This article presents a list of the historical events and publications of Australian literature during 1954.
Events edit
- Charlotte Jay (pseudonym of Geraldine Halls) won the inaugural Edgar Allan Poe Award for Best Novel for Beat Not the Bones
Books edit
- James Aldridge – Heroes of the Empty View
- Jon Cleary – The Climate of Courage
- Miles Franklin – Cockatoos : A Story of Youth and Exodists
- Catherine Gaskin – Sara Dane
- T. A. G. Hungerford – Sowers of the Wind : A Novel of the Occupation of Japan
- Eric Lambert
- The Five Bright Stars
- The Veterans
- Eve Langley – White Topee
- Kenneth Mackenzie – The Refuge
- Alan Moorehead – A Summer Night
- E. V. Timms – The Fury
- Judah Waten – The Unbending
Crime and mystery edit
- Charlotte Jay — Beat Not the Bones
- Arthur Upfield
- Death of a Lake
- Sinister Stones
Short stories edit
- A. Bertram Chandler – "Shadow Before"
- David Martin – "Where a Man Belongs"
- John Morrison – "The Incense-Burner"
- Dal Stivens – "In the Depths"
- Judah Waten – "Well, What Do You Say to My Boy?"
Children's and Young Adult fiction edit
- Nan Chauncy – A Fortune for the Brave
- Joan Phipson – Six and Silver
- Norman B. Tindale & Harold Arthur Lindsay – The First Walkabout, illustrated by Madeleine Boyce
Poetry edit
- Thea Astley – "Droving Man"
- Dorothy Auchterlonie – "The Tree"
- John Blight
- "The Anchor"
- "Death of a Whale"
- "Nor'-Easter"
- "Rope"
- The Two Suns Met : Poems
- Dorothea Dowling – Twenty-One Poems
- R. D. Fitzgerald
- "Beginnings"
- "Edge"
- Mary Gilmore – Fourteen Men : Verses
- A. D. Hope – "The Return of Persephone"
- Christopher Koch – "The Boy Who Dreamed the Country Night"
- James McAuley
- "An Art of Poetry"
- "New Guinea"
- "To the Holy Spirit"
- Kenneth Mackenzie – "An Old Inmate"
- David Rowbotham – "Mullabinda"
- Douglas Stewart – "Spider-Gums"
- Colin Thiele – "The Mushroomer"
- John Thompson – Thirty Poems
- Judith Wright
- "At Cooloolah"
- "Flying Fox on Barbed Wire"
Drama edit
Theatre edit
Biography edit
- Nevil Shute – Slide Rule : The Autobiography of an Engineer[1]
- David Unaipon – My Life Story[2]
Non-Fiction edit
- Vance Palmer – The Legend of the Nineties[3]
Awards and honours edit
Literary edit
| Award | Author | Title | Publisher |
|---|---|---|---|
| ALS Gold Medal[4] | Mary Gilmore | Fourteen Men : Verses | Angus and Robertson |
Children's and Young Adult edit
| Award | Category | Author | Title | Publisher |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Children's Book of the Year Award[5] | Older Readers | K. Langloh Parker, edited by Henrietta Drake-Brockman, illustrated by Elizabeth Durack |
Australian Legendary Tales | Angus and Robertson |
Poetry edit
| Award | Author | Title | Publisher |
|---|---|---|---|
| Grace Leven Prize for Poetry[6] | John Thompson | Thirty Poems | Edwards and Shaw |
Births edit
A list, ordered by date of birth (and, if the date is either unspecified or repeated, ordered alphabetically by surname) of births in 1954 of Australian literary figures, authors of written works or literature-related individuals follows, including year of death.
- 12 January
- Brian Caswell, writer for children[7]
- Lee Tulloch, novelist[8]
- 26 March – Dorothy Porter, poet (died 2008)[9]
- 21 May – Paul Collins, author and editor[10]
- 17 June – Kerry Greenwood, novelist[11]
- 5 July – Kevin Hart, poet[12]
- 20 September – James Moloney, writer for children[13]
- 1 November – Andrew Lansdown, poet[14]
Unknown date
- Russell Blackford, novelist and critic[15]
- Rory Harris, poet[16]
- Shane McCauley, poet[17]
- Rosemary Sorensen, journalist, editor and critic[18]
Deaths edit
A list, ordered by date of death (and, if the date is either unspecified or repeated, ordered alphabetically by surname) of deaths in 1954 of Australian literary figures, authors of written works or literature-related individuals follows, including year of birth.
- 16 May — Jack McLaren, novelist (born 1884)[19]
- 28 June — Nancy Francis, poet, journalist and short story writer (born 1873)[20]
- 19 September – Miles Franklin, novelist (born 1879)[21]
- 2 November – Malcolm Afford, playwright and novelist (born 1906)[22]
See also edit
References edit
- ^ "Slide Rule : The Autobiography of an Engineer by Nevil Shute". National Library of Australia. Retrieved 18 April 2024.
- ^ "My Life Story by David Unaipon". National Library of Australia. Retrieved 18 April 2024.
- ^ "The Legend of the Nineties by Vance Palmer". National Library of Australia. Retrieved 18 April 2024.
- ^ Austlit - Fourteen Men : Verses by Mary Gilmore
- ^ Austlit - Australian Legendary Tales by K. Langloh Parker
- ^ "Austlit — Thirty Poems by John Thompson". Austlit. Retrieved 18 April 2024.
- ^ "Austlit — Brian Caswell". Austlit. Retrieved 18 April 2024.
- ^ "Austlit — Lee Tulloch". Austlit. Retrieved 18 April 2024.
- ^ "Dorothy Porter (1954-2008)". AustLit: Discover Australian Stories. The University of Queensland. Retrieved 21 February 2024.
- ^ "Austlit — Paul Collins". Austlit. Retrieved 18 April 2024.
- ^ "Austlit — Kerry Greenwood". Austlit. Retrieved 18 April 2024.
- ^ "Austlit — Kevin Hart". Austlit. Retrieved 18 April 2024.
- ^ "Austlit — James Moloney". Austlit. Retrieved 18 April 2024.
- ^ "Andrew Lansdown". Internet Speculative Fiction Database. Retrieved 21 February 2024.
- ^ "Austlit — Russell Blackford". Austlit. Retrieved 18 April 2024.
- ^ "Austlit — Rory Harris". Austlit. Retrieved 18 April 2024.
- ^ "Austlit — Shane McCauley". Austlit. Retrieved 18 April 2024.
- ^ "Austlit — Rosemary Sorensen". Austlit. Retrieved 18 April 2024.
- ^ "McLaren, John (Jack) (1884–1954) by Cheryl Taylor". Australian Dictionary of Biography. Retrieved 14 August 2023.
- ^ "Austlit - Nancy Francis (1873-1954)". Austlit. Retrieved 29 July 2023.
- ^ "Franklin, Stella Maria Sarah Miles (1879–1954) by Jill Roe". Australian Dictionary of Biography. Retrieved 8 August 2023.
- ^ "Lindsay, Philip (1906–1958) by Bernard Smith". Australian Dictionary of Biography. Retrieved 10 July 2023.