1974 in Australian literature

none October 2016 July 2026 This article presents a list of the historical events and publications of Australian literature during 1974. Events The Patrick White Award is presented for the first time. White used his 1973 Nobel Prize in Literature award to establish a trust for this prize.https://www.australianbookreview.com.au/about/77-december-2012-january-2013/1281-patrick-white-to-the-rescue Carter, David. "Patrick White to the rescue", ABR, no. 347, December 2012-January 2013 17 October 2016 https://web.archive.org/web/20150923085543/https://www.australianbookreview.com.au/about/77-december-2012-january-2013/1281-patrick-white-to-the-rescue 23 September 2015 dead dmy-all The Age Book of the Year Awards are presented for the first time. The first set of awards consisted of the Fiction (or Imaginative Writing) Award and the Non-fiction Award. In addition, one of the two award winners was also named The Age Book of the Year.The Oxford Companion to Australian Literature edited by Wilde et al. (1994) p. 23 Major publications Books James Aldridge – Mockery in Arms Austlit — Mockery in Arms by James Aldridge Austlit https://www.austlit.edu.au/austlit/page/C276512 8 October 2023 Jon Cleary – Peter's Pence David Foster – The Pure Land Catherine Gaskin – The Property of a Gentleman Austlit — The Property of a Gentleman by Catherine Gaskin Austlit https://www.austlit.edu.au/austlit/page/C501856 8 October 2023 David Ireland – Burn Austlit — Burn by David Ireland Austlit https://www.austlit.edu.au/austlit/page/C57196 8 October 2023 Thomas Keneally – Blood Red, Sister Rose Colleen McCullough – Tim Ronald McKie – The Mango Tree Gerald Murnane – Tamarisk Row Austlit — Tamarisk Row by Gerald Murnane Austlit https://www.austlit.edu.au/austlit/page/C152985 8 October 2023 Morris West – Harlequin Thea Astley - A Kindness Cup Short stories Peter Carey – The Fat Man in History Austlit — The Fat Man in History by Peter Carey Austlit https://www.austlit.edu.au/austlit/page/C401852 8 October 2023 Frank Moorhouse – The Electrical Experience : A Discontinuous Narrative Austlit — The Electrical Experience : A Discontinuous Narrative by Frank Moorhouse Austlit https://www.austlit.edu.au/austlit/page/C189370 8 October 2023 Patrick White – The Cockatoos : Shorter Novels and Stories Science Fiction and Fantasy A. Bertram Chandler – The Bitter Pill Cherry Wilder – "The Ark of James Carlyle" "The Ark of James Carlyle" by Cherry Wilder ISFDB https://www.isfdb.org/cgi-bin/title.cgi?65296 22 September 2024 Children's and Young Adult fiction James Aldridge – The Marvellous Mongolian Austlit — The Marvellous Mongolian by James Aldridge Austlit https://www.austlit.edu.au/austlit/page/C441431 8 October 2023 Mavis Thorpe Clark – The Sky is Free Austlit — The Sky is Free by Mavis Thorpe Clark Austlit https://www.austlit.edu.au/austlit/page/C391096 8 October 2023 Ruth Park – Callie's Castle Austlit — Callie's Castle by Ruth Park Austlit https://www.austlit.edu.au/austlit/page/C16764 8 October 2023 Joan Phipson – Helping Horse Austlit — Helping Horse by Joan Phipson Austlit https://www.austlit.edu.au/austlit/page/C389150 8 October 2023 Colin Thiele Albatross Two Austlit — Albatross Two by Colin Thiele Austlit https://www.austlit.edu.au/austlit/page/C127095 8 October 2023 Magpie Island Austlit — Magpie Island by Colin Thiele Austlit https://www.austlit.edu.au/austlit/page/C317917 8 October 2023 Poetry 1974 in poetry Bruce Beaver – Lauds and Plaints : Poems (1968–1972) Lauds and Plaints : Poems (1968–1972) by Bruce Beaver National Library of Australia https://catalogue.nla.gov.au/Record/2162206 3 September 2026 Robert Gray – Creekwater Journal Creekwater Journal by National Library of Australia https://catalogue.nla.gov.au/Record/2705271 3 September 2026 Clive James – Peregrine Prykke's Pilgrimage Through the London Literary World : A Tragedy in Heroic Couplets Austlit — Peregrine Prykke's Pilgrimage Through the London Literary World : A Tragedy in Heroic Couplets by Clive James Austlit https://www.austlit.edu.au/austlit/page/C482229 8 October 2023 Jennifer Maiden – Tactics Tactics by Jennifer Maiden National Library of Australia https://catalogue.nla.gov.au/Record/1192095 3 September 2026 David Malouf – Neighbours in a Thicket : Poems Les Murray "The Broad Bean Sermon" Lunch and Counter Lunch "The Mitchells" Drama Louis Nowra – The Death of Joe Orton Austlit — The Death of Joe Orton by Louis Nowra Austlit https://www.austlit.edu.au/austlit/page/C113063 8 October 2023 Jim McNeill – How Does Your Garden Grow? David Williamson – The Department Austlit — The Department by David Williamson Austlit https://www.austlit.edu.au/austlit/page/C17330 8 October 2023 Biography Ivan Southall – Fly West Awards and honours Lifetime achievement Award Author Christopher Brennan Award"Poetry prize" The Canberra Times, 4 March 1976, p3 http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article110806489 