The longlist of books in contention for this year's Miles Franklin Literary Award has just been announced. The Miles Franklin is Australia's most prestigious literary award and 'is awarded for the novel of the year which is of the highest literary merit and presents Australian life in any of its phases'.

• Lovesong by Alex Miller (Allen & Unwin)
  Read our interview with Alex Miller about Lovesong.

• The Bath Fugues by Brian Castro (Giramondo Publishing)
  Read our interview with Brian Castro about The Bath Fugues.

• Jasper Jones by Craig Silvey (Allen & Unwin)
  Read our interview with Craig Silvey about Jasper Jones.

• Sons of the Rumour by David Foster (Picador)

• The Book of Emmett by Deborah Forster (Vintage)
  Read our interview with Deborah Forster about The Book of Emmett.

• Siddon Rock by Glenda Guest (Vintage)

• Boy on a Wire by Jon Doust (Fremantle Press)

• Figurehead by Patrick Allington (Black Inc.)
  Read our interview with Patrick Allington about Figurehead.

• Parrot and Olivier in America by Peter Carey (Hamish Hamilton)

• Truth by Peter Temple (Text Publishing)

• Butterfly by Sonya Hartnett (Penguin)
  Read our interview with Sonya Hartnett about Butterfly.

• The People's Train by Thomas Keneally (Knopf)

Congratulations to all the longlisted authors, and the editors and publishers involved with each book. The shortlist will be announced next month, with the winner being announced on 22 June 2010.