1990 in Australian literature

none December 2019 December 2019 This article presents a list of the historical events and publications of Australian literature during 1990. Events Tom Flood won the Miles Franklin Award for Oceana Fine Major publications Novels Glenda Adams — Longleg Thea Astley — Reaching Tin River Lily Brett — Things Could Be Worse Sumner Locke Elliott — Fairyland Sonya Hartnett — The Glass House Susan Johnson – Flying Lessons Flying Lessons by Susan Johnson National Library of Australia https://catalogue.nla.gov.au/Record/223696 26 April 2024 Elizabeth Jolley — Cabin Fever Nigel Krauth – JF Was Here David Malouf — The Great World Colleen McCullough — The First Man in Rome Mandy Sayer — Mood Indigo Mood Indigo by Mandy Sayer National Library of Australia https://catalogue.nla.gov.au/Record/254770 26 April 2024 Sam Watson – The Kadaitcha Sung The Kadaitcha Sung by Sam Watson National Library of Australia https://catalogue.nla.gov.au/Record/1689806 27 April 2024 Morris West — Lazarus Crime and mystery Jon Cleary — Murder Song Peter Corris — O'Fear Kerry Greenwood — Flying Too High Alex Juniper — A Very Proper Death A Very Proper Death by Alex Juniper National Library of Australia https://catalogue.nla.gov.au/Record/354396 27 April 2024 Jennifer Maiden — Play with Knives Finola Moorhead — Still Murder Kel Richards — The Case of the Vanishing Corpse The Case of the Vanishing Corpse by Kel Richards National Library of Australia https://catalogue.nla.gov.au/Record/1810131 27 April 2024 Science fiction and fantasy A. Bertram Chandler — From Sea to Shining Star Greg Egan "Axiomatic" "Eugene" "Learning to Be Me" "The Moral Virologist" "The Safe-Deposit Box" Lucy Sussex — "Red Ochre" "Red Ochre" by Lucy Sussex ISFDB https://www.isfdb.org/cgi-bin/title.cgi?92427 24 December 2023 George Turner — A Pursuit of Miracles: Eight Stories A Pursuit of Miracles by George Turner ISFDB https://www.isfdb.org/cgi-bin/title.cgi?718921 24 December 2023 Children's and young adult fiction Isobelle Carmody — The Farseekers Gary Crew — Strange Objects Garth Nix — The Ragwitch Emily Rodda — Finders Keepers Tim Winton — Lockie Leonard, Human Torpedo Poetry Lee Cataldi — Women Who Live on the Ground: Poems, 1978-1988 Austlit — Women Who Live on the Ground: Poems, 1978-1988 by Lee Cataldi Austlit https://www.austlit.edu.au/austlit/page/C177621 31 December 2023 Jean Kent — Verandahs Austlit — Verandahs by Jean Kent Austlit https://www.austlit.edu.au/austlit/page/C210638 31 December 2023 Jennifer Maiden — The Winter Baby Les Murray — Dog Fox Field Jan Owen — Fingerprints on Light Austlit — Fingerprints on Light by Jan Owen Austlit https://www.austlit.edu.au/austlit/page/C49189 31 December 2023 Drama Hannie Rayson — Hotel Sorrento Austlit — Hotel Sorrento by Hannie Rayson Austlit https://www.austlit.edu.au/austlit/page/C196578 31 December 2023 David Williamson — Siren Austlit — Siren by David Williamson Austlit https://www.austlit.edu.au/austlit/page/C17598 31 December 2023 Non-fiction Beverley Farmer — A Body of Water Austlit — A Body of Water by Beverley Farmer Austlit https://www.austlit.edu.au/austlit/page/C149 31 December 2023 Gwen Harwood — Blessed City: The Letters of Gwen Harwood to Thomas Riddell, January to September 1943 Austlit — Blessed City: The Letters of Gwen Harwood to Thomas Riddell, January to September 1943 by Gwen Harwood Austlit https://www.austlit.edu.au/austlit/page/C172025 31 December 2023 Dorothy Hewett — Wild Card Austlit — Wild Card by Dorothy Hewett Austlit https://www.austlit.edu.au/austlit/page/C216703 31 December 2023 Awards and honours Yasmine Gooneratne AUS AO, for "service to literature and to education"https://honours.pmc.gov.au/honours/awards/870275 Associate Professor Yasmine Gooneratne honours.pmc.gov.au live https://web.archive.org/web/20171107014740/https://honours.pmc.gov.au/honours/awards/870275 7 November 2017 2019-12-24 Harry Payne Heseltine AUS AO, for "service to education, particularly