1982 in Australian literature

none September 2019 September 2019 This article presents a list of the historical events and publications of Australian literature during 1982. Events Thomas Keneally won the 1982 Booker–McConnell Prize for Schindler's Ark, the first Australian to win the award.Cain Sian 2022-10-17 Booker prize: it has been six years since an Australian was nominated. What gives? https://www.theguardian.com/books/2022/oct/18/booker-prize-its-been-six-years-since-an-australian-was-nominated-what-gives Guardian Australia 2023-11-01 Rodney Hall (writer) won the 1982 Miles Franklin Award for Just Relations Major publications Novels Thea Astley — An Item from the Late News Jean Bedford — Sister Kate Sister Kate by Jean Bedford National Library of Australia https://catalogue.nla.gov.au/Record/352235 7 December 2025 Rodney Hall — Just Relations Thomas Keneally — Schindler's Ark David Malouf – Fly Away Peter Gerald Murnane — The Plains Tim Winton — An Open Swimmer Crime and mystery Peter Corris — The Marvellous Boy Science fiction and fantasy Glenda Adams — Games of the Strong Games of the Strong by Glenda Adams ISFDB https://www.isfdb.org/cgi-bin/title.cgi?16477 14 May 2024 Damien Broderick — The Judas Mandala The Judas Mandala by Damien Broderick ISFDB https://www.isfdb.org/cgi-bin/title.cgi?6602 14 May 2024 Terry Dowling — "The Man Who Walks Away Behind the Eyes" "The Man Who Walks Away Behind the Eyes" by Terry Dowling ISFDB https://www.isfdb.org/cgi-bin/title.cgi?65282 28 May 2025 Short stories Beverley Farmer — "Snake" Austlit — "Snake" by Beverley Farmer Austlit https://www.austlit.edu.au/austlit/page/C145859 14 October 2023 Children's and young adult fiction Joan Lindsay — Syd Sixpence Jan Ormerod — Moonlight Austlit — Moonlight by Jan Omerod Austlit https://www.austlit.edu.au/austlit/page/C391231 14 October 2023 Nadia Wheatley — Five Times Dizzy Poetry Les Murray Equanimities Austlit — Equanimities by Les Murray Austlit https://www.austlit.edu.au/austlit/page/C190019 14 October 2023 The Vernacular Republic: Poems 1961–1981 Austlit — The Vernacular Republic: Poems 1961–1981 by Les Murray Austlit https://www.austlit.edu.au/austlit/page/C142536 14 October 2023 Vivian Smith – Tide Country John Tranter — Selected Poems Austlit — Selected Poems by John Tranter Austlit https://www.austlit.edu.au/austlit/page/C65812 10 November 2023 Fay Zwicky – Kaddish and Other Poems Drama Jack Davis — The Dreamers Louis Nowra — Spellbound Austlit — Spellbound by Louis Nowra Austlit https://www.austlit.edu.au/austlit/page/C592816 14 October 2023 David Williamson — The Perfectionist Non-fiction Blanche d'Alpuget — Robert J. Hawke: A Biography Austlit — Robert J. Hawke: a biography b y Blanche d'Alpuget Austlit https://www.austlit.edu.au/austlit/page/C382301 14 October 2023 Edmund Campion — Rockchoppers: Growing up Catholic in Australia Austlit — Rockchoppers: Growing up Catholic in Australia by Edmund Campion Austlit https://www.austlit.edu.au/austlit/page/C451599 14 October 2023 Nancy Keesing — Lily on the Dustbin: Slang of Australian Women and Families Austlit — Lily on the Dustbin: Slang of Australian Women and Families by Nancy Keesing Austlit https://www.austlit.edu.au/austlit/page/C514751 14 October 2023 Geoffrey Serle — John Monash Austlit — John Monash by Geoffrey Serle Austlit https://www.austlit.edu.au/austlit/page/C485712 14 October 2023 Awards and honours Officer of the Order of Australia (AO) Donald Hornehttps://honours.pmc.gov.au/honours/awards/870008 Associate Professor Donald Richmond Horne honours.pmc.gov.au 2019-09-18 Member of the Order of Australia (AM) R. D. Fitzgeraldhttps://honours.pmc.gov.au/honours/awards/869889 Robert David Fitzgerald, OBE honours.pmc.gov.au 2019-09-18 Hal Porterhttps://honours.pmc.gov.au/honours/awards/869794 Harold Edward (Hal) Porter honours.pmc.gov.au 2019-09-18 Lifetime achievement Award Author Christopher Brennan Award Austlit — FAW Christopher Brennan Award 1980-87 Austlit https://www.austlit.edu.au/austlit/page/v539?mainTabTemplate=awardWorksAndAgents&from=18&count=3 13 September 2023 Vincent Buckley Patrick White Award Austlit — Patrick White Award - Past Winners Austlit https://www.austlit.edu.au/austlit/page/v617?mainTabTemplate=awardWorksAndAgents 22 August 2023 22 August 2023 https://web.archive.org/web/20230822040912/https://www.austlit.edu.au/austlit/page/v617?mainTabTemplate=awardWorksAndAgents dead Bruce Beaver Literary awards Award Author Title Publisher The Age Book of the Year Award"Malouf wins book award with 'Fly Away Peter'" The Age, 27 November 1982, p4 https://www.proquest.com/docview/2521343410 20 May 2024 2521343410 David Malouf Fly Away Peter Chatto & Windus ALS Gold Medal ALS Gold Medal — Previous Winners Association for the Study of Australian Literature https://www.asal.org.au/awards/als-gold-medal/ 22 August 2023 No award 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 26 June 2023 Geoffrey Serle John Monash : A Biography Melbourne University Press NSW Premier's Special Award Austlit — NSW Premier's Special Award Austlit https://www.austlit.edu.au/austlit/page/v855?mainTabTemplate=awardWorksAndAgents&from=24&count=3 