13 September 2023 R. D. Fitzgerald Patrick White Award Austlit — Patrick White Award - Past Winners Austlit https://www.austlit.edu.au/austlit/page/v617?mainTabTemplate=awardWorksAndAgents 22 August 2023 Christina Stead Literary Award Author Title Publisher The Age Book of the Year Award"The Age brings back Melbourne Writers Festival and revives book of the year award" The Sydney Morning Herald, 9 June 2021 https://www.smh.com.au/culture/books/the-age-backs-melbourne-writers-festival-and-revives-book-of-the-year-award-20210531-p57wn9.html 12 July 2023 David Foster The Pure Land Macmillan ALS Gold Medal"Imaginary lives of the defeated in the realm of alienation", The Canberra Times, 21 February 1990, p33 David Malouf Neighbours in a Thicket : Poems University of Queensland Press Colin Roderick Award"Colin Roderick Award - Previous Winners", James Cook University David Malouf Neighbours in a Thicket : Poems University of Queensland Press Fiction Award Author Title Publisher The Age Book of the Year Award David Foster The Pure Land Macmillan Miles Franklin Awardhttps://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1301&dat=19750423&id=5_9jAAAAIBAJ&sjid=W-cDAAAAIBAJ&pg=4074,5934044&hl=en Fiction novice wins top prize 23 April 1975 The Sydney Morning Herald 24 June 2016 Ronald McKie The Mango Tree Collins Children and Young Adult Award Category Author Title PublisherChildren's Book of the Year Award Older Readers"Judges' Report", The Canberra Times, 6 July 1974, p11 Patricia Wrightson The Nargun and the Stars Hutchinson Picture Book Jenny Wagner, illustrated by Ron Brooks The Bunyip of Berkeley's Creek Longman Young Science fiction and fantasy Award Category Author Title PublisherAustralian SF Achievement Award "Ditmar Awards 1974" SFADB https://www.sfadb.com/Ditmar_Awards_1974 12 December 2024 Best Australian Science Fiction Not awarded Poetry Award Author Title Publisher Grace Leven Prize for PoetryAustlit - Neighbours in a Thicket : Poems by David Malouf David Malouf Neighbours in a Thicket : Poems University of Queensland Press Drama Award Author TitleAWGIE Award for Stagehttps://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/awgau/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/17162451/Past-AWGIE-Award-Winners-1968-2016FINAL.pdf AWGIE Award Winners 1968-2016 Australian Writers' Guild 27 June 2025 Dorothy Hewett Bonbons and Roses for Dolly Ron Blair President Wilson in Paris Non-fiction Award Author Title Publisher The Age Book of the Year Award Manning Clark A History of Australia Vol. 3 Melbourne University 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 1974 of Australian literary figures, authors of written works or literature-related individuals follows, including year of death. 9 June — Anna Goldsworthy, writer, teacher and classical pianist Austlit — Anna Goldsworthy Austlit https://www.austlit.edu.au/austlit/page/A21236 8 October 2023 14 June — Scott Monk, author Austlit — Scott Monk Austlit https://www.austlit.edu.au/austlit/page/A12167 8 October 2023 2 July — Matthew Reilly, author Austlit — Matthew Reilly Austlit https://www.austlit.edu.au/austlit/page/A33647 8 October 2023 27 December — Penni Russon, children's authorPenni Russon https://www.austlit.edu.au/austlit/page/A84180 2025-11-14 AustLit: Discover Australian Stories The University of Queensland Unknown date Alyssa Brugman, author of fiction for young adults Austlit — Alyssa Brugman Austlit https://www.austlit.edu.au/austlit/page/A59485 8 October 2023 Shaun Tan, artist and author Austlit — Shaun Tan Austlit https://www.austlit.edu.au/austlit/page/A41443 8 October 2023 22 September 2023 https://web.archive.org/web/20230922144648/https://www.austlit.edu.au/austlit/page/A41443 dead Deaths A list, ordered by date of death (and, if the date is either unspecified or repeated, ordered alphabetically by surname) of deaths in 1974 of Australian literary figures, authors of written works or literature-related individuals follows, including year of birth. 7 January – Nan McDonald, writer for children (born 1921)Nan McDonald (1921-1974) https://www.austlit.edu.au/austlit/page/A34742 2023-09-23 AustLit: Discover Australian Stories The University of Queensland 21 January – R. G. Howarth, poet and critic (born 1906) Howarth, Robert Guy (1906–1974) by Stuart Lee Australian Dictionary of Biography https://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/howarth-robert-guy-10555 26 September 2023 June – Eve Langley, novelist and poet (born 1904)Eve Langley (1904-1974) https://www.austlit.edu.au/austlit/page/A19391 2023-07-06 AustLit: Discover Australian Stories The University of Queensland See also 1974 in Australia 1974 in literature 1974 in poetry List of years in Australian literature List of years in literature References Category:Australian literature by year Category:20th-century Australian literature Category:1974 in literature