1991 in Australian literature

none December 2019 December 2019 This article presents a list of the historical events and publications of Australian literature during 1991. Events David Malouf won the Miles Franklin Award for The Great World Major publications Novels Peter Carey — The Tax Inspector Brian Castro — Double-Wolf Bryce Courtenay — Tandia Robert Drewe — Our Sunshine David Foster — Mates of Mars Mates of Mars by David Foster National Library of Australia https://catalogue.nla.gov.au/Record/1424924 17 April 2024 Alan Gould — To the Burning City To the Burning City by Alan Gould National Library of Australia https://catalogue.nla.gov.au/Record/1109885 17 April 2024 Rodney Hall — The Second Bridegroom Thomas Keneally Chief of Staff (as by "William Coyle") Flying Hero Class Simon Leys — The Death of Napoleon Colleen McCullough — The Grass Crown Gillian Mears — The Mint Lawn The Mint Lawn by Gillian Mears National Library of Australia https://catalogue.nla.gov.au/Record/1442972 17 April 2024 Morris West — The Ringmaster Tim Winton — Cloudstreet Short stories Lily Brett – What God Wants What God Wants by Lily Brett National Library of Australia https://catalogue.nla.gov.au/Record/1283561 19 April 2024 Suzanne Edgar — Counting Backwards and Other Stories Counting Backwards and Other Stories by Suzanne Edgar National Library of Australia https://catalogue.nla.gov.au/Record/2092892 17 April 2024 Crime and mystery Jon Cleary — Pride's Harvest Peter Corris Aftershock Wet Graves Garry Disher — Kickback Kickback by Garry Disher National Library of Australia https://catalogue.nla.gov.au/Record/1159704 17 April 2024 Kerry Greenwood — Murder on the Ballarat Train Murder on the Ballarat Train by Kerry Greenwood National Library of Australia https://catalogue.nla.gov.au/Record/241662 17 April 2024 Brenda Walker — Crush Crush by Brenda Walker National Library of Australia https://catalogue.nla.gov.au/Record/369422 17 April 2024 Science fiction and fantasy Greg Egan – "Appropriate Love" Keith Taylor – Felimid's Homecoming Felimid's Homecoming by Keith Taylor ISFDB https://www.isfdb.org/cgi-bin/title.cgi?14440 19 April 2024 George Turner – Brain Child Brain Child by George Turner National Library of Australia https://catalogue.nla.gov.au/Record/1099093 19 April 2024 Children's and young adult fiction Margaret Barbalet — The Wolf Anna Fienberg — The Magnificent Nose and Other Marvels Jackie French — Rain Stones (for children) Robin Klein — Came Back to Show You I Could Fly John Marsden — Letters from the Inside Poetry Alison Croggon — This is the Stone This is the Stone by Alison Croggon National Library of Australia https://catalogue.nla.gov.au/Record/2045458 17 April 2024 Robert Gray and Geoffrey Lehmann — Australian Poetry in the Twentieth Century A. D. Hope — Orpheus Orpheus by A. D. Hope National Library of Australia https://catalogue.nla.gov.au/Record/2632552 17 April 2024 Jean Kent — Practising Breathing Practising Breathing by Jean Kent National Library of Australia https://catalogue.nla.gov.au/Record/2953992 17 April 2024 G. A. Wilkes – A Treasury of Bush Verse (edited) Drama Michael Gow — Furious Non-fiction Bruce Bennett — Spirit in Exile, Peter Porter and His Poetry Spirit in Exile by Bruce Bennett National Library of Australia https://catalogue.nla.gov.au/Record/2630117 17 April 2024 Barry Hill — Sitting In Sitting In by Barry Hill National Library of Australia https://catalogue.nla.gov.au/Record/570657 17 April 2024 Julie Lewis — Olga Masters, A Lot of Living Olga Masters, A Lot of Living by Julie Lewis National Library of Australia https://catalogue.nla.gov.au/Record/2827374 17 April 2024 David Marr — Patrick White : A Life Awards and honours Robert Hughes AUS AO, for "service to art and to the promotion of Australian culture"https://honours.pmc.gov.au/honours/awards/869791 Robert Studley Forrest Hughes honours.pmc.gov.au live https://web.archive.org/web/20190222042133/https://honours.pmc.gov.au/honours/awards/869791 22 February 2019 2019-12-25 Bruce Beaver AUS AM, for "service to literature, particularly in the field of poetry"https://honours.pmc.gov.au/honours/awards/869723 Victor Bruce Beaver honours.pmc.gov.au live https://web.archive.org/web/20191211214640/https://honours.pmc.gov.au/honours/awards/869723 11 December 2019 2019-12-25 David Rowbotham AUS AM, for "service to literature"https://honours.pmc.gov.au/honours/awards/869897 David Harold Rowbotham honours.pmc.gov.au live https://web.archive.org/web/20191211205751/https://honours.pmc.gov.au/honours/awards/869897 11 December 