004/milesfrank.cfm ''Miles Franklin: Her Brilliant Yet Troubled Life Revealed'' (Media Release for State Library of New South Wales exhibition, Miles Franklin: A brilliant career?), 26 February 2004] Accessed: 2007-09-01
Roe, J. I. (1981) "Franklin, Stella Maria Sarah Miles (1879–1954)" in Australian Dictionary of Biography online
Accessed: 2007-09-01

Accessed: 2007-09-01 *Spender, Dale (1988) ''Writing a New World: Two Centuries of Australian Women Writers'', London: Pandora
State Library of New South Wales ''Australian Feminist Manuscripts: Miles Franklin (1879–1954)''
Accessed: 2007-09-01 *Roe, Jill (2008) ''Stella Miles Franklin: a biography'', Harper Collins, Australia

External links

* *
Works by Miles Franklin
at

Project Gutenberg Australia Project Gutenberg Australia, abbreviated as PGA, is an Internet site which was founded in 2001 by Colin Choat. It is a sister site of Project Gutenberg, though there is no formal relationship between the two organizations. The site hosts free eboo ...

* * *
Great Rural Speeches: Miles Franklin

Miles Franklin: A Brilliant Career? : State Library of New South Wales exhibition guide

Interview with biographer Jill Roe, author of Stella Miles Franklin: A Biography, with

Ramona Koval Ramona Koval (born 1954, Melbourne) is an Australian broadcaster, writer and journalist. Her parents were Yiddish-speaking survivors of The Holocaust who arrived in Melbourne from Poland in 1950. Koval is known for her extended and in-depth in ...

The Book Show Radio National, known on-air as RN, is an Australia-wide public service broadcasting radio network run by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC). From 1947 until 1985, the network was known as ABC Radio 2. History 1937: Predecessors a ...

ABC Radio National Radio National, known on-air as RN, is an Australia-wide public service broadcasting radio network run by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC). From 1947 until 1985, the network was known as ABC Radio 2. History 1937: Predecessors a ...

, 20/11/08.
MP3 audiobook of My Brilliant Career
fro
LibriVox
*
Miles Franklin diary, 5 January 1917 – 16 February 1918
images and transcript at State Library of New South Wales
Miles Franklin diary, 17 February-29 December 1918
images and transcript at State Library of New South Wales

{{DEFAULTSORT:Franklin, Miles 1879 births 1954 deaths Australian women novelists Australian non-fiction writers Writers from New South Wales People from the Riverina Australian crime writers Child writers 20th-century Australian novelists 20th-century Australian women writers Australian feminist writers Women mystery writers Scottish Women's Hospitals for Foreign Service volunteers 19th-century Australian women 19th-century Australian writers