1989 in Australian literature

none December 2019 August 2026 This article presents a list of the historical events and publications of Australian literature during 1989. Events Peter Carey won the Miles Franklin Award for Oscar and Lucinda Major publications Novels Jessica Anderson — Taking Shelter Mena Calthorpe — The Plain of Ala The Plain of Ala by Mena Calthorpe National Library of Australia https://catalogue.nla.gov.au/Record/2466784 19 June 2026 Bryce Courtenay — The Power of One Tom Flood — Oceana Fine Peter Goldsworthy — Maestro Elizabeth Jolley — My Father's Moon Nicholas Jose — Avenue of Eternal Peace Tom Keneally — Towards Asmara Alex Miller — The Tivington Nott Amy Witting — I for Isobel I for Isobel by Amy Witing National Library of Australia https://catalogue.nla.gov.au/Record/2408270 19 June 2026 Short story anthologies Liam Davison — The Shipwreck Party Austlit — The Shipwreck Party by Liam Davison Austlit https://www.austlit.edu.au/austlit/page/C188237 21 December 2023 21 December 2023 https://web.archive.org/web/20231221001604/https://www.austlit.edu.au/austlit/page/C188237 live Brian Matthews — Quickening and Other Stories Austlit — Quickening and Other Stories by Brian Matthews Austlit https://www.austlit.edu.au/austlit/page/C263431 21 December 2023 21 December 2023 https://web.archive.org/web/20231221001543/https://www.austlit.edu.au/austlit/page/C263431 live Crime and mystery Kerry Greenwood — Cocaine Blues, the first in the Phryne Fisher series. Jennifer Rowe — Murder by the Book Austlit — Murder by the Book By Jennifer Rowe Austlit https://www.austlit.edu.au/austlit/page/C1674 21 December 2023 21 December 2023 https://web.archive.org/web/20231221001553/https://www.austlit.edu.au/austlit/page/C1674 live Science fiction and fantasy Judith Clarke — The Boy on the Lake : Stories Austlit — The Boy on the Lake : Stories by Judith Clarke Austlit https://www.austlit.edu.au/austlit/page/C265998 21 December 2023 21 December 2023 https://web.archive.org/web/20231221001600/https://www.austlit.edu.au/austlit/page/C265998 live Greg Egan – "The Cutie" Rosaleen Love — The Total Devotion Machine and Other Stories Austlit — The Total Devotion Machine and Other Stories by Rosaleen Love Austlit https://www.austlit.edu.au/austlit/page/C219684 21 December 2023 21 December 2023 https://web.archive.org/web/20231221001556/https://www.austlit.edu.au/austlit/page/C219684 live Children's and young adult fiction Graeme Base — The Eleventh Hour Morris Gleitzman — Two Weeks with the Queen Austlit — Two Weeks with the Queen by Morris Gleitzman Austlit https://www.austlit.edu.au/austlit/page/C213759 21 December 2023 21 December 2023 https://web.archive.org/web/20231221001557/https://www.austlit.edu.au/austlit/page/C213759 live Poetry Robert Adamson — The Clean Dark Dorothy Hewett — A Tremendous World in Her Head: Selected Poems Dorothy Porter — Driving Too Fast Driving Too Fast by Dorothy Porter National Library of Australia https://catalogue.nla.gov.au/Record/944710 17 July 2026 Peter Porter — Possible Worlds John Scott — Singles: Shorter Poems, 1982-1986 Singles: Shorter Poems, 1982-1986 by John Scott National Library of Australia https://catalogue.nla.gov.au/Record/1950543 17 July 2026 Peter Skrzynecki — "Night Swim" Austlit — "Night Swim" by Peter Skrzynecki Austlit https://www.austlit.edu.au/austlit/page/C104731 21 December 2023 21 December 2023 https://web.archive.org/web/20231221001552/https://www.austlit.edu.au/austlit/page/C104731 live Drama Nick Enright — Daylight Saving Jenny Kemp — Call of the Wild Austlit — Call of the Wild by Jenny Kemp Austlit https://www.austlit.edu.au/austlit/page/C382969 21 December 2023 21 December 2023 https://web.archive.org/web/20231221001559/https://www.austlit.edu.au/austlit/page/C382969 live Peta Murray Spitting Chips Austlit — Spitting Chips by Peta Murphy Austlit https://www.austlit.edu.au/austlit/page/C151337 21 December 2023 21 December 