1945 in Australian literature

none May 2024 May 2024 This article presents a list of the historical events and publications of Australian literature during 1945. Events June – Ern Malley hoax: Australia's most celebrated literary hoax takes place when Angry Penguins is published with poems by the fictional Ern Malley. Poets James McAuley and Harold Stewart created the poems from lines of other published work and then sent them as the purported work of a recently deceased poet. The hoax is played on Max Harris, at this time a 22-year-old avant garde poet and critic who had started the modernist magazine Angry Penguins. Harris and his circle of literary friends agreed that a hitherto completely unknown modernist poet of great merit had come to light in suburban Australia. The Autumn 1944 edition of the magazine with the poems comes out in mid-1945 due to wartime printing delays with cover illustration by Sidney Nolan. An Australian newspaper uncovers the hoax within weeks. McAuley and Stewart loved early Modernist poets but despise later modernism and especially the well-funded Angry Penguins and are jealous of Harris's precocious success.Heyward Michael The Ern Malley Affair University of Queensland Press 1993 Books Eleanor Dark – The Little Company The Little Company by Eleanor Dark National Library of Australia https://catalogue.nla.gov.au/Record/757185 16 September 2024 Michael Innes – Appleby's End Appleby's End by Michael Innes National Library of Australia https://catalogue.nla.gov.au/Record/947532 16 September 2024 Will Lawson – The Lady of the Heather The Lady of the Heather by Will Lawson National Library of Australia https://catalogue.nla.gov.au/Record/2320150 16 September 2024 Jack Lindsay – Hullo Stranger Hullo Stranger by Jack Lindsay National Library of Australia https://catalogue.nla.gov.au/Record/2255059 16 September 2024 Norman Lindsay – The Cousin from Fiji Nevil Shute – Most Secret F. J. Thwaites – Out of the Dawn Arthur Upfield – Death of a Swagman Morris West – Moon in My Pocket Short stories A. Bertram Chandler – "Giant Killer" Alan Marshall – "Wild Red Horses" "Wild Red Horses" by Alan Marshall Austlit https://www.austlit.edu.au/austlit/page/C268006 16 September 2024 Dal Stivens – "The Man Who Bowled Victor Trumper" "The Man Who Bowled Victor Trumper" by Dal Stivens Austlit https://www.austlit.edu.au/austlit/page/C175098 16 September 2024 Children's and Young Adult fiction Ruth C. Williams Our Friend Rodney Our Friend Rodney by Ruth C. Williams National Library of Australia https://catalogue.nla.gov.au/Record/2459681 16 September 2024 Pirate's Gold Pirate's Gold by Ruth C. Williams National Library of Australia https://catalogue.nla.gov.au/Record/825106 16 September 2024 Poetry 1945 in poetry Emily Bulcock – From Quenchless Springs From Quenchless Springs by Emily Bulcock Austlit https://www.austlit.edu.au/austlit/page/C378786 16 September 2024 Hugh McCrae – Voice of the Forest: Poems Voice of the Forest: Poems by Hugh McCrae National Library of Australia https://catalogue.nla.gov.au/Record/2714035 16 September 2024 J. S. Manifold – "The Tomb of Lt. John Learmonth, AIF" Ian Mudie – Poems: 1934-1944 Poems: 1934-1944 by Ian Mudie National Library of Australia https://catalogue.nla.gov.au/Record/2099596 16 September 2024 Colin Thiele – Splinters and Shards: Poems Splinters and Shards: Poems by Colin Thiele National Library of Australia https://catalogue.nla.gov.au/Record/2284549 16 September 2024 David McKee Wright – The Station Ballads and Other Verses The Station Ballads and Other Verses by David McKee Wright National Library of Australia https://catalogue.nla.gov.au/Record/6131549 16 September 2024 Judith Wright "South of My Days" "The Surfer" Drama Radio Dymphna