2019 2019-12-25 Patricia Scott AUS AM, for "service to children's literature"https://honours.pmc.gov.au/honours/awards/869890 Patricia Scott honours.pmc.gov.au live https://web.archive.org/web/20191225041304/https://honours.pmc.gov.au/honours/awards/869890 25 December 2019 2019-12-25 Lifetime achievement Award Author Christopher Brennan Award Austlit — FAW Christopher Brennan Award Austlit https://www.austlit.edu.au/austlit/page/v539?mainTabTemplate=awardWorksAndAgents&from=15&count=3 13 September 2023 Elizabeth Riddell Patrick White Award Austlit — Patrick White Award - Past Winners Austlit https://www.austlit.edu.au/austlit/page/v617?mainTabTemplate=awardWorksAndAgents 8 September 2023 22 August 2023 https://web.archive.org/web/20230822040912/https://www.austlit.edu.au/austlit/page/v617?mainTabTemplate=awardWorksAndAgents dead David Martin Literary Award Author Title Publisher The Age Book of the Year Award"Booknotes" The Sydney Morning Herald, 7 December 1991, p44 https://www.proquest.com/docview/2527558348 28 May 2024 2527558348 David Marr Patrick White : A Life Jonathan Cape ALS Gold Medal ALS Gold Medal — Previous Winners Association for the Study of Australian Literature https://www.asal.org.au/awards/als-gold-medal/ 10 January 2024 Elizabeth Jolley Cabin Fever Viking Colin Roderick Award Colin Roderick Award - Other Winners James Cook University https://www.jcu.edu.au/foundation-for-australian-literary-studies/roderick-award/previous-winners2 31 December 2023 Joan Dugdale Struggle of Memory University of Queensland Press Fiction International Award Category Author Title PublisherCommonwealth Writers' Prize Commonwealth Writers' Prize Regional Winners 1987-2007 Commonwealth Foundation http://www.commonwealthfoundation.com/uploads/documents/Regional%20Winners%201987-20071.pdf 17 January 2024 23 October 2007 https://web.archive.org/web/20071023223729/http://www.commonwealthfoundation.com/uploads/documents/Regional%20Winners%201987-20071.pdf dead Best Novel, SE Asia and South Pacific region David Malouf The Great World Chatto & Windus Best Overall Novel David Malouf The Great World Chatto & Windus National Award Author Title Publisher Adelaide Festival Awards for LiteratureState Library of South Australia https://stories.slsa.sa.gov.au/south-australian-literary-awards/ Adelaide Festival Awards for Literature – Past Literary Award Winners 7 August 2026 Not awarded The Age Book of the Year Award Brian Castro Double-Wolf Allen & Unwin The Australian/Vogel Literary Award Austlit — The Australian/Vogel National Literary Award 1991 Austlit https://www.austlit.edu.au/austlit/page/v385?mainTabTemplate=awardWorksAndAgents&from=27&count=3 16 February 2023 Andrew McGahan Praise Allen and Unwin Miles Franklin AwardMalouf's sixth novel wins Miles Franklin award The Canberra Times, 26 June 1991, p5 http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article118153655 14 September 2023 David Malouf The Great World Chatto & Windus New South Wales Premier's Literary Awards Literary winner uncovers a purple patch in the mountains Sydney Morning Herald, 10 September 1991, p3 https://www.proquest.com/docview/2527555705 3 May 2024 2527555705 Nigel Krauth JF Was Here Allen and Unwin Victorian Premier's Literary AwardsCase of crime paying dividends The Age, 12 September 1991, p15 https://www.proquest.com/docview/2521549387 27 April 2024 2521549387 Finola Moorhead Still Murder PenguinWestern Australian Premier's Book Awards"Australian Literary Awards: Western Australian Premier's" University Libraries https://guides.lib.uw.edu/c.php?g=341672&p=2299464 4 April 2025 Nicholas Hasluck The Country Without Music Penguin Books Tim Winton Cloudstreet McPhee Gribble Poetry Award Author Title Publisher Adelaide Festival Awards for Literature Not awarded Anne Elder Award Austlit — Anne Elder Award 1989-91 Austlit https://www.austlit.edu.au/austlit/page/v148?mainTabTemplate=awardWorksAndAgents&from=30&count=3 11 February 2024 Alison Croggon This is the Stone Penguin Grace Leven Prize for Poetry"Booknotes" The Sydney Morning Herald, 6 July 1991 https://www.proquest.com/docview/2527007211 29 April 2026 2527007211 Les Murray Dog Fox Field Angus & Robertson Mary Gilmore AwardMary Gilmore Award Association for the Study of Australian Literature https://www.asal.org.au/awards/mary-gilmore-award/ 10 February 2024 Jean Kent Vernadahs Hale & Iremonger New South Wales Premier's Literary Awards Jennifer Maiden The Winter Baby Angus & Robertson Victorian Premier's Literary Awards Jennifer Maiden The Winter Baby Angus & Robertson Children and Young Adult Award Category Author Title Publisher Adelaide Festival Awards for Literature Children's Not awarded Children's Book of the Year Award"CBCA - Previous Winners - 1946 Onwards" CBCA https://cbca.blob.core.windows.net/documents/National/CBCA%20Awards%201946%20on.pdf 25 August 2025 Older Readers Gary Crew Strange Objects Heinemann Picture Book Bob Graham Greetings from Sandy Beach Lothian New South Wales Premier's Literary Awards Young People's Literature Gary Crew Strange Objects Heinemann Victorian Premier's Prize for Young Adult Fiction Gary Crew Strange Objects Heinemann Science fiction and fantasy Award Category Author Title Publisher Australian SF Achievement Award "Ditmar Awards 1991" SFADB https://www.sfadb.com/Ditmar_Awards_1991 7 August 2025 Best Australian Long Fiction Terry Dowling Rynosseros Aphelion Best Australian Short Fiction Sean McMullen "While the Gate is Open" The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction March 1990 Drama Award Category Author TitleNew South Wales Premier's Literary Awards FilmScript Not awarded Play Hannie Rayson Hotel Sorrento Victorian Premier's Literary Awards Drama Katherine Thomson Diving for Pearls Non-fiction Award Author Title Publisher Adelaide Festival Awards for Literature Not awarded The Age Book of the Year Award David Marr Patrick White : A Life Jonathan CapeNew South Wales Premier's Literary Awards Barry Hill Sitting In William Heinemann Australia Drusilla Modjeska Poppy McPhee Gribble Victorian Premier's Literary Awards Dorothy Hewett Wild Card McPhee Gribble Deaths A list, ordered by date of death (and, if the date is either unspecified or repeated, ordered alphabetically by surname) of deaths in 1991 of Australian literary figures, authors of written works or literature-related individuals follows, including year of birth. 21 February — Dorothy Auchterlonie Green, academic, literary critic and poet (born 1915)Dorothy Green (1915-1991) https://www.austlit.edu.au/austlit/page/A31826 2023-09-14 AustLit: Discover Australian Stories The University of Queensland 30 March — Joan Colebrook, journalist and writer (born 1910) Austlit — Joan Colebrook (1910-1991) Austlit https://www.austlit.edu.au/austlit/page/A18762 20 November 2023 3 April — Coral Lansbury, writer and academic (born 1929) Coral Magnolia Lansbury (1929–1991) by Melanie Nolan Australian Dictionary of Biography https://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/lansbury-coral-magnolia-17182 17 April 2024 7 April — Bob Brissenden, poet, novelist, critic and academic (born 1928)Brooks David 2014 'Brissenden, Robert Francis (Bob) (1928–1991) https://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/brissenden-robert-francis-bob-150/text28194 4 April 2019 Australian Dictionary of Biography, National Centre of Biography, Australian National University 2 May — Ronald McKie, novelist (born 1909) Ronald Cecil McKie (1909–1991) by Cheryl Taylor Australian Dictionary of Biography https://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/mckie-ronald-cecil-15568 16 November 2023 23 May — Manning Clark, historian (born 1915)McKenna Mark Clark, Charles Manning (1915–1991) https://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/clark-charles-manning-225 Australian Dictionary of Biography 2023-09-14 Canberra National Centre of Biography, Australian National University en 24 June — Sumner Locke Elliott, novelist and playwright (born 1917)Roe Jill Elliott, Sumner Locke (1917–1991) https://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/elliott-sumner-locke-14903 Australian Dictionary of Biography 2023-09-16 National Centre of Biography, Australian National University en 17 November — Pixie O'Harris, children's book author and illustrator (born 1903) O'Harris, Pixie (1903–1991) by Robert Holden Australian Dictionary of Biography https://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/oharris-pixie-16755 30 June 2023 1 December — Barbara Hanrahan, novelist and artist (born 1939)Barbara Hanrahan (1939-1991) https://www.austlit.edu.au/austlit/page/A34110 2024-02-13 AustLit: Discover Australian Stories The University of Queensland 13 February 2024 https://web.archive.org/web/20240213034950/https://www.austlit.edu.au/austlit/page/A34110 dead See also 1991 in Australia 1991 in literature 1991 in poetry List of years in literature List of years in Australian literature References Category:1991 in Australia Category:Australian literature by year Category:20th-century Australian literature Category:1991 in literature