1983 in Australian literature

none December 2019 December 2019 This article presents a list of the historical events and publications of Australian literature during 1983. Events The judges of the 1983 Miles Franklin Award announced there was no book entered of sufficient merit to receive the award.1984-05-16 No Miles Franklin award last year https://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article126995990 2019-12-02 Canberra Times (ACT : 1926 - 1995) 28 Major publications Novels Brian Castro — Birds of Passage Birds of Passage by Brian Castro National Library of Australia https://catalogue.nla.gov.au/Record/2048207 10 August 2025 Elizabeth Jolley Miss Peabody's Inheritance Miss Peabody's Inheritance by Elizabeth Jolley National Library of Australia https://catalogue.nla.gov.au/Record/2021980 10 August 2025 Mr Scobie's Riddle Peter Kocan — The Cure Mudrooroo Nyoongah – Doctor Wooreddy's Prescription for Enduring the Ending of the World Kylie Tennant — Tantavallon Tantavallon by Kylie Tennant National Library of Australia https://catalogue.nla.gov.au/Record/693725 10 August 2025 Morris West — The World Is Made of Glass Crime and mystery Peter Corris — The Empty Beach Gabrielle Lord — Tooth and Claw by Gabrielle Lord National Library of Australia https://catalogue.nla.gov.au/Record/3645686 10 August 2025 Ian Moffitt — The Colour Man The Colour Man by Ian Moffitt National Library of Australia https://catalogue.nla.gov.au/Record/1681334 10 August 2025 Science fiction and fantasy A. Bertram Chandler — Kelly Country Greg Egan — An Unusual Angle Lee Harding — Waiting for the End of the World Waiting for the End of the World by Lee Harding ISFDB https://www.isfdb.org/cgi-bin/title.cgi?780985 22 April 2024 George Turner — Yesterday's Men Yesterday's Men by George Turner ISFDB https://www.isfdb.org/cgi-bin/title.cgi?6900 22 April 2024 Short story collections Beverley Farmer — Milk Elizabeth Jolley — Woman in a Lampshade David Malouf — Antipodes Children's and young adult fiction Pamela Allen — Bertie and the Bear Bertie and the Bear by Pamela Allen National Library of Australia https://catalogue.nla.gov.au/Record/693360 10 August 2025 Mem Fox — Possum Magic Patricia Wrightson — A Little Fear A Little Fear by Patricia Wrightson National Library of Australia https://catalogue.nla.gov.au/Record/545741 10 August 2025 Poetry Geoffrey Lehmann & Robert Gray – The Younger Australian Poets (edited) The Younger Australian Poets edited by Geoffrey Lehmann & Robert Gray National Library of Australia https://catalogue.nla.gov.au/Record/657810 4 September 2026 Les Murray "Flowering Eucalypt in Autumn" Austlit — "Flowering Eucalypt in Autumn" by Les Murray Austlit https://www.austlit.edu.au/austlit/page/C164637 10 November 2023 The People's Otherworld : Poems "The Quality of Sprawl" Drama Stephen Sewell — The Blind Giant is Dancing Non-fiction Russell Braddon Japan Against the World Japan Against the World by Russell Braddon National Library of Australia https://catalogue.nla.gov.au/Record/3305309 10 November 2023 The Other Hundred Years War The Other Hundred Years War by Russell Braddon National Library of Australia https://catalogue.nla.gov.au/Record/494340 10 November 2023 Mary Durack — Sons in the Saddle Sons in the Saddle by Mary Durack National Library of Australia https://catalogue.nla.gov.au/Record/2327062 10 November 2023 Sylvia Lawson — The Archibald Paradox Austlit — The Archibald Paradox by Sylvia Lawson Austlit https://www.austlit.edu.au/austlit/page/C133479 10 November 2023 Megan McMurchy, Margot Oliver and Jeni Thornley — For Love or Money, a Pictorial History of Women and Work in Australia Lilith Norman — The brown and yellow: Sydney Girls' High School 1883–1983 The brown and yellow: Sydney Girls' High School 1883–1983 by Lilith Norman National Library of Australia https://catalogue.nla.gov.au/Record/2068202 10 November 2023 Cyril Pearl — The Dunera Scandal: Deported by Mistake The Dunera Scandal: Deported by Mistake by Cyril Pearl National Library of Australia https://catalogue.nla.gov.au/Record/331879 10 November 2023 Lloyd Robson — A History of Tasmania (Volume 1) Austlit — A History of Tasmania (Volume 1) by Lloyd Robson Austlit https://www.austlit.edu.au/austlit/page/C485718 10 November 2023 Anne Summers — Gamble for Power: How Bob Hawke beat Malcolm Fraser: The 1983 federal election Gamble for Power: How Bob Hawke beat Malcolm Fraser: The 1983 federal election by Anne summers National Library of Australia https://catalogue.nla.gov.au/Record/2170823 10 November 2023 Awards and honours Member of the Order of Australia (AM) Joyce Nicholson, for "service to literature and the book publishing industry"https://honours.pmc.gov.au/honours/awards/883151 Joyce Nicholson honours.pmc.gov.au 2019-12-02 Lu Rees, for "service to children's literature and the community"https://honours.pmc.gov.au/honours/awards/870336 Lucy Frances Harvey Rees, MBE honours.pmc.gov.au 2019-12-02 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 Bruce Dawe 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 Marjorie Barnard Literary awards Award Author Title Publisher The Age Book of the Year Award"'Riddle' is Book of the Year" https://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article116399814 29 December 2023 The Canberra Times, 7 December 1983, p28 Elizabeth Jolley Mr Scobie's Riddle Penguin ALS Gold Medal ALS Gold Medal - Previous Winners Association for the Study of Australian Literature https://www.asal.org.au/awards/als-gold-medal/ 25 June 2023 David Malouf