Fierceland
| Author | Omar Musa |
|---|---|
| Language | English |
| Genre | Novel |
| Publisher | Penguin |
| Publication date | 2 September 2025 |
| Publication place | Australia |
| Media type | |
| Pages | 384 pp. |
| Awards | 2026 Miles Franklin Award, winner; 2026 Victorian Premier's Prize for Fiction, winner |
| ISBN | 9781926428796 |
Fierceland is a 2025 novel by Malaysian Australian writer and musician Omar Musa.[1] It is the winner of the top literary prize in Australia, the Miles Franklin Award.
Synopsis
[edit]The novel follows the children of a wealthy palm oil baron in Sabah, who are traumatised by a trip into the rainforest with their father. Living abroad as adults, they return to Kota Kinabalu for his funeral and must confront their past.[2][3] The novel addresses environmental degradation and deforestation. It follows several different time periods and locations, and includes elements of poetry and verse, with one poem written by Musa translated into several of the languages of Sabah.[4]
Written in English, it also features words from Malay, Manglish, and Tamil.[5]
Reception and accolades
[edit]The novel was reviewed in The Guardian[2] and The Edge.[6]
In 2026, it won the Victorian Premier's Prize for Fiction[7] and the Miles Franklin Award.[8] It was also shortlisted for the fiction category of The Age Book of the Year Awards.[9]
References
[edit]- ↑ "Fierceland by Omar Musa". National Library of Australia. Retrieved 7 August 2026.
- 1 2 Heyman-Griffiths, Seren (18 September 2025). "Fierceland by Omar Musa review – poet and rapper's second novel pulses with life". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 14 January 2026.
- ↑ "In 'Fierceland', Omar Musa returns to Sabah roots to tell a story of family". The Star. 21 September 2025. Retrieved 14 January 2026.
- ↑ Bianchino, Giacomo (11 January 2026). "The epic novel runs amok in Omar Musa's Fierceland". The Conversation. Retrieved 14 January 2026.
- ↑ ""Fierceland" by Omar Musa". Asian Review of Books. 15 August 2025. Retrieved 14 January 2026.
- ↑ "Australian-Sabahan poet Omar Musa's latest novel 'Fierceland' powerfully exemplifies the 'struggle of making'". www.optionstheedge.com. Retrieved 14 January 2026.
- ↑ Cain, Sian (25 February 2026). "Evelyn Araluen wins $125,000 for 'politically uncompromising' poetry at Victorian premier's literary awards". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 25 February 2026.
- ↑ Cain, Sian (5 August 2026). "Omar Musa wins Miles Franklin literary award for 'tour de force' novel Fierceland". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 5 August 2026.
- ↑ "The Age Book of the Year 2026 shortlists announced". Books+Publishing. 15 April 2026. Retrieved 17 April 2026.