Bathurst author Tracy Sorensen has been included in the 2019 Miles Franklin Literary Award longlist for her debut novel, The Lucky Galah.
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The Miles Franklin Literary Award is recognised as the most prestigious award for literature in Australia, and Ms Sorensen is one of 10 authors nominated for this year's prize.
Ms Sorensen has been writing regularly since she was 12 years old, and considers it an honour for her work to be included among the best in Australian literature.
"It feels incredible to be acknowledged for such a prestigious award," she said.
"As a writer, you go through a process where you experience a lot of rejection, so it's gratifying to see The Lucky Galah receive such an accolade."
The Lucky Galah was published in February last year and is inspired by the role the Western Australian town of Carnarvon [her home town] played in the Apollo 11 mission to the Moon in 1969.
Ms Sorensen made the unique decision to tell the story through the eyes of a galah called Lucky, which allowed her to approach real-life events from a different perspective.
"Using an animal's perspective, it allows the reader to see the world from different points of view," she said.
"As humans, we celebrate the moon landing as this wonderful technological achievement, but for a flightless bird in a cage, it's a lot more poignant than that."
Outside of fiction, Ms Sorensen has built up an exceptional resume as a freelance journalist, video producer, academic and environmental activist.
With writing playing a key role in the majority of her pursuits, she feels compelled to use her gift to promote a forward-thinking approach to a variety of topics.
"Every now and then, I think writing's a waste of my time because there's all these problems in the world that require more than words to solve," she said.
"The reality is that I just can't stop writing, and a lot writers mention that the skill is an imperative that never goes away.
"I feel a lot more comfortable sharing works with wider audiences these days as I've grown to own my talent as a writer."
The shortlist for the Miles Franklin Literary Award will be announced on July 2.
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Sam Bolt
"I'm not in the business of telling people what to do. I'm much more in the business of describing things, situations and stuff like that and leaving them out there, and you can make up your minds about them." -Nick Cave
"I'm not in the business of telling people what to do. I'm much more in the business of describing things, situations and stuff like that and leaving them out there, and you can make up your minds about them." -Nick Cave