2023 https://web.archive.org/web/20231221001544/https://www.austlit.edu.au/austlit/page/C151337 live Wallflowering Austlit — Wallflowering by Peta Murphy Austlit https://www.austlit.edu.au/austlit/page/C34400 21 December 2023 21 December 2023 https://web.archive.org/web/20231221001558/https://www.austlit.edu.au/austlit/page/C34400 live David Williamson — Top Silk Austlit — Top Silk by David Williamson Austlit https://www.austlit.edu.au/austlit/page/C264195 21 December 2023 21 December 2023 https://web.archive.org/web/20231221001603/https://www.austlit.edu.au/austlit/page/C264195 live Non-fiction Jill Ker Conway — The Road from Coorain Adam Shoemaker — Black Words, White Page: Aboriginal Literature 1929-1988 Austlit — Black Words, White Page: Aboriginal Literature 1929-1988 by Adam Shoemaker Austlit https://www.austlit.edu.au/austlit/page/C48201 21 December 2023 21 December 2023 https://web.archive.org/web/20231221001550/https://www.austlit.edu.au/austlit/page/C48201 live Elisabeth Wynhausen — Manly Girls Austlit — Manly Girls by Elisabeth Wynhausen Austlit https://www.austlit.edu.au/austlit/page/C100060 21 December 2023 21 December 2023 https://web.archive.org/web/20231221001601/https://www.austlit.edu.au/austlit/page/C100060 live Awards and honours Mary Durack AUS AC, for "service to the community and literature"https://honours.pmc.gov.au/honours/awards/870162 Dame Mary Durack, DBE honours.pmc.gov.au live https://web.archive.org/web/20181103210113/https://honours.pmc.gov.au/honours/awards/870162 3 November 2018 24 December 2019 Les Murray (poet) AUS AO, for "service to Australian literature"https://honours.pmc.gov.au/honours/awards/870200 Leslie Allan Murray honours.pmc.gov.au live https://web.archive.org/web/20190506014747/https://honours.pmc.gov.au/honours/awards/870200 6 May 2019 24 December 2019 Thomas Shapcott AUS AO, for "service to Australian literature and to arts administration"https://honours.pmc.gov.au/honours/awards/870347 Thomas William Shapcott honours.pmc.gov.au live https://web.archive.org/web/20191224175419/https://honours.pmc.gov.au/honours/awards/870347 24 December 2019 24 December 2019 Gwen Harwood AUS AO, for "service to literature, particularly as a poet and librettist"https://honours.pmc.gov.au/honours/awards/870299 Gwendoline Nessie Harwood honours.pmc.gov.au live https://web.archive.org/web/20191224175420/https://honours.pmc.gov.au/honours/awards/870299 24 December 2019 24 December 2019 Max Harris (poet) AUS AO, for "service to literature"https://honours.pmc.gov.au/honours/awards/870128 Maxwell Henley Harris honours.pmc.gov.au live https://web.archive.org/web/20191224175418/https://honours.pmc.gov.au/honours/awards/870128 24 December 2019 24 December 2019 Clement Semmler AUS AM, for "service to Australian literature"https://honours.pmc.gov.au/honours/awards/869727 Dr Clement William Semmler, OBE honours.pmc.gov.au live https://web.archive.org/web/20191224175420/https://honours.pmc.gov.au/honours/awards/869727 24 December 2019 24 December 2019 John Morrison (writer) AUS AM, for "service to literature"https://honours.pmc.gov.au/honours/awards/869840 John Gordon Morrison honours.pmc.gov.au live https://web.archive.org/web/20191224193046/https://honours.pmc.gov.au/honours/awards/869840 24 December 2019 24 December 2019 Lifetime achievement Award Author Christopher Brennan Award "Chris Wallace-Crabbe" The Poetry Society https://poems.poetrysociety.org.uk/poets/chris-wallace-crabbe/ 13 September 2023 20 January 2025 https://web.archive.org/web/20250120044803/https://poems.poetrysociety.org.uk/poets/chris-wallace-crabbe/ live Chris Wallace-Crabbe 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 Thea Astley Literary Award Author Title Publisher The Age Book of the Year Award Repaying old debt to sailors pays off for first-time writer" The Age, 2 December 1989, p4 https://www.proquest.com/docview/2521157156 28 May 2024 2521157156 27 May 2024 