1982 in Australian literature explained

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

Events

• 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

Novels

• 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

• Peter Corris — The Marvellous Boy^[3]

Science fiction and fantasy

• Glenda Adams — Games of the Strong^[4]
• Damien Broderick — The Judas Mandala^[5]

Short stories

• Beverley Farmer — "Snake"^[6]

Children's and young adult fiction

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

Poetry

• Les Murray
  • Equanimities^[8]
  • The Vernacular Republic: Poems 1961–1981^[9]
• John Tranter — Selected Poems^[10]

Drama

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

Non-fiction

• 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

Officer of the Order of Australia (AO)

• Donald Horne^[16]

Member of the Order of Australia (AM)

• R. D. Fitzgerald^[17]
• Hal Porter^[18]

Lifetime achievement

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

Literary awards

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

National

Award	Author	Title	Publisher
The Age Book of the Year Award	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

Children and Young Adult

Award	Category	Author	Title	Publisher
Children's Book of the Year Award^[28]	Older Readers	Colin Thiele	The Valley Between	Opal Books
	Picture Book	Jan Ormerod	Sunshine	Penguin Books
New South Wales Premier's Literary Awards	Children's Book Award	Nan Hunt and Craig Smith	Whistle Up the Chimney	William Collins

Poetry

Award	Author	Title	Publisher
Anne Elder Award^[29]	Kate Llewellyn	Trader Kate and the Elephants	Friendly Street Poets
	Peter Goldsworthy	Readings from Ecclesiastes	Angus & Robertson
Grace Leven Prize for Poetry^[30]	Vivian Smith	Tide Country	Angus & Robertson
New South Wales Premier's Literary Awards	Fay Zwicky	Kaddish and Other Poems	University of Queensland Press

Non-fiction

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

Births

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^[31]
• 22 November — Alasdair Duncan, author and journalist^[32]
• 22 December — Sarah Holland-Batt, contemporary Australian poet, critic and academic^[33]

Unknown date

• Kate Gordon, author of young adult fiction^[34]

Deaths

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)^[35]
• 8 October — Joice NanKivell Loch, author, journalist and humanitarian worker (died in Greece) (born 1887)^[36]
• 15 November — Eve Pownall, writer for children and historian (born 1901)^[37]

See also

• 1982 in Australia
• 1982 in literature
• 1982 in poetry
• List of years in literature
• List of years in Australian 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. Web site: Austlit — The Plains by Gerald Murnane . Austlit. 14 October 2023.
3. Web site: Austlit — The Marvellous Boy by Peter Corris . Austlit. 14 October 2023.
4. Web site: Games of the Strong by Glenda Adams . ISFDB. 14 May 2024.
5. Web site: The Judas Mandala by Damien broderick . ISFDB. 14 May 2024.
6. Web site: Austlit — "Snake" by Beverley Farmer . Austlit. 14 October 2023.
7. Web site: Austlit — Moonlight by Jan Omerod . Austlit. 14 October 2023.
8. Web site: Austlit — Equanimities by Les Murray . Austlit. 14 October 2023.
9. Web site: Austlit — The Vernacular Republic: Poems 1961–1981 by Les Murray . Austlit. 14 October 2023.
10. Web site: Austlit — Selected Poems by John Tranter . Austlit . 10 November 2023.
11. Web site: Austlit — Spellbound by Louis Nowra . Austlit. 14 October 2023.
12. Web site: Austlit — Robert J. Hawke: a biography b y Blanche d'Alpuget . Austlit. 14 October 2023.
13. Web site: Austlit — Rockchoppers: Growing up Catholic in Australia by Edmund Campion . Austlit. 14 October 2023.
14. Web site: Austlit — Lily on the Dustbin: Slang of Australian Women and Families by Nancy Keesing . Austlit. 14 October 2023.
15. Web site: Austlit — John Monash by Geoffrey Serle . Austlit. 14 October 2023.
16. Web site: Associate Professor Donald Richmond Horne. honours.pmc.gov.au. 2019-09-18.
17. Web site: Robert David Fitzgerald, OBE. honours.pmc.gov.au. 2019-09-18.
18. Web site: Harold Edward (Hal) Porter. honours.pmc.gov.au. 2019-09-18.
19. Web site: Austlit — FAW Christopher Brennan Award 1980-87. Austlit. 13 September 2023.
20. Web site: Austlit — Patrick White Award - Past Winners . Austlit. 22 August 2023.
21. Web site: "Malouf wins book award with 'Fly Away Peter'" . The Age, 27 November 1982, p4. 20 May 2024. .
22. Web site: ALS Gold Medal — Previous Winners . Association for the Study of Australian Literature. 22 August 2023.
23. Web site: Colin Roderick Award - Other Winners . James Cook University. 26 June 2023.
24. News: Jordison. Sam. Booker club: Schindler's Ark. The Guardian. 15 May 2009.
25. Web site: Austlit — The Australian/Vogel National Literary Award 1982. Austlit. 31 October 2023.
26. News: Rodney Hall wins award . . 57 . 17,397 . Australian Capital Territory, Australia . 18 May 1983 . 24 June 2023 . 3 . National Library of Australia.
27. Web site: "New South Wales Premier's Literary Award 1982" . LibraryThing. 11 November 2024.
28. Web site: "1982 Australian Children's Book of the Year Award" . The Canberra Times, 24 July 1982, p13. 16 November 2023.
29. Web site: Austlit — Anne Elder Award 1982-84 . Austlit. 9 February 2024.
30. Web site: Austlit — Tide Country by Vivian Smith. Austlit. 3 September 2023.
31. Web site: Craig Silvey . Austlit. 24 June 2023.
32. Web site: Alasdair Duncan . Austlit. 24 June 2023.
33. Web site: Sarah Holland-Batt . Austlit. 24 June 2023.
34. Web site: Kate Gordon . Austlit. 24 June 2023.
35. Web site: A. B. Facey (1894-1982). Austlit. 22 June 2023.
36. Web site: Joice Nankivell Loch (1887-1982). 2023-06-22 . AustLit: Discover Australian Stories . The University of Queensland.
37. Web site: Eve Pownall (1901-1892). 2023-06-22 . AustLit: Discover Australian Stories . The University of Queensland.