1940 in Australian literature explained

This article presents a list of the historical events and publications of Australian literature during 1940.

Events

• Meanjin magazine publishes its first issue in Brisbane.^[1]

Novels

• E. C. Allen – Old Eugowra^[2]
• Martin Boyd – Nuns in Jeopardy
• Roy Connolly – Southern Saga^[3]
• Dulcie Deamer – Holiday^[4]
• Arthur Gask
  • The House on the Fens^[5]
  • The Tragedy of the Silver Moon^[6]
• Michael Innes
  • The Secret Vanguard
  • There Came Both Mist and Snow
• Josephine Knowles – Leaves in the Wind^[7]
• Will Lawson – Red Morgan Rides^[8]
• Eric Lowe – Framed in Hardwood^[9]
• Nevil Shute
  • An Old Captivity
• Helen Simpson – Maid No More^[10]
• Christina Stead – The Man Who Loved Children
• F. J. Thwaites – Whispers in Tahiti
• Arthur Upfield – Bushranger of the Skies
• Rix Weaver – Behold New Holland^[11]

Short stories

• Gavin Casey – "The Day at the Brown Lakes"^[12]
• Frank Dalby Davison – The Woman at the Mill^[13]
• Alan Marshall – "Tell Us About the Turkey, Jo"^[14]

Children's

• Mary Grant Bruce – Peter & Co.^[15]
• May Gibbs – The Complete Adventures of Snugglepot and Cuddlepie^[16]
• P. L. Travers – Happy Ever After^[17]
• Dorothy Wall – Blinky Bill Joins the Army^[18]

Poetry

See main article: 1940 in poetry.

• Mary Gilmore – "No Foe Shall Gather Our Harvest"
• Max Harris – The Gift of Blood^[19]
• Eve Langley – "Native-Born"^[20]
• Ian Mudie – Corroboree to the Sun^[21]
• Roderic Quinn – "Tyrrell's Bookshop"^[22]
• Kenneth Slessor – "Metempsychosis"^[23]
• Douglas Stewart – Elegy for an Airman^[24]

Non-Fiction

• Malcolm Uren – Sailormen's Ghosts (travel and history)^[25]

Awards and honours

Literary

Births

A list, ordered by date of birth (and, if the date is either unspecified or repeated, ordered alphabetically by surname) of births in 1940 of Australian literary figures, authors of written works or literature-related individuals follows, including year of death.

• 9 February – J. M. Coetzee, novelist (born South Africa)^[27]
• 19 March – Andrew Taylor, poet^[28]
• 12 April – Jack Hibberd, playwright and novelist (died 2024)^[29]
• 16 April – Marion Halligan, novelist (died 2024)^[30]
• 28 July – Geoffrey Lehmann, poet and writer for children^[31]
• 7 July – Geoff Page, poet^[32]
• 18 August – Jan Owen, poet^[33]
• 16 October – Ron Pretty, poet (died 2023)^[34]
• 10 November – Jill Roe, historian (died 2017)^[35]
• 16 November – Craig Powell, poet (died 2022)^[36]

Unknown date

• Carmel Bird, novelist^[37]
• Rosaleen Love, critic and short story writer^[38]

Deaths

A list, ordered by date of death (and, if the date is either unspecified or repeated, ordered alphabetically by surname) of deaths in 1940 of Australian literary figures, authors of written works or literature-related individuals follows, including year of birth.