21 September 2025 Christina Stead Fiction International Award Author Title Publisher Booker PrizeJordison Sam Booker club: Schindler's Ark https://www.theguardian.com/books/booksblog/2009/may/15/booker-club-schindlers-ark-keneally The Guardian 15 May 2009 Thomas Keneally Schindler's Ark Hodder and Stoughton National Award Author Title Publisher The Age Book of the Year Award David Malouf Fly Away Peter Chatto & WindusThe Australian/Vogel Literary Award Austlit — The Australian/Vogel National Literary Award 1982 Austlit https://www.austlit.edu.au/austlit/page/v385?mainTabTemplate=awardWorksAndAgents&from=36&count=3 31 October 2023 Brian Castro Birds of Passage Allen and Unwin Nigel Krauth Matilda, My Darling Allen and Unwin Miles Franklin Awardhttp://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article1131844531 Rodney Hall wins award The Canberra Times 57 17,397 Australian Capital Territory, Australia 18 May 1983 24 June 2023 3 National Library of Australia Rodney Hall Just Relations Penguin Books New South Wales Premier's Literary Awards"New South Wales Premier's Literary Award 1982" LibraryThing https://www.librarything.com/award/2259.0.0.1982/New-South-Wales-Premiers-Literary-Award-1982 11 November 2024 Peter Carey Bliss University of Queensland Press Western 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 Archie Weller Day of the Dog Allen & Unwin Children and Young Adult Award Category Author Title PublisherChildren's Book of the Year Award"1982 Australian Children's Book of the Year Award" The Canberra Times, 24 July 1982, p13 http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article126885945 16 November 2023 Older Readers Colin Thiele The Valley Between Opal Books Picture Book Jan Ormerod Sunshine Penguin Books New South Wales Premier's Literary Awards Children's Book Award Nan Hunt and Craig Smith Whistle Up the Chimney William Collins Science fiction and fantasy Award Category Author Title Publisher Australian SF Achievement Award "Ditmar Awards 1982" SFADB https://www.sfadb.com/Ditmar_Awards_1982 28 May 2025 Best Australian Science Fiction David Lake The Man Who Loved Morlocks Hyland House Poetry Award Author Title PublisherAnne Elder Award Austlit — Anne Elder Award 1982-84 Austlit https://www.austlit.edu.au/austlit/page/v148?mainTabTemplate=awardWorksAndAgents&from=36&count=3 9 February 2024 Kate Llewellyn Trader Kate and the Elephants Friendly Street Poets Peter Goldsworthy Readings from Ecclesiastes Angus & Robertson Grace Leven Prize for Poetry Austlit — Tide Country by Vivian Smith Austlit https://www.austlit.edu.au/austlit/page/C238693 3 September 2023 Vivian Smith Tide Country Angus & Robertson New South Wales Premier's Literary Awards Fay Zwicky Kaddish and Other Poems University of Queensland Press Non-fiction Award Author Title Publisher The Age Book of the Year Award Geoffrey Serle John Monash: A Biography Melbourne University Press New South Wales Premier's Literary Awards Richard Haese Rebels and Precursors: The Revolutionary Years of Australian Art Allen Lane Births A list, ordered by date of birth (and, if the date is either unspecified or repeated, ordered alphabetically by surname) of births in 1982 of Australian literary figures, authors of written works or literature-related individuals follows, including year of death. 1 January — Craig Silvey, novelist, author of Jasper Jones Craig Silvey Austlit https://www.austlit.edu.au/austlit/page/A81851 24 June 2023 22 November — Alasdair Duncan, author and journalist Alasdair Duncan Austlit https://www.austlit.edu.au/austlit/page/A64523 24 June 2023 22 December — Sarah Holland-Batt, contemporary Australian poet, critic and academic Sarah Holland-Batt Austlit https://www.austlit.edu.au/austlit/page/A90792 24 June 2023 Unknown date Kate Gordon, author of young adult fiction Kate Gordon Austlit https://www.austlit.edu.au/austlit/page/A138792 24 June 2023 Deaths A list, ordered by date of death (and, if the date is either unspecified or repeated, ordered alphabetically by surname) of deaths in 1982 of Australian literary figures, authors of written works or literature-related individuals follows, including year of birth. 11 February — Albert Facey, writer, best known as author of A Fortunate Life (born 1894) A. B. Facey (1894-1982) Austlit https://www.austlit.edu.au/austlit/page/A55742 22 June 2023 8 October — Joice NanKivell Loch, author, journalist and humanitarian worker (died in Greece) (born 1887)Joice Nankivell Loch (1887-1982) https://www.austlit.edu.au/austlit/page/A19438 2023-06-22 AustLit: Discover Australian Stories The University of Queensland 15 November — Eve Pownall, writer for children and historian (born 1901)Eve Pownall (1901-1892) https://www.austlit.edu.au/austlit/page/A24314 2023-06-22 AustLit: Discover Australian Stories The University of Queensland See also 1982 in Australia 1982 in literature 1982 in poetry List of years in literature List of years in Australian literature References Category:1982 in Australia Category:Australian literature by year Category:20th-century Australian literature Category:1982 in literature