Cusack – Lure of the Inland Sea Morris West – The Mask of Marius Melville Awards and honours Literary Award Author Title Publisher ALS Gold Medal ALS Gold Medal — Previous Winners Association for the Study of Australian Literature https://www.asal.org.au/awards/als-gold-medal/ 23 May 2024 Not awarded Births A list, ordered by date of birth (and, if the date is either unspecified or repeated, ordered alphabetically by surname) of births in 1945 of Australian literary figures, authors of written works or literature-related individuals follows, including year of death. 2 January – Diane Fahey, poet Diane Fahey Austlit https://www.austlit.edu.au/austlit/page/A36266 16 September 2024 7 February – Jill Jolliffe, journalist and non-fiction writer (died 2022)Jill Jolliffe (1945-2022) https://www.austlit.edu.au/austlit/page/A117955 2024-02-19 AustLit: Discover Australian Stories The University of Queensland 15 February – Jack Dann, novelist and editor (in USA) Jack Dann Austlit https://www.austlit.edu.au/austlit/page/A23799 16 September 2024 Jack Dann ISFDB https://www.isfdb.org/cgi-bin/title.cgi?274 16 September 2024 23 February – Robert Gray, poet (died 2025) Robert Gray Austlit https://www.austlit.edu.au/austlit/page/A793 16 September 2024 19 March – Mark O'Connor, poet Mark O'Connor Austlit https://www.austlit.edu.au/austlit/page/A2440 16 September 2024 6 April – Peter Skrzynecki, poet (in Germany) Peter Skrzynecki Austlit https://www.austlit.edu.au/austlit/page/A67284 16 September 2024 2 June – Michael Leunig, cartoonist and poet (died 2024) Michael Leunig Austlit https://www.austlit.edu.au/austlit/page/A21094 16 September 2024 7 October – Hal Colebatch, poet and novelist (died 2019)Hal Colebatch (1945-2019) https://www.austlit.edu.au/austlit/page/A7464 2024-02-14 AustLit: Discover Australian Stories The University of Queensland 5 December – Joanne Burns, poet Joanne Burns Austlit https://www.austlit.edu.au/austlit/page/A29085 16 September 2024 Unknown date Hazel Edwards, writer for children Hazel Edwards Austlit https://www.austlit.edu.au/austlit/page/A5841 16 September 2024 Robert J. Merritt, playwright (died 2011) Robert J. Merritt (1945-2011) Austlit https://www.austlit.edu.au/austlit/page/A1356 16 September 2024 Deaths A list, ordered by date of death (and, if the date is either unspecified or repeated, ordered alphabetically by surname) of deaths in 1945 of Australian literary figures, authors of written works or literature-related individuals follows, including year of birth. 10 March – G. B. Lancaster, novelist (born 1873)G. B. Lancaster (1873-1945) https://www.austlit.edu.au/austlit/page/A57112 2023-07-08 AustLit: Discover Australian Stories The University of Queensland 21 March — William Gosse Hay, author and essayist (born 1875) Hay, William Gosse (1875–1945) by I. D. Muecke Australian Dictionary of Biography https://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/hay-william-gosse-6612 3 August 2023 2 July – J. L. Ranken, poet and novelist (born 1878) J. L. Ranken (1878-1945) Austlit https://www.austlit.edu.au/austlit/page/A15512 9 April 2024 10 July – Jack Moses, poet (born 1861)Jack Moses (1861-1945) https://www.austlit.edu.au/austlit/page/A12199 2023-07-08 AustLit: Discover Australian Stories The University of Queensland 5 November – Norma Davis, poet (born 1905)Norma L. Davis (1905-1945) https://www.austlit.edu.au/austlit/page/A10251 2023-07-08 AustLit: Discover Australian Stories The University of Queensland See also 1945 in Australia 1945 in literature 1945 in poetry List of years in Australian literature List of years in literature References Literature Category:Australian literature by year Category:20th-century Australian literature Category:1945 in literature