1982 in Australian literature

Literature-related events in Australia during the year of 1982

This article presents a list of the historical events and publications of Australian literature during 1982.

## Events

[edit]

* Thomas Keneally won the 1982 Booker–McConnell Prize for Schindler's Ark, the first Australian to win the award.[1]
* Rodney Hall (writer) won the 1982 Miles Franklin Award for Just Relations

## Major publications

[edit]

### Novels

[edit]

* Thea Astley — An Item from the Late News
* Rodney Hall — Just Relations
* Thomas Keneally — Schindler's Ark
* David Malouf — Fly Away Peter
* Gerald Murnane — The Plains[2]
* Tim Winton — An Open Swimmer

### Crime and mystery

[edit]

* Peter Corris — The Marvellous Boy

### Science fiction and fantasy

[edit]

* Glenda Adams — Games of the Strong[3]
* Damien Broderick — The Judas Mandala[4]
* Terry Dowling — "The Man Who Walks Away Behind the Eyes"[5]

### Short stories

[edit]

* Beverley Farmer — "Snake"[6]

### Children's and young adult fiction

[edit]

* Joan Lindsay — Syd Sixpence
* Jan Ormerod — Moonlight[7]
* Nadia Wheatley — Five Times Dizzy

### Poetry

[edit]

* Les Murray
* Equanimities[8]
* The Vernacular Republic: Poems 1961–1981[9]
* Vivian Smith – Tide Country
* John Tranter — Selected Poems[10]

### Drama

[edit]

* Jack Davis — The Dreamers
* Louis Nowra — Spellbound[11]
* David Williamson — The Perfectionist

### Non-fiction

[edit]

* Blanche d'Alpuget — Robert J. Hawke: A Biography[12]
* Edmund Campion — Rockchoppers: Growing up Catholic in Australia[13]
* Nancy Keesing — Lily on the Dustbin: Slang of Australian Women and Families[14]
* Geoffrey Serle — John Monash[15]

## Awards and honours

[edit]

### Officer of the Order of Australia (AO)

[edit]

* Donald Horne[16]

### Member of the Order of Australia (AM)

[edit]

* R. D. Fitzgerald[17]
* Hal Porter[18]

### Lifetime achievement

[edit]

Award  | Author

|

Christopher Brennan Award[19] | Vincent Buckley
Patrick White Award[20] | Bruce Beaver

### Literary awards

[edit]

Award  | Author  | Title  | Publisher

|
|
|

The Age Book of the Year Award[21] | David Malouf | Fly Away Peter | Chatto & Windus
ALS Gold Medal[22] | No award  |  |
Colin Roderick Award[23] | Geoffrey Serle | John Monash : A Biography | Melbourne University Press

### Fiction

[edit]

#### International

[edit]

Award  | Author  | Title  | Publisher

|
|
|

Booker Prize[24] | Thomas Keneally | Schindler's Ark | Hodder and Stoughton

#### National

[edit]

Award  | Author  | Title  | Publisher

|
|
|

The Age Book of the Year Award[21] | David Malouf | Fly Away Peter | Chatto & Windus
The Australian/Vogel Literary Award[25] | Brian Castro | Birds of Passage | Allen and Unwin
Nigel Krauth | Matilda, My Darling | Allen and Unwin
Miles Franklin Award[26] | Rodney Hall | Just Relations | Penguin Books
New South Wales Premier's Literary Awards[27] | Peter Carey | Bliss | University of Queensland Press
Western Australian Premier's Book Awards[28] | Archie Weller | Day of the Dog | Allen & Unwin

### Children and Young Adult

[edit]

Award  | Category  | Author  | Title  | Publisher

|
|
|
|

Children's Book of the Year Award[29] | Older Readers | Colin Thiele | The Valley Between | Opal Books
Picture Book | Jan Ormerod | Sunshine | Penguin Books
New South Wales Premier's Literary Awards[27] | Children's Book Award  | Nan Hunt and Craig Smith  | Whistle Up the Chimney | William Collins

### Science fiction and fantasy

[edit]

Award  | Category  | Author  | Title  | Publisher

|
|
|
|

Australian SF Achievement Award[30] | Best Australian Science Fiction  | David Lake | The Man Who Loved Morlocks | Hyland House

### Poetry

[edit]

Award  | Author  | Title  | Publisher

|
|
|

Anne Elder Award[31] | Kate Llewellyn | Trader Kate and the Elephants | Friendly Street Poets
Peter Goldsworthy | Readings from Ecclesiastes | Angus & Robertson
Grace Leven Prize for Poetry[32] | Vivian Smith | Tide Country | Angus & Robertson
New South Wales Premier's Literary Awards[27] | Fay Zwicky | Kaddish and Other Poems | University of Queensland Press

### Non-fiction

[edit]

Award  | Author  | Title  | Publisher

|
|
|

The Age Book of the Year Award[21] | Geoffrey Serle | John Monash: A Biography | Melbourne University Press
New South Wales Premier's Literary Awards[27] | Richard Haese  | Rebels and Precursors: The Revolutionary Years of Australian Art | Allen Lane

## Births

[edit]

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[33]
* 22 November — Alasdair Duncan, author and journalist[34]
* 22 December — Sarah Holland-Batt, contemporary Australian poet, critic and academic[35]