Child's Play; Fly Away Peter Penguin 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 25 June 2023 Dudley McCarthy Gallipoli to the Somme — The Story of C.E.W. Bean John Ferguson Fiction Award Author Title Publisher The Age Book of the Year Award Elizabeth Jolley Mr Scobie's Riddle Penguin The 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 Jenny Summerville Shields of Trell Allen and Unwin Miles Franklin Award16 May 1984 No Miles Franklin award last year https://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article126995990 25 June 2023 The Canberra Times Australian Capital Territory, Australia 28 National Library of Australia 58 17,762 No award New South Wales Premier's Literary Awards Peter Kocan book wins a Wran prize Sydney Morning Herald, 6 September 1983, p8 https://www.proquest.com/docview/2526815224 3 May 2024 2526815224 Peter Kocan The Cure Angus & Robertson 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 Elizabeth Jolley Mr Scobie's Riddle Penguin Books Children and Young Adult Award Category Author Title PublisherChildren's Book of the Year Award Older ReadersThe Children's Book Council of Australia Book of the Year Awards 1946– The Children's Book Council of Australia https://cbca.blob.core.windows.net/documents/National/CBCA%20Awards%201946%20on.pdf 25 July 2026 Victor Kelleher Master of the Grove Penguin Books Picture Book Pamela Allen Who Sank the Boat? Nelson BooksNew South Wales Premier's Literary Awards Children's Book Award Pamela Allen Who Sank the Boat? Nelson Books Special Children's Book Award Nadia Wheatley Five Times Dizzy Oxford University Press Science fiction and fantasy Award Category Author Title Publisher Australian SF Achievement Award "Ditmar Awards 1983" SFADB https://www.sfadb.com/Ditmar_Awards_1983 28 May 2025 Best Australian Science Fiction Terry Dowling "The Man Who Walks Away Behind the Eyes" Omega, May 1982 Poetry Award Author Title Publisher Anne 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 David Brooks The Cold Front Hale and Iremonger Grace Leven Prize for Poetry Austlit — Collected Poems by Peter Porter Austlit https://www.austlit.edu.au/austlit/page/C275920 3 September 2023 Peter Porter Collected Poems Oxford University Press New South Wales Premier's Literary Awards Vivian Smith Tide Country Angus & Robertson Drama Award Author Title Publisher New South Wales Premier's Literary Awards — Play Nicholas Enright and Terence Clarke Variations Manuscript Non-fiction Award Author Title Publisher The Age Book of the Year Award L. L. Robson A History of Tasmania : Volume 1. : Van Dieman's Land from the Earliest Times to 1855 Oxford University Press New South Wales Premier's Literary Awards Blanche d'Alpuget Robert J. Hawke Schwartz Books Births A list, ordered by date of birth (and, if the date is either unspecified or repeated, ordered alphabetically by surname) of births in 1983 of Australian literary figures, authors of written works or literature-related individuals follows, including year of death. 2 December — Tara June Winch, writer of Aboriginal and European descent Tara June Winch Austlit https://www.austlit.edu.au/austlit/page/A84662 25 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 1983 of Australian literary figures, authors of written works or literature-related individuals follows, including year of birth. 20 January — Maie Casey, Baroness Casey, pioneer aviator, poet, librettist, biographer, memoirist and artist (born 1891) Casey, Lady Ethel Marian (Maie) (1891–1983) by Diane Langmore Australian Dictionary of Biography https://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/casey-lady-ethel-marian-maie-12296 25 June 2023 23 January — Lu Rees, bookseller, book collector and children's literature advocate (born 1901) Rees, Lucy Frances (Lu) (1901–1983) by Patricia Clarke Australian Dictionary of Biography https://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/rees-lucy-frances-lu-14414 25 June 2023 8 February – Colin Simpson, journalist and travel writer (born 1908) Simpson, Edwin Colin (1908–1983) by Richard White Australian Dictionary of Biography https://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/simpson-edwin-colin-15926 25 June 2023 31 March — Christina Stead, novelist and short-story writer (born 1902) Stead, Christina Ellen (1902–1983) by Margaret Harris Australian Dictionary of Biography https://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/stead-christina-ellen-15545 25 June 2023 25 August — Donald Stuart, novelist whose works include stories with Aboriginal backgrounds and a series recounting his experience as a prisoner of war in Burma in World War II (born 1913) Stuart, Donald Robert (1913–1983) by Sally Clarke Australian Dictionary of Biography https://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/stuart-donald-robert-15784 25 June 2023 29 September — Alan Moorehead, war correspondent and author of popular histories (born 1910) Moorehead, Alan McCrae (1910–1983) by John Lack Australian Dictionary of Biography https://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/moorehead-alan-mccrae-15004 25 June 2023 5 December — Gavin Greenlees, poet (born 1930) Gavin Greenlees (1930-1983) Austlit https://www.austlit.edu.au/austlit/page/A48446 25 June 2023 See also 1983 in Australia 1983 in literature 1983 in poetry List of years in literature List of years in Australian literature References Category:1983 in Australia Category:Australian literature by year Category:20th-century Australian literature Category:1983 in literature