Overview

• Winnie Dunn’s debut novel Dirt Poor Islanders becomes the first Tongan-Australian work shortlisted for the Miles Franklin award.
• The 2025 shortlist comprises six novels exploring migrant reflections, Indigenous history, academic life, myth-infused urban narratives and crime-oriented short fiction.
• Judges praised the selected works for vitalizing the novel form and inventing new languages for the Australian experience.
• Each shortlisted author receives a $5,000 prize, with the winner to be awarded $60,000 on July 24.
• Dunn’s Mount Druitt upbringing underpins her community-driven storytelling shaped by leadership at the Sweatshop Literacy Movement.