1994 in Australian literature

This article presents a list of the historical events and publications of Australian literature during 1994.

Events

Rodney Hall (writer) won the Miles Franklin Award for The Grisly Wife

Major publications

Novels

Thea Astley — Coda Lily Brett — Just Like That Peter Carey — The Unusual Life of Tristan Smith Helen Demidenko – The Hand That Signed the Paper Richard Flanagan — Death of a River Guide Kate Grenville — Dark Places Adib Khan — Seasonal Adjustments Drusilla Modjeska — The Orchard Tim Winton — The Riders

Short stories Marian Eldridge — The Wild Sweet Flowers Lucy Sussex – The Lottery : Nine Science Fiction Stories (edited)

Science fiction and fantasy Greg Egan — Permutation City Sean McMullen – Voices in the Light George Turner – Genetic Soldier

Crime and mystery Jon Cleary – Autumn Maze Peter Corris Casino Get Even The Time Trap Marele Day – The Disappearances of Madalena Grimaldi Garry Disher – Crosskill Kerry Greenwood – Blood and Circuses Nicholas Hasluck – A Grain of Truth Barry Maitland – The Marx Sisters Shane Maloney – Stiff Glyn Parry — Monster Man Dorothy Porter — The Monkey's Mask

Children's and young adult fiction

Pamela Allen — Clippity-Clop Gary Crew — The Watertower Mem Fox — Tough Boris Jackie French — Somewhere Around the Corner John Marsden — The Dead of Night James Moloney — Gracey Emily Rodda — Rowan and the Travellers

Poetry

Robert Adamson — Waving to Hart Crane Bruce Beaver — Anima and Other Poems Peter Boyle — Coming Home From the World Dorothy Hewett — Peninsula Rhyll McMaster — Flying the Coop: New and Selected Poems 1972-1994 Jan Owen — Night Rainbows

Drama

Beatrix Christian — Blue Murder Michael Gow — Sweet Phoebe Hannie Rayson — Falling From Grace David Williamson — Sanctuary

Non-fiction

John Birmingham — He Died with a Felafel in His Hand Gillian Bouras — Aphrodite and the Others Geraldine Brooks — Nine Parts of Desire Robert Dessaix — A Mother's Disgrace Tim Flannery — The Future Eaters David Horton — The Encyclopaedia of Aboriginal Australia Jan Ruff O'Herne — Fifty Years of Silence Susan Varga — Heddy and Me Donna Williams — Somebody Somewhere

Awards and honours

Patsy Adam-Smith "for service to community history, particularly through the preservation of national traditions and folklore and recording of oral histories" Laurie Hergenhan "for service to Australian literary scholarship and to education" Joan Phipson "for service to children's literature" Judith Rodriguez "for service to Australian literature, particularly in the area of poetry"

Lifetime achievement Award Author Christopher Brennan Award Judith Rodriguez Patrick White Award Dimitris Tsaloumas

Literary Award Author Title Publisher The Age Book of the Year Award Peter Carey The Unusual Life of Tristan Smith University of Queensland Press ALS Gold Medal Louis Nowra Radiance and The Temple Currency Press Colin Roderick Award Patrick Buckridge The Scandalous Penton: A Biography of Brian Penton University of Queensland Press New South Wales Premier's Literary Awards – Book of the Year Adib Khan Seasonal Adjustments Allen and Unwin Nita Kibble Literary Award Marion Halligan Lovers' Knots Heinemann Western Australian Premier's Book Awards – Book of the Year Dorothy Hewett Peninsula Fremantle Arts Centre Press

Fiction

International

Award Category Author Title PublisherCommonwealth Writers' Prize Best Novel, SE Asia and South Pacific region David Malouf Remembering Babylon Random House Best First Novel, SE Asia and South Pacific region Fotini Epanomitis The Mule's Foal Allen & Unwin

National Award Author Title Publisher Adelaide Festival Awards for Literature Frank Moorhouse Grand Days William Heinemann The Age Book of the Year Award Peter Carey The Unusual Life of Tristan Smith University of Queensland Press The Australian/Vogel Literary Award Darren Williams Swimming in Silk Allen and Unwin Miles Franklin Award Rodney Hall The Grisly Wife Macmillan New South Wales Premier's Literary Awards Adib Khan Seasonal Adjustments Allen and Unwin Victorian Premier's Literary Awards John A. Scott What I Have Written McPhee Gribble Western Australian Premier's Book Awards Joan London Letter to Constantine Fremantle Arts Centre Press