https://web.archive.org/web/20240527234519/https://www.proquest.com/docview/2521157156 live Marsden Hordern Mariners are Warned!: John Lort Stokes and HMS Beagle in Australia 1837-1843 Melbourne University Press 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 November 2023 15 March 2024 https://web.archive.org/web/20240315073843/https://www.asal.org.au/awards/als-gold-medal/ live Frank Moorhouse Forty-Seventeen Viking Books 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 10 November 2023 30 November 2023 https://web.archive.org/web/20231130015711/https://www.jcu.edu.au/foundation-for-australian-literary-studies/roderick-award/previous-winners2 live Chris Symons John Bishop : A Life for Music Fiction International Award Category Author Title Publisher Commonwealth 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 First Novel, SE Asia and South Pacific region Gillian Mears Ride a Cock Horse Pascoe Publishing 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 Elizabeth Jolley My Father's Moon Viking The Australian/Vogel Literary Award Austlit — The Australian/Vogel National Literary Award 1989 Austlit https://www.austlit.edu.au/austlit/page/v385?mainTabTemplate=awardWorksAndAgents&from=30&count=3 21 December 2023 13 December 2023 https://web.archive.org/web/20231213040356/https://www.austlit.edu.au/austlit/page/v385?mainTabTemplate=awardWorksAndAgents&from=30&count=3 live Mandy Sayer Mood Indigo Allen and Unwin Miles Franklin Award Austlit — Oscar and Lucinda - Awards Austlit https://www.austlit.edu.au/austlit/page/C171341?mainTabTemplate=workAwards 14 September 2023 18 July 2023 https://web.archive.org/web/20230718111957/https://www.austlit.edu.au/austlit/page/C171341?mainTabTemplate=workAwards live Peter Carey Oscar and Lucinda University of Queensland Press New South Wales Premier's Literary Awards Hodgman wins State literary prize Sydney Morning Herald, 5 September 1989, p10 https://www.proquest.com/docview/2526306667 3 May 2024 2526306667 3 May 2024 https://web.archive.org/web/20240503011921/https://www.proquest.com/docview/2526306667 live Helen Hodgman Broken Words Penguin Books Australia Victorian Premier's Literary Awards The lucky seven out of 249 Sydney Morning Herald, 19 September 1989, p10 https://www.proquest.com/docview/2526496753 26 April 2024 2526496753 26 April 2024 https://web.archive.org/web/20240426071232/https://www.proquest.com/docview/2526496753 live Rodney Hall Captivity Captive Farrar Straus and Giroux 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 21 April 2025 https://web.archive.org/web/20250421075130/https://guides.lib.uw.edu/c.php?g=341672&p=2299464 live Marion Campbell Not Being Miriam Fremantle Arts Centre Press Children and Young Adult Award Category Author Title Publisher Adelaide Festival Awards for Literature Children's Not awarded Children's Book of the Year AwardThe 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 26 July 2026 21 December 2022 https://web.archive.org/web/20221221082022/https://cbca.blob.core.windows.net/documents/National/CBCA%20Awards%201946%20on.pdf live Older Readers Gillian Rubinstein Beyond the Labyrinth Hyland HousePicture Book Graeme Base The Eleventh Hour Viking Kestrel Allan Baillie & Jane Tanner Drac and the Gremlin Viking Kestrel New South Wales Premier's Literary Awards Young People's Literature Mary Pershall You Take the High Road Penguin Victorian Premier's Prize for Young Adult Fiction Caroline MacDonald The Lake at the End of the World Hodder & Stoughton Science fiction and fantasy Award Category Author Title Publisher Australian SF Achievement Award "Ditmar Awards 1989" SFADB https://www.sfadb.com/Ditmar_Awards_1989 28 June 2025 15 May 2025 https://web.archive.org/web/20250515083447/https://sfadb.com/Ditmar_Awards_1989 live Best Australian Long Fiction Damien Broderick Striped Holes Avon Best Australian Short Fiction Lucy Sussex "My Lady Tongue" Matilda at the Speed of Light 