Last week Australia literary greats visited State Library Victoria for the announcement of the winner of the Miles Franklin Literary Award.

Five authors were shortlisted for the 2015 award, including Sonya Hartnett, Golden boys; Sofie Laguna, The eye of the sheep; Joan London, The golden age; Christine Piper, After darkness; and Craig Sherborne, Tree palace.

The winner of the award this year was Sofie Laguna. Congratulations Sofie! Commenting on behalf of the judging panel, State Library of New South Wales Mitchell Librarian, Richard Neville, said that ‘the power of this finely crafted novel lies in its raw, high-energy, coruscating language. The eye of the sheep is an extraordinary novel about love and anger, and how sometimes there is little between them.’

Find out more about Sofie and the novel here. The eye of the sheep and other novels by Sofie are now available to read at State Library Victoria.

As part of its Annual Appeal, the State Library is currently fundraising to purchase and preserve Sonya Hartnett’s manuscript and personal papers relating to the novel Golden boys.