• 27 March – K. Langloh Parker, author (born 1856)^[39]
• 3 May – S. Elliott Napier, poet and journalist (born 1870)^[40]

See also

• 1940 in Australia
• 1940 in literature
• 1940 in poetry
• List of years in Australian literature
• List of years in literature

Notes and References

1. http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article44895328 "Contemporary Australian Verse", The Courier-Mail, 28 December 1940, p7
2. Web site: Old Eugowra by E. C. Allen. National Library of Australia. 17 September 2024.
3. Web site: Southern Saga by Roy Connolly. National Library of Australia. 17 September 2024.
4. Web site: Holiday by Dulcie Deamer. National Library of Australia. 17 September 2024.
5. Web site: The House on the Fens by Arthur Gask. National Library of Australia. 17 September 2024.
6. Web site: The Tragedy of the Silver Moon by Arthur Gask. National Library of Australia. 17 September 2024.
7. Web site: Leaves in the Wind by Josephine Knowles. National Library of Australia. 17 September 2024.
8. Web site: Red Morgan Rides by Will Lawson. National Library of Australia. 17 September 2024.
9. Web site: Framed in Hardwood by Eric Lowe. National Library of Australia. 17 September 2024.
10. Web site: Maid No More by Helen Simpson. National Library of Australia. 17 September 2024.
11. Web site: Behold New Holland by Rix Weaver. National Library of Australia. 17 September 2024.
12. Web site: "The Day at the Brown Lakes" by Gavin Casey. Austlit. 17 September 2024.
13. Web site: The Woman at the Mill by Frank Dalby Davison. National Library of Australia. 17 September 2024.
14. Web site: "Tell Us About the Turkey" by Alan Marshall. Austlit. 17 September 2024.
15. Web site: Peter & Co. by Mary Grant Bruce. National Library of Australia. 15 September 2024.
16. Web site: The Complete Adventures of Snugglepot and Cuddlepie by May Gibbs. National Library of Australia. 15 September 2024.
17. Web site: Happy Ever After by P. L. Travers. National Library of Australia. 15 September 2024.
18. Web site: Blinky Bill Joins the Army by Dorothy Wall. National Library of Australia. 15 September 2024.
19. Web site: The Gift of Blood by Max Harris. National Library of Australia. 6 August 2024.
20. Web site: "Native-Born" by Eve Langley. Austlit. 6 August 2024.
21. Web site: "Corroboree to the Sun" by Ian Mudie. Austlit. 6 August 2024.
22. Web site: "Tyrrell's Bookshop" by Roderic Quinn. Austlit. 6 August 2024.
23. Web site: "Metempsychosis" by Kenneth Slessor. Austlit. 6 August 2024.
24. Web site: Elegy for an Airman by Douglas Stewart . National Library of Australia. 6 August 2024.
25. Web site: Sailormen's Ghosts by Malcolm Uren. National Library of Australia. 6 August 2024.
26. Web site: ALS Gold Medal — Previous Winners . Association for the Study of Australian Literature. 29 May 2024.
27. Web site: J. M. Coetzee . Austlit. 6 August 2024.
28. Web site: Andrew Taylor . Austlit. 6 August 2024.
29. Web site: Jack Hibberd (1940-2024). Austlit. 6 August 2024.
30. Web site: Marion Halligan . 2024-02-24 . AustLit: Discover Australian Stories . The University of Queensland.
31. Web site: Geoffrey Lehmann . Austlit. 6 August 2024.
32. Web site: Geoff Page . Austlit. 6 August 2024.
33. Web site: Jan Owen . Austlit. 6 August 2024.
34. Web site: Ron Pretty (1940-2023). 2024-02-18 . AustLit: Discover Australian Stories . The University of Queensland.
35. Web site: Jill Roe (1940-2017). 2024-02-14 . AustLit: Discover Australian Stories . The University of Queensland.
36. Web site: Craig Powell (1940-2022). 2024-02-18 . AustLit: Discover Australian Stories . The University of Queensland.
37. Web site: Carmel Bird . Austlit. 6 August 2024.
38. Web site: Rosaleen Love . Austlit. 6 August 2024.
39. Web site: K. Langloh Parker (1856-1940). 2024-02-18 . AustLit: Discover Australian Stories . The University of Queensland.
40. Web site: S. Elliott Napier (1870-1940). Austlit. 25 July 2023.