in the field of Australian literature"https://honours.pmc.gov.au/honours/awards/881456 Professor Harry Payne Heseltine honours.pmc.gov.au live https://web.archive.org/web/20191224183251/https://honours.pmc.gov.au/honours/awards/881456 24 December 2019 2019-12-24 Rodney Hall (writer) AUS AM, for "service to the arts, particularly in the field of Australian literature"https://honours.pmc.gov.au/honours/awards/870358 Rodney Hall honours.pmc.gov.au live https://web.archive.org/web/20191211205732/https://honours.pmc.gov.au/honours/awards/870358 11 December 2019 2019-12-24 Andrew Taylor (poet) AUS AM, for "service to the arts, particularly in the field of Australian literature"https://honours.pmc.gov.au/honours/awards/869712 Andrew McDonald Taylor honours.pmc.gov.au live https://web.archive.org/web/20191211205727/https://honours.pmc.gov.au/honours/awards/869712 11 December 2019 2019-12-24 Elyne Mitchell AUS OAM, for "service to children's literature"https://honours.pmc.gov.au/honours/awards/870431 Sibyl Elyne Keith Mitchell honours.pmc.gov.au live https://web.archive.org/web/20191224183245/https://honours.pmc.gov.au/honours/awards/870431 24 December 2019 2019-12-24 Lifetime achievement Award Author Christopher Brennan Award Austlit — FAW Christopher Brennan Award Austlit https://www.austlit.edu.au/austlit/page/v539?mainTabTemplate=awardWorksAndAgents&from=15&count=3 13 September 2023 Not awarded 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 Robert Gray Literary Award Author Title Publisher The Age Book of the Year Award"A poet's collection of letters wins 'Age' Book of the Year prize" The Age, 1 December 1990, p12 https://www.proquest.com/docview/2521410374 28 May 2024 2521410374 Gwen Harwood Blessed City Angus and Robertson ALS Gold Medal ALS Gold Medal - Previous Winners Association for the Study of Australian Literature https://www.asal.org.au/awards/als-gold-medal/ 31 December 2023 Peter Porter Possible Worlds Oxford University Press 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 31 December 2023 Roland Griffiths-Marsh The Sixpenny Soldier Angus and Robertson 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 Novel, SE Asia and South Pacific region Robert Drewe The Bay of Contented Men Picador 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 Peter Carey Oscar and Lucinda University of Queensland Press The Age Book of the Year Award Glenda Adams Longleg Angus & RobertsonThe Australian/Vogel Literary Award Austlit — The Australian/Vogel National Literary Award 1990 Austlit https://www.austlit.edu.au/austlit/page/v385?mainTabTemplate=awardWorksAndAgents&from=30&count=3 16 February 2023 Gillian Mears The Mint Law Allen and Unwin Michael Stephens Sibling Mischief Allen and Unwin Miles Franklin Award "Second major prize for book" The Canberra Times, 22 June 1990, p16 http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article120893962 14 September 2023 Tom Flood Oceana Fine Allen & Unwin New South Wales Premier's Literary Awards Siobhan's Snowy stories are winners Sydney Morning Herald, 7 September 1990, p3 https://www.proquest.com/docview/3179728336 25 September 2025 3179728336 Thea Astley Reaching Tin River William Heinemann Australia Victorian Premier's Literary AwardsAnother Premier's literary award goes to Flood for 'Oceana Fine' The Age, 13 September 1990, p14 https://www.proquest.com/docview/2521139267 26 April 2024 2521139267 Tom Flood Oceana Fine Allen & Unwin 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 Vasso Kalamaras The Same Light Fremantle Arts Centre Press Poetry Award Author Title Publisher Adelaide Festival Awards for Literature Gwen Harwood Bone Scan Angus & RobertsonAnne 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 Jean Kent Vernadahs Hale & Iremonger Barry Hill Raft: Poems 1983-1990 Penguin Grace Leven Prize for Poetry Austlit — Grace Leven Poetry Prize 1991-93 Austlit https://www.austlit.edu.au/austlit/page/v186?mainTabTemplate=awardWorksAndAgents&from=12&count=3 