1972 in Australian literature explained

This article presents a list of the historical events and publications of Australian literature during 1972.

Events

• Thomas Keneally becomes the first Australian to be shortlisted for the Booker Prize for Fiction for The Chant of Jimmie Blacksmith.^[1]

Major publications

Books

• Thea Astley – The Acolyte
• Russell Braddon – End Play
• Jon Cleary – Man's Estate
• Sumner Locke Elliott – The Man Who Got Away
• Catherine Gaskin – A Falcon for a Queen
• David Ireland – The Flesheaters
• Thomas Keneally – The Chant of Jimmie Blacksmith
• Peter Mathers – The Wort Papers

Short stories

• Peter Carey
  • "Crabs"
  • "Peeling"
• Frank Hardy – It's Moments Like These
• Elizabeth Jolley – "Dingle the Fool"
• Frank Moorhouse – The Americans, Baby
• Kath Walker – Stradbroke Dreaming

Children's and Young Adult fiction

• Hesba Brinsmead – Echo in the Wilderness
• Alan Marshall – Fight for Life
• Mary Elwyn Patchett – Rebel Brumby
• Ivan Southall – Head in the Clouds
• Eleanor Spence – The Nothing Place
• Patricia Wrightson – An Older Kind of Magic

Science fiction and fantasy

• A. Bertram Chandler – The Hard Way Up

Poetry

See main article: 1972 in poetry.

• Michael Dransfield
  • Drug Poems
  • The Inspector of Tides
• Harry Payne Heseltine – The Penguin Book of Australian Verse (edited)
• Les Murray – Poems Against Economics
• Peter Porter
  • After Martial
  • Preaching to the Converted
• Thomas Shapcott – Begin With Walking
• Peter Skrzynecki – Head-Waters

Drama

• David Williamson – Juggler's Three

Awards and honours

Literary

Award	Author	Title	Publisher
ALS Gold Medal^[2]	Alex Buzo	Macquarie : A Play	Currency Press
	Alex Buzo	Tom	Angus and Robertson
Colin Roderick Award^[3]	Keith Hancock	Discovering Monaro	Cambridge University Press
Miles Franklin Award^[4]	Thea Astley	The Acolyte	Angus and Robertson

Children and Young Adult

Award	Category	Author	Title	Publisher
Children's Book of the Year Award	Older Readers^[5]	H. F. Brinsmead	Longtime Passing	Angus and Robertson
	Picture Book	No award

Poetry

Births

A list, ordered by date of birth (and, if the date is either unspecified or repeated, ordered alphabetically by surname) of births in 1972 of Australian literary figures, authors of written works or literature-related individuals follows, including year of death.

Unknown date

• Louis Armand, poet and critic^[7]
• Steve Toltz, novelist^[8]
• Samuel Wagan Watson, poet^[9]
• Helen Dale (born Helen Darville), novelist

Deaths

A list, ordered by date of death (and, if the date is either unspecified or repeated, ordered alphabetically by surname) of deaths in 1972 of Australian literary figures, authors of written works or literature-related individuals follows, including year of birth.

• 3 June – Martin Boyd, novelist (born 1893)^[10]
• 16 August – Dulcie Deamer, poet (born 1890)^[11]
• 16 October – Eunice Hanger, playwright and educator (born 1911)^[12]

See also

• 1972 in Australia
• 1972 in literature
• 1972 in poetry
• List of years in Australian literature
• List of years in literature

Notes and References

1. News: Cain . Sian . 2022-10-17 . Booker prize: it has been six years since an Australian was nominated. What gives? . Guardian Australia . 2023-11-01.
2. http://www.austlit.edu.au/austlit/page/v68 Austlit - ALS Gold Medal
3. https://www.jcu.edu.au/foundation-for-australian-literary-studies/colin-roderick-award/previous-winners2 "Colin Roderick Award - Previous Winners", James Cook University
4. http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article136969894 "Sydney Writer Wins Award for Novel", The Canberra Times, 11 April 1973, p3
5. http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article101993472 "Children's Book Week", The Canberra Times, 8 July 1972, p15
6. http://www.austlit.edu.au/austlit/page/C272269 Austlit - Head-Waters by Peter Skrzynecki
7. Web site: Louis Armand . 2024-03-05 . AustLit: Discover Australian Stories . The University of Queensland.
8. Web site: Steve Toltz . 2024-03-05 . AustLit: Discover Australian Stories . The University of Queensland.
9. Web site: Samuel Wagan Watson . 2024-03-05 . AustLit: Discover Australian Stories . The University of Queensland.
10. Web site: Boyd, Guy Martin à Beckett (1923–1988) by Brenda Niall . Australian Dictionary of Biography. 24 June 2023.
11. Web site: Deamer, Mary Elizabeth Kathleen Dulcie (1890–1972) by Martha Rutledge . Australian Dictionary of Biography. 24 June 2023.
12. Web site: Hanger, Eunice (1911–1972) by Richard Fotheringham . Australian Dictionary of Biography. 24 June 2023.