Compassion is the dramatised life story of one of Julie Janson’s ancestors who went on trial for stealing livestock in New South Wales, and it is an exciting and violent story of anti-colonial revenge and roaming adventure. A gripping fictive account of Aboriginal life in the 1800s, Compassion follows the life of Duringah, AKA Nell James, the outlaw daughter of the Darug hero of Benevolence, Muraging.

In response to this shortlisting, Julie said, "‘I am very honoured to have my Indigenous Historical novel Compassion shortlisted for the Miles Franklin Award. Many writers come from a struggling background like myself. Having parents who were forced to leave school at thirteen years of age to help support families. Our journeys are shared through writing extended prose. I am grateful to the brilliant Magabala for seeing my novels as worthy of publication."

A live panel event with three shortlisted authors, presented by Copyright Agency, will take place on Wednesday 2 July at Gleebooks.

The Award celebrates novels of the highest literary merit that tell stories about Australian life. The winner will receive $60,000. The winner will be announced on 24 July 2025.

Judges comments 

“The shortlist for the 2025 Miles Franklin Literary Award celebrates writing that refuses to compromise. Each of these works vitalises the form of the novel and invents new languages for the Australian experience.” 

Julie is a Burruberongal woman of the Darug Aboriginal nation NSW. She is a novelist, playwright, and poet. While living in remote Northern Territory in Yolngu communities in her early years as a teacher, Julie wrote plays and made giant puppets, masks and costumes with Yolngu students. Her career as a playwright resulted in ten productions at various theatres such as Sydney St Theatre, Belvoir St Theatre, Adelaide Festival Centre and Sydney Opera House Studio. Black Mary and Gunjies was published by Aboriginal Studies Press. Her plays have been produced in Arizona, USA and Makassar, Indonesia.  Compassion (Magabala 2024) is a sequel to Benevolence.