Australia has had a plethora of successful writers and authors throughout its brief history as a nation. Several Aussie-born authors have won the Man Booker Prize (some even twice), which is viewed as the most pre-eminent award for literary fiction in the world. The following list is a compilation of the best Australian authors of the last century.
#1 Peter Carrey
Peter Carrey is one of only five writers in history to have won the Man Booker Prize twice, which he won in 1998 for “Oscar and Lucinda” and the “True History of the Kelly Gang” in 2001. He has won the Miles Franklin Award three times and remains one of Australia’s finest ever authors.
#2 Miles Franklin
Stella Miles Franklin was an Australian author and feminist known for her acclaimed novel “My Brilliant Career”. Australia’s annual literary prize is named after her in recognition of her contribution to a uniquely Australian form of fiction.
#3 Richard Flanagan
In 2014, Richard Flanagan won the Man Booker Prize for his successful war novel “The Narrow Road to the Deep North”. He has published seven books (many to critical acclaim) and remains one of the finest Australian novelists of his generation.
#4 Tim Winton
Tim Winton has won the Miles Franklin award four times throughout his career. Several of his novels have been adapted for the screen, including “Breath”, “Lockie Leonard” and “Cloudstreet”, the latter of which is regarded as one of Australia’s finest ever novels.
#5 Liane Moriarty
Liane Moriarty’s literary career has seriously picked up in recent years, primarily because of the success of the HBO television adaptation of her novel, “Big Little Lies”. She became the first Australian author to have a novel debut at the top spot on the New York Times’ bestseller list for “Big Little Lies” and “Truly Madly Guilty”.
