Australia's top literary award, historically the domain of male authors, has been swept by a shortlist of female writers for the first time.

Announced Tuesday in Sydney at the State Library of New South Wales, The Miles Franklin Literary Award for 2013 reflects a concerted push by the award to recognize the valuable contribution women voices give to Australian writing.

Of the five nominees, all are woman and three are first time novelists.

The nominees are: Annah Faulkner (The Beloved), Carrie Tiffany (Mateship with Birds), Michelle de Kretser (Questions of Travel), Drusilla Modjeska (The Mountain) and Romy Ash (Floundering).

One of the Miles Franklin Literary Award judges, Richard Neville said the standard of this year's competition was remarkably high and that all five novels described the internal functions of family.

"Each approaches their subject from very different perspectives, but all deliver complex, engrossing narratives which persist long after the books are closed," he said in a statement.

Australia's oldest and most prestigious writing prize, The Miles Franklin Literary Award was established with by the estate of author, Stella Maria Sarah Miles Franklin, herself one of the country's great writers whose work includes My Brilliant Career.

The winner of the 60,000-Australian-dollar prize will be announced on on June 19, at the National Library of Australia.