1977 in Australian literature explained

This article presents a list of the historical events and publications of Australian literature during 1977.

Events

• Ruth Park won the 1977 Miles Franklin Award for Swords and Crowns and Rings

Major publications

Books

• Jon Cleary – High Road to China
• Helen Garner – Monkey Grip
• Thomas Keneally – A Victim of the Aurora
• Colleen McCullough – The Thorn Birds
• Ruth Park – Swords and Crowns and Rings

Short stories

• Frank Moorhouse – Tales of Mystery and Romance

Science fiction and fantasy

• A. Bertram Chandler
  • The Far Traveller^[1]
  • Star Courier^[2]
• Lee Harding — The Weeping Sky^[3]
• David Lake
  • The Right Hand of Dextra^[4]
  • The Wildings of Westron^[5]
• Cherry Wilder — The Luck of Brin's Five^[6]

Children's and young adult fiction

• Joan Phipson – Fly into Danger
• Eleanor Spence – A Candle for St. Antony
• Patricia Wrightson – The Ice Is Coming

Poetry

• Robert Adamson – Cross The Border
• Nancy Keesing – Hails and Farewells
• Jennifer Maiden – Mortal Details
• Les Murray – Ethnic Radio
• John Tranter – Crying in Early Infancy: 100 Sonnets

Drama

• Dorothy Hewett – The Golden Oldies
• Peter Kenna
  • Mates
  • Trespassers Will Be Prosecuted
• Louis Nowra – Inner Voices
• Patrick White – Big Toys
• David Williamson – The Club

Non-fiction

• Blanche d'Alpuget – Mediator: A biography of Sir Richard Kirby
• Zelda D'Aprano – Zelda: The becoming of a woman
• Fred Daly – From Curtin to Kerr
• John Edwards – Life Wasn't Meant to Be Easy: A political profile of Malcolm Fraser
• Paul Hasluck – Mucking About: An Autobiography

Awards and honours

Order of Australia

• Eleanor Dark appointed Officer of the Order of Australia (AO)^[7]
• Colin Thiele appointed Companion of the Order of Australia (AC)^[8]

Lifetime achievement

Award	Author
Christopher Brennan Award^[9]	Gwen Harwood
Patrick White Award^[10]	Sumner Locke Elliott

Literary

Award	Author	Title	Publisher
The Age Book of the Year Award^[11]	No award
ALS Gold Medal^[12]	No award
Colin Roderick Award^[13]	Alan Marshall	The Complete Stories of Alan Marshall	Thomas Nelson

Fiction

Award	Author	Title	Publisher
The Age Book of the Year Award^[14]	No award
Miles Franklin Award^[15]	Ruth Park	Swords and Crowns and Rings	Nelson Books

Children and Young Adult

Award	Category	Author	Title	Publisher
Children's Book of the Year Award	Older Readers^[16]	Eleanor Spence	The October Child	Oxford University Press
	Picture Book	No award

Poetry

Award	Author	Title	Publisher
Anne Elder Award^[17]	Laurie Duggan	East: Poems 1970-74	R. Kenny
	Graeme Curtis	At Last No Reply	Makar Press
Grace Leven Prize for Poetry^[18]	Robert Adamson	Selected Poems	Angus & Robertson

Non-fiction

Births

A list, ordered by date of birth (and, if the date is either unspecified or repeated, ordered alphabetically by surname) of births in 1977 of Australian literary figures, authors of written works or literature-related individuals follows, including year of death.

• 7 August — Patrick Holland, novelist and short story writer^[20]

Unknown date

• Jennifer Mills — novelist, short story writer and poet^[21]

Deaths

A list, ordered by date of death (and, if the date is either unspecified or repeated, ordered alphabetically by surname) of deaths in 1977 of Australian literary figures, authors of written works or literature-related individuals follows, including year of birth.

• 10 July – Alec Chisholm, journalist, ornithologist and encyclopaedist (born 1890)^[22]
• 22 August – Leon Gellert, poet (born 1892)^[23]
• 2 September – Pat Flower, playwright, television scriptwriter and crime novelist (born 1914)^[24]
• 12 September – Les Haylen, politician, playwright, novelist and journalist (born 1898)^[25]

See also

• 1977 in Australia
• 1977 in literature
• 1977 in poetry
• List of years in Australian literature
• List of years in literature

Notes and References

1. Web site: The Far Traveller by A. Bertram Chandler . ISFDB. 19 March 2024.
2. Web site: Star Courier by A. Bertram Chandler. ISFDB. 19 March 2024.
3. Web site: The Weeping Sky by Lee Harding . ISFDB. 19 March 2024.
4. Web site: The Right Hand of Dextra by David Lake. ISFDB. 19 March 2024.
5. Web site: The Wildings of Westron by David Lake. ISFDB. 19 March 2024.
6. Web site: The Luck of Brin's Five by Cherry Wilder. ISFDB. 19 March 2024.
7. News: Full list for Order of Australia. 1977-01-26. Canberra Times (ACT : 1926 - 1995). 2018-07-24. 12.
8. Web site: Colin Milton Thiele. honours.pmc.gov.au. 2019-04-20.
9. Web site: Harwood, Gwendoline Nessie (Gwen) (1920–1995) by Alison Hoddinott . Australian Dictionary of Biography. 13 September 2023.
10. Web site: Austlit — Patrick White Award - Past Winners . Austlit. 22 August 2023.
11. Web site: Austlit — The Age Book of the Year Award . Austlit. 4 September 2023.
12. Web site: ALS Gold Medal — Previous Winners . Association for the Study of Australian Literature. 22 August 2023.
13. Web site: Other Winners. 2017-11-15. www.jcu.edu.au. en-AU. 2019-04-20. 20 April 2019. https://web.archive.org/web/20190420205921/https://www.jcu.edu.au/foundation-for-australian-literary-studies/colin-roderick-award/2017-winner-and-shortlist/previous-winners2. dead.
14. Web site: Austlit — The Age Book of the Year Award . Austlit. 4 September 2023.
15. News: Ruth Park obituary. Eccleshare. Julia. 2011-01-07. The Guardian. 2019-04-20. en-GB. 0261-3077.
16. Book: Spence, Eleanor. The October child. Green. Malcolm. 1977. Oxford University Press. 9780195505474. Melbourne.
17. Web site: Austlit — Anne Elder Award 1977-78 . Austlit. 8 February 2024.
18. Web site: Adamson, Robert - Poet - Australian Poetry Library. www.poetrylibrary.edu.au. 2019-04-20.
19. Web site: Austlit — The Age Book of the Year Award . Austlit. 4 September 2023.
20. Web site: Patrick Holland . Austlit. 3 July 2023.
21. Web site: Jennifer Mills . 2023-06-29 . AustLit: Discover Australian Stories . The University of Queensland.
22. Web site: Chisholm, Alexander Hugh (Alec) (1890-1977). 2023-06-29 . Encyclopedia of Australian Science and Innovation . en-gb.
23. Web site: Gellert, Leon Maxwell (1892–1977) by Gavin Souter . Australian Dictionary of Biography. 3 July 2023.
24. Web site: Flower, Patricia Mary (Pat) (1914–1977) by Susan Lever . Australian Dictionary of Biography. 3 July 2023.
25. Web site: Haylen, Leslie Clement (Les) (1898–1977) by R. E. Northey . Australian Dictionary of Biography. 3 July 2023.