11 February 2024 Not awarded Mary Gilmore AwardMary Gilmore Award Association for the Study of Australian Literature https://www.asal.org.au/awards/mary-gilmore-award/ 10 February 2024 Kristopher Rassemussen In the Name of the Father False Frontiers New South Wales Premier's Literary Awards Robert Adamson The Clean Dark Paper Bark Press Victorian Premier's Literary Awards Robert Adamson The Clean Dark Paper Bark Press Children and Young Adult Award Category Author Title Publisher Adelaide Festival Awards for Literature Children's Gillian Rubinstein Beyond the Labyrinth Hyland HouseChildren's Book of the Year Award"CBCA - Previous Winners - 1946 Onwards" CBCA https://cbca.blob.core.windows.net/documents/National/CBCA%20Awards%201946%20on.pdf 25 August 2025 Older Readers Robin Klein Came Back to Show You I Could Fly Viking Books Picture Book Margaret Wild & Julie Vivas The Very Best of Friends Margaret Hamilton New South Wales Premier's Literary Awards Young People's Literature Katherine Scholes The Blue Chameleon Hill of Content Victorian Premier's Prize for Young Adult Fiction Diana Kidd Onion Tears Collins Science fiction and fantasy Award Category Author Title Publisher Australian SF Achievement Award "Ditmar Awards 1990" SFADB https://www.sfadb.com/Ditmar_Awards_1990 7 August 2025 Best Australian Long Fiction Wynne Whiteford Lake of the Sun Ace Best Australian Short Fiction Terry Dowling "The Quiet Redemption of Andy the House" Australian Short Stories #26 Drama Award Category Author TitleNew South Wales Premier's Literary AwardsFilmScript Jane Campion and Gerard Lee Sweetie Laura Jones An Angel at My Table Play Not awarded Victorian Premier's Literary Awards Drama Sam Sejavka The Hive Non-fiction Award Author Title Publisher Adelaide Festival Awards for Literature John Bray Satura Wakefield Press The Age Book of the Year Award Gwen Harwood Blessed City Angus and Robertson New South Wales Premier's Literary Awards Siobhan McHugh The Snowy William Heinemann Australia Victorian Premier's Literary Awards Oskar Spate The Sixpenny Soldier Angus and Robertson Births A list, ordered by date of birth (and, if the date is either unspecified or repeated, ordered alphabetically by surname) of births in 1990 of Australian literary figures, authors of written works or literature-related individuals follows, including year of death. Unknown date Ellen van Neerven, Indigenous Australian writer and poet Austlit — Ellen van Neerven Austlit https://www.austlit.edu.au/austlit/page/A144258 31 December 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 1990 of Australian literary figures, authors of written works or literature-related individuals follows, including year of birth. 8 March — Jack Lindsay, novelist, biographer, historian and literary critic (born 1900) John (Jack) Lindsay (1900–1990) by Paul Gillen Australian Dictionary of Biography https://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/lindsay-john-jack-14177 31 December 2023 15 April — William Hart-Smith, poet (born 1911) William (Bill) Hart-Smith (1911–1990) by Brian Dibble Australian Dictionary of Biography https://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/hartsmith-william-bill-12603 23 November 2023 21 June — Martin Johnston, poet and novelist (born 1947)Martin Johnston (1947-1990) https://www.austlit.edu.au/austlit/page/A27678 2023-09-23 AustLit: Discover Australian Stories The University of Queensland 30 September — Patrick White, novelist, playwright and short story writer (born 1912) Patrick Victor (Paddy) White (1912–1990) by Elizabeth Webby Australian Dictionary of Biography https://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/white-patrick-victor-paddy-14925 25 November 2023 See also 1990 in Australia 1990 in literature 1990 in poetry List of years in literature List of years in Australian literature References Literature Category:Australian literature by year Category:20th-century Australian literature Australian