The winner of this year’s Stella Prize is The Museum of Modern Love by Heather Rose.

The Museum of Modern Love is a dazzlingly original novel about the nature of art, life and love. Arky Levin is a film composer in New York separated from his wife, who has asked him to keep one devastating promise. One day he finds his way to The Atrium at MOMA and sees Marina Abramović in ‘The Artist is Present’. The performance continues for seventy-five days and, as it unfolds, so does Arky. As he watches and meets other people drawn to the exhibit, he slowly starts to understand what might be missing in his life and what he must do.

Chair of the Stella Prize judging panel, Brenda Walker, says:

‘It is rare to encounter a novel with such powerful characterisation, such a deep understanding of the consequences of personal and national history, such affection for a city and the people who are drawn to it, and such dazzling and subtle explorations of the importance of art in everyday life.’

As the winner, Rose will receive $50,000 in prize money, sponsored this year by National Australia Bank.

In addition, the five shortlisted authors (Georgia Blain, Maxine Beneba Clarke, Catherine de Saint Phalle, Emily Maguire and Cory Taylor) will receive prize money of $3,000, supported by the Ivy H Thomas and Arthur A Thomas Trust managed by Equity Trustees, as well as a three-week writing retreat supported by the Trawalla Foundation.

You can find out more about the Stella Prize here and read our review of the book here.