The Sri Lanka born author Michelle de Kretser has won this year’s Miles Franklin Literary Award. Her book ‘Questions of travel’ has been decided from all female writers’ shortlist for its “witty and poignant observations” in the vivid language to deal with many issues that Australian society concerned, such as home and away, travel and tourism, refugees and migrants.

De Kretser’s book is about two desperate characters exploring a different journey respectively. “The stories intertwine and pull against one another, and within this double narrative, de Kretser explores questions of home and away, travel and tourism, refugees and migrants, as well as ‘questions of travel’ in the virtual world, charting the rapid changes in electronic communication that mark our lives today,” the judge Neville commented.

De Kretser arrived in Australia when she was 14 and educated in Melbourne and Paris. She’s worked in universities as a tutor, editor and book reviewer.

Parramatta City Library has the book for loan, along with other titles written by the same author.