The winner of The Readings Prize for New Australian Fiction in 2016 is Music and Freedom.

Music and Freedom is set over a period of 70 years. It is a profound and moving portrait of one woman’s life, ranging from rural Australia in the 1930s to England in the modern day. In the tradition of Anne Tyler, Elizabeth Strout and Ann Patchett, Music and Freedom digs deeply into the marriage, relationships and ambitions of its central protagonist, Alice. The novel examines what it means to suffer regret and heartbreak, to make difficult choices and live with the consequences, and to find hope and passion in your darkest hour.

Guest judge Maxine Beneba Clarke says, ‘Exploring themes of love, loneliness, and the price of artistic expression, Music and Freedom is an ambitious and considered debut novel. Morrison’s characters are vividly drawn, and their relationships portrayed with exquisite sensitivity. The novel is engaging and structurally sound. Morrison writes about sound and music with a joy and poetry even the unmusical can appreciate – providing a stunning and heartfelt counter to the dark relationship that forms between the two main characters. Music and Freedom is challenging, stylistically sure, accomplished, and consistent. Above all though, it is simply a good story, beautifully written.’

The Prize judges were united in considering the novel a sophisticated and intelligent work of fiction that demonstrated the author’s keen eye for detail and her extraordinary ability to write about classical music. The judges felt the novel to be deserving of a wide readership, both within Australia and overseas. Mark Rubbo, managing director of Readings, described Music and Freedom as a ‘stimulating, thought-provoking and immensely satisfying book’.

Zoë Morrison says of the Prize, ‘The shortlist for this year’s Readings Prize was formidable – all deserving of a wide audience. To be named the winner is an enormous honour and I am deeply grateful. As a debut novelist, this recognition and support makes an extraordinary difference.’

‘Readings is an outstanding supporter of Australian fiction. It is also a cultural force in our community. Its shelves offer a curation of the most wonderful books and stories. My book contains the story of a woman who is subjugated and silenced but regains her freedom and voice in later life. To acknowledge her story in this way is like amplification – it’s magnificent. Readings – thank you so much.’