This article presents a list of the historical events and publications of Australian literature during 1947.
Events
The Grace Leven Prize for Poetry, worth £50, is awarded for the first time to Pacific Sea by Nan McDonald.
Books
Jon Cleary – You Can't See 'Round Corners Erle Cox – The Missing Angel M. Barnard Eldershaw – Tomorrow and Tomorrow Miles Franklin – The Thorny Rose Arthur Gask – The Dark Mill Stream Catherine Gaskin – With Every Year Ion L. Idriess – Isles of Despair Norman Lindsay – Halfway to Anywhere Vance Palmer – Cyclone Nevil Shute – The Chequer Board
Short stories
Myra Morris – The Township Judah Waten – "To a Country Town"
Children's and Young Adult fiction
Ruth C. Williams – Timothy Tatters
Poetry
David Campbell – "Small-Town Gladys" Victor Daley – Creeve Roe : Poetry Rosemary Dobson – "Country Press" R. D. Fitzgerald – "Fifth Day" A. D. Hope – "Conquistador" Nancy Keesing – "Detective Story" Nan McDonald – Pacific Sea John Shaw Neilson – Unpublished Poems of John Shaw Neilson Will H. Ogilvie – "Harry Morant" Elizabeth Riddell – "The Train in the Night" Roland Robinson – "Drifting Dug-Out" Douglas Stewart — Glencoe Judith Wright "Flame-Tree in a Quarry" "The Bull" "The Cycads" "The Killer"
Drama
Radio John Appleton – Hester's Diary Sumner Locke Elliott – Wicked is the Vine
Theatre Vance Palmer – Hail Tomorrow Douglas Stewart – Shipwreck Patrick White – The Ham Funeral
Awards and honours
Note: these awards were presented in the year in question.
Literary
Award Author Title Publisher ALS Gold Medal Not awarded
Children's and Young Adult
Award Category Author Title Publisher Children's Book of the Year Award"No Book Award by Society", The Age, 29 September 1947, p4 Older Readers No award
Poetry
Award Author Title Publisher Grace Leven Prize for Poetry Nan McDonald Pacific Sea Angus and Robertson
Births
A list, ordered by date of birth (and, if the date is either unspecified or repeated, ordered alphabetically by surname) of births in 1947 of Australian literary figures, authors of written works or literature-related individuals follows, including year of death.
10 January – Arnold Zable, novelist (in Wellington, New Zealand) 15 January – Richard Harland, novelist 22 January – Geoffrey Bewley, journalist and short story writer (died 2006) 7 February – Elizabeth Honey, children's author, illustrator and poet 21 March – Terry Dowling, novelist and short story writer 13 April – Amanda Lohrey, novelist 4 May Marele Day, novelist Peter Kocan, author and poet 13 July – David Marr, journalist and biographer 23 September – Gary Crew, novelist 29 September – Cassandra Pybus, historian and biographer 9 October – Michael Dugan, poet (died 2006) 30 October – Gary Catalano, poet and art critic (died 2002) 12 November – Martin Johnston, novelist and poet (died 1990)
Unknown date Eric Beach, poet and playwright (in New Zealand)(died 2024) Jacqueline Kent, writer and biographer Rhyll McMaster, novelist Bruce Pascoe, novelist Graham Rowlands, poet
Deaths
A list, ordered by date of death (and, if the date is either unspecified or repeated, ordered alphabetically by surname) of deaths in 1947 of Australian literary figures, authors of written works or literature-related individuals follows, including year of birth.
25 January — Pinchas Goldhar, writer and translator (born 1901) 12 February – Douglas Sladen, poet and biographer (born 1856) 19 July – Lennie Lower, journalist and novelist (born 1903) 18 October – R. H. Croll, poet and writer (born 1869) 1 November – Tilly Aston, blind writer and teacher (born 1873)
See also 1947 in Australia 1947 in literature 1947 in poetry List of years in Australian literature List of years in literature
References