"Head the spark or you may dread the fire" - Miles Franklin

FEMINIST, LITERARY ICON, CAMPAIGNER

Miles Franklin is celebrated as an early feminist journalist and one of the first Australian women to capture the essence of Australian culture in her writing. Her most famous work, My Brilliant Career, was published in 1901 and brought her widespread recognition. After working alongside her friend, suffragist Vida Goldstein and Rose Scott, Miles ventured to New York in 1906 and edited a journal for women workers. She skilfully blended literature, industrialism, and women's rights in her writing.

She also worked in England, continuing her feminist and labor advocacy, focusing on housing and urban reform. Upon her return to Australia in 1932, Miles was actively involved in the Fellowship of Australian Writers. She supported emerging literary journals, such as Meanjin and Southerly, and mentored Australian writers through various fellowship programs.

Franklin’s feminism and her outright rejection of traditional women’s roles made her books controversial in Australia. In fact, her book My Career Goes Bung, the sequel to her first novel, was judged so audacious that it was not published until 1946.

Mile's wanted to continued to support Australian writers and bequested her estate to the Miles Franklin Literary Award, an annual Award, awarded to "a novel which is of the highest literary merit and presents Australian life in any of its phases".

 The High Tees MILES Design has been inspired by 1900s posters and graphic design. Drawing upon influences of suffragette magazines, female artists of the time, Jess has used a variety of medium in this artwork. Collage, paint, marker, pen, pencil and a final jooj with digital art, this design is reminiscent of iconic 1900s art, heroing MILES with a modern slant. Peppered with symbols and images of MILES. Can you pick them all?