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Shortly after the publication of My Brilliant Career, Franklin wrote a sequel, My Career Goes Bung, which would not be published until 1946.
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