Poetry

Award Author Title Publisher Adelaide Festival Awards for Literature Andrew Lansdown Between Glances Fremantle Arts Centre Press The Age Book of the Year Award Dorothy Porter The Monkey's Mask Hyland House Anne Elder Award Not awarded Grace Leven Prize for Poetry Not awarded Mary Gilmore Award Deborah Staines Now, Millenium Spinifex Press New South Wales Premier's Literary Awards Barry Hill Ghosting William Buckley Heinemann Victorian Premier's Literary Awards Robert Gray Certain Things Heinemann Western Australian Premier's Book Awards Dorothy Hewett Peninsula Fremantle Arts Centre Press

Children and Young Adult Award Category Author Title Publisher Adelaide Festival Awards for Literature Children's Gary Crew Angel's Gate William Heinemann AustraliaChildren's Book of the Year AwardOlder Readers Isobelle Carmody The Gathering Penguin Books Gary Crew Angel's Gate William Heinemann Australia Picture Book Gary Crew & Peter Gouldthorpe First Light Lothian New South Wales Premier's Literary Awards Young People's Literature Ursula Dubosarsky The White Guinea Pig Viking Books Victorian Premier's Prize for Young Adult Fiction Ursula Dubosarsky The White Guinea-Pig Viking Books Western Australian Premier's Book Awards Children's Mike Lefroy and Peter Kendall Rosa's Famous Elbow Fremantle Arts Centre Press

Science fiction and fantasy Award Category Author Title Publisher Australian SF Achievement Award Best Australian Long Fiction George Turner The Destiny Makers Morrow Best Australian Short Fiction Leanne Frahm "Catalyst" Terror Australis

Drama

Award Category Author TitleNew South Wales Premier's Literary Awards FilmScript Rolf de Heer Bad Boy Bubby Play Michael Gurr Sex Diary of an Infidel Victorian Premier's Literary Awards Drama Louis Nowra The Temple

Non-fiction Award Author Title Publisher Adelaide Festival Awards for Literature Susan Maushart Sort of a Place Like Home: Remembering the Moore River Native Settlement Fremantle Arts Centre Press The Age Book of the Year Award Jim Davidson Lyrebird Rising: Louise Hanson-Dyer of Oiseau-Lyre 1884-1962 Melbourne University PressNew South Wales Premier's Literary Awards David McKnight Australia's Spies and Their Secrets Allen & Unwin Patrick Buckridge The Scandalous Penton University of Queensland Press Victorian Premier's Literary Awards Jim Davidson Lyrebird Rising: Louise Hanson-Dyer of Oiseau-Lyre 1884-1962 Melbourne University Press

Births A list, ordered by date of birth (and, if the date is either unspecified or repeated, ordered alphabetically by surname) of births in 1994 of Australian literary figures, authors of written works or literature-related individuals follows, including year of death.

18 April — Alexandra Adornetto, actress and author who writes for children and young adults 25 June — Robbie Coburn, poet and young adult author.

Deaths A list, ordered by date of death (and, if the date is either unspecified or repeated, ordered alphabetically by surname) of deaths in 1994 of Australian literary figures, authors of written works or literature-related individuals follows, including year of birth.

28 January — Frank Hardy, novelist, best known for Power Without Glory (born 1917) 7 February — Rosemary Wighton, literary editor, author and advisor to the South Australian government on women's affairs (born 1925) 29 May — Nene Gare, writer and artist, best known for The Fringe Dwellers (born 1919) 7 September — James Clavell, novelist, screenwriter, director, and World War II veteran and prisoner of war (born 1921) 9 September — Hugh Atkinson (novelist), novelist, journalist, screenwriter and documentary film maker (born 1921) 16 December — Mary Durack, author and historian (born 1913)

See also

1994 in Australia 1994 in literature 1994 in poetry List of years in literature List of years in Australian literature

References