My Brilliant Career
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My Brilliant Career is a 1901 novel by Miles Franklin. It is the first of many novels by Stella Maria Sarah Miles Franklin (1879-1954), one of the major Australian writers of her time. It was written while she was still a teenager and is believed to be partly autobiographical.
The heroine, Sybylla, a headstrong girl growing up in early 20th century Australia, has the opportunity of marriage to a wealthy young man (Harry) whom she loves, but rejects it in order to maintain her independence, preferring to take a job as a governess/housekeeper.
In the 1979 film adaptation, Sybylla was played by Judy Davis and Harry by Sam Neill. The film was directed by Gillian Armstrong and produced by Margaret Fink. It won numerous awards and was nominated for an Academy Award for Costume Design.
Shortly after the publication of My Brilliant Career, Franklin wrote a sequel, My Career Goes Bung, which would not be published until 1946.