Unknown date

* Kate Gordon, author of young adult fiction[36]

## Deaths

[edit]

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)[37]
* 8 October — Joice NanKivell Loch, author, journalist and humanitarian worker (died in Greece) (born 1887)[38]
* 15 November — Eve Pownall, writer for children and historian (born 1901)[39]

## See also

[edit]

* 1982 in Australia
* 1982 in literature
* 1982 in poetry
* List of years in literature
* List of years in Australian literature

## References

[edit]

1. ^ Cain, Sian (17 October 2022). "Booker prize: it has been six years since an Australian was nominated. What gives?". Guardian Australia. Retrieved 1 November 2023.
2. ^ "Austlit — The Plains by Gerald Murnane". Austlit. Retrieved 14 October 2023.
3. ^ "Games of the Strong by Glenda Adams". ISFDB. Retrieved 14 May 2024.
4. ^ "The Judas Mandala by Damien Broderick". ISFDB. Retrieved 14 May 2024.
5. ^ ""The Man Who Walks Away Behind the Eyes" by Terry Dowling". ISFDB. Retrieved 28 May 2025.
6. ^ "Austlit — "Snake" by Beverley Farmer". Austlit. Retrieved 14 October 2023.
7. ^ "Austlit — Moonlight by Jan Omerod". Austlit. Retrieved 14 October 2023.
8. ^ "Austlit — Equanimities by Les Murray". Austlit. Retrieved 14 October 2023.
9. ^ "Austlit — The Vernacular Republic: Poems 1961–1981 by Les Murray". Austlit. Retrieved 14 October 2023.
10. ^ "Austlit — Selected Poems by John Tranter". Austlit. Retrieved 10 November 2023.
11. ^ "Austlit — Spellbound by Louis Nowra". Austlit. Retrieved 14 October 2023.
12. ^ "Austlit — Robert J. Hawke: a biography b y Blanche d'Alpuget". Austlit. Retrieved 14 October 2023.
13. ^ "Austlit — Rockchoppers: Growing up Catholic in Australia by Edmund Campion". Austlit. Retrieved 14 October 2023.
14. ^ "Austlit — Lily on the Dustbin: Slang of Australian Women and Families by Nancy Keesing". Austlit. Retrieved 14 October 2023.
15. ^ "Austlit — John Monash by Geoffrey Serle". Austlit. Retrieved 14 October 2023.
16. ^ "Associate Professor Donald Richmond Horne". honours.pmc.gov.au. Retrieved 18 September 2019.
17. ^ "Robert David Fitzgerald, OBE". honours.pmc.gov.au. Retrieved 18 September 2019.
18. ^ "Harold Edward (Hal) Porter". honours.pmc.gov.au. Retrieved 18 September 2019.
19. ^ "Austlit — FAW Christopher Brennan Award 1980-87". Austlit. Retrieved 13 September 2023.
20. ^ "Austlit — Patrick White Award - Past Winners". Austlit. Retrieved 22 August 2023.
21. ^ a b c ""Malouf wins book award with 'Fly Away Peter'"". The Age, 27 November 1982, p4. ProQuest 2521343410. Retrieved 20 May 2024.
22. ^ "ALS Gold Medal — Previous Winners". Association for the Study of Australian Literature. Retrieved 22 August 2023.
23. ^ "Colin Roderick Award - Other Winners". James Cook University. Retrieved 26 June 2023.
24. ^ Jordison, Sam (15 May 2009). "Booker club: Schindler's Ark". The Guardian.
25. ^ "Austlit — The Australian/Vogel National Literary Award 1982". Austlit. Retrieved 31 October 2023.
26. ^ "Rodney Hall wins award". The Canberra Times. Vol. 57, no. 17, 397. Australian Capital Territory, Australia. 18 May 1983. p. 3. Retrieved 24 June 2023 - via National Library of Australia.
27. ^ a b c d ""New South Wales Premier's Literary Award 1982"". LibraryThing. Retrieved 11 November 2024.
28. ^ ""Australian Literary Awards: Western Australian Premier's"". University Libraries. Retrieved 4 April 2025.
29. ^ ""1982 Australian Children's Book of the Year Award"". The Canberra Times, 24 July 1982, p13. Retrieved 16 November 2023.
30. ^ ""Ditmar Awards 1982"". SFADB. Retrieved 28 May 2025.
31. ^ "Austlit — Anne Elder Award 1982-84". Austlit. Retrieved 9 February 2024.
32. ^ "Austlit — Tide Country by Vivian Smith". Austlit. Retrieved 3 September 2023.
33. ^ "Craig Silvey". Austlit. Retrieved 24 June 2023.
34. ^ "Alasdair Duncan". Austlit. Retrieved 24 June 2023.
35. ^ "Sarah Holland-Batt". Austlit. Retrieved 24 June 2023.
36. ^ "Kate Gordon". Austlit. Retrieved 24 June 2023.
37. ^ "A. B. Facey (1894-1982)". Austlit. Retrieved 22 June 2023.
38. ^ "Joice Nankivell Loch (1887-1982)". AustLit: Discover Australian Stories. The University of Queensland. Retrieved 22 June 2023.
39. ^ "Eve Pownall (1901-1892)". AustLit: Discover Australian Stories. The University of Queensland. Retrieved 22 June 2023.

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