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 22 December 2024 https://web.archive.org/web/20241222162930/https://www.austlit.edu.au/austlit/page/v148?mainTabTemplate=awardWorksAndAgents&from=30&count=3 live Mark Miller Conversing with Stones Five Islands Press Grace Leven Prize for Poetry Austlit — A Tremendous World in Her Head — Awards Austlit https://www.austlit.edu.au/austlit/page/C141714?mainTabTemplate=workAwards 23 December 2023 23 December 2023 https://web.archive.org/web/20231223013531/https://www.austlit.edu.au/austlit/page/C141714?mainTabTemplate=workAwards live Dorothy Hewett A Tremendous World in Her Head Dangaroo Press Mary Gilmore AwardMary Gilmore Award Association for the Study of Australian Literature https://www.asal.org.au/awards/mary-gilmore-award/ 8 February 2024 8 March 2024 https://web.archive.org/web/20240308150200/https://www.asal.org.au/awards/mary-gilmore-award/ live Alex Skovron The Rearrangement Melbourne University Press New South Wales Premier's Literary Awards John Tranter Under Berlin University of Queensland Press Victorian Premier's Literary Awards Gwen Harwood Bone Scan Angus and Robertson Drama Award Category Author TitleNew South Wales Premier's Literary Awards FilmScript Not awarded Radio Script Alana Valentine The Story of Anger Lee Bredenza Television Script Bob Ellis and Stephen Ramsay The True Believers Play Stephen Sewell Hate Victorian Premier's Literary Awards Drama Daniel Keene Silent Partner Non-fiction Award Author Title Publisher Adelaide Festival Awards for Literature Not awarded The Age Book of the Year Award Marsden C. Hordern Mariners are Warned!: John Lort Stokes and HMS Beagle in Australia 1837-1843 Melbourne University Press New South Wales Premier's Literary Awards Maslyn Williams His Mother's Country Melbourne University Press Victorian Premier's Literary Awards Oskar Spate Paradise Found and Lost ANU Press Births A list, ordered by date of birth (and, if the date is either unspecified or repeated, ordered alphabetically by surname) of births in 1989 of Australian literary figures, authors of written works or literature-related individuals follows, including year of death. 2 June — Will Kostakis, author and journalist Will Kostakis Austlit https://www.austlit.edu.au/austlit/page/A90758 29 May 2024 29 May 2024 https://web.archive.org/web/20240529055723/https://www.austlit.edu.au/austlit/page/A90758 live Unknown date Robbie Arnott, authorRobbie Arnott https://www.austlit.edu.au/austlit/page/A146199 16 November 2025 AustLit: Discover Australian Stories The University of Queensland 28 December 2023 https://web.archive.org/web/20231228215130/https://www.austlit.edu.au/austlit/page/A146199 live Deaths A list, ordered by date of death (and, if the date is either unspecified or repeated, ordered alphabetically by surname) of deaths in 1989 of Australian literary figures, authors of written works or literature-related individuals follows, including year of birth. 3 June – Connie Christie, children's writer/illustrator, photographer and commercial artist (born 1908 in England)Connie Christie (1908-1989) https://www.austlit.edu.au/austlit/page/A45196 14 September 2023 AustLit: Discover Australian Stories The University of Queensland 28 May 2023 https://web.archive.org/web/20230528153134/https://www.austlit.edu.au/austlit/page/A45196 live 16 August – Donald Friend, artist and diarist (born 1914)Donald Friend (1914-1989) https://www.austlit.edu.au/austlit/page/A4670 14 September 2023 AustLit: Discover Australian Stories The University of Queensland 20 January 2024 https://web.archive.org/web/20240120024008/https://www.austlit.edu.au/austlit/page/A4670 live See also 1989 in Australia 1989 in literature 1989 in poetry List of years in literature List of years in Australian literature References Category:1989 in Australia Category:Australian literature by year Category:20th-century Australian literature Category:1989 in literature