1940 in Australian literature

This article presents a list of the historical events and publications of Australian literature during 1940.

Events

• Meanjin magazine publishes its first issue in Brisbane. ^[1]

Novels

• E. C. Allen – Old Eugowra ^[2]
• Martin Boyd – Nuns in Jeopardy
• Roy Connolly – Southern Saga ^[3]
• Dulcie Deamer – Holiday ^[4]
• Arthur Gask
  • The House on the Fens ^[5]
  • The Tragedy of the Silver Moon ^[6]
• Michael Innes
  • The Secret Vanguard
  • There Came Both Mist and Snow
• Josephine Knowles – Leaves in the Wind ^[7]
• Will Lawson – Red Morgan Rides ^[8]
• Eric Lowe – Framed in Hardwood ^[9]
• Nevil Shute
  • Landfall: A Channel Story
  • An Old Captivity
• Helen Simpson – Maid No More ^[10]
• Christina Stead – The Man Who Loved Children
• F. J. Thwaites – Whispers in Tahiti
• Arthur Upfield – Bushranger of the Skies
• Rix Weaver – Behold New Holland ^[11]

Short stories

• Gavin Casey – "The Day at the Brown Lakes" ^[12]
• Frank Dalby Davison – The Woman at the Mill ^[13]
• Alan Marshall – "Tell Us About the Turkey, Jo" ^[14]

Children's

• Mary Grant Bruce – Peter & Co. ^[15]
• May Gibbs – The Complete Adventures of Snugglepot and Cuddlepie ^[16]
• P. L. Travers – Happy Ever After ^[17]
• Dorothy Wall – Blinky Bill Joins the Army ^[18]

Poetry

Main article: 1940 in poetry

• Mary Gilmore – "No Foe Shall Gather Our Harvest"
• Max Harris – The Gift of Blood ^[19]
• Eve Langley – "Native-Born" ^[20]
• Ian Mudie – Corroboree to the Sun ^[21]
• Roderic Quinn – "Tyrrell's Bookshop" ^[22]
• Kenneth Slessor – "Metempsychosis" ^[23]
• Douglas Stewart – Elegy for an Airman ^[24]

Non-Fiction

• Malcolm Uren – Sailormen's Ghosts (travel and history) ^[25]

Awards and honours

Literary

Award	Author	Title	Publisher
ALS Gold Medal [26]	William Baylebridge	This Vital Flesh	Tallabila 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 1940 of Australian literary figures, authors of written works or literature-related individuals follows, including year of death.

• 9 February – J. M. Coetzee, novelist (born South Africa) ^[27]
• 19 March – Andrew Taylor, poet ^[28]
• 12 April – Jack Hibberd, playwright and novelist (died 2024) ^[29]
• 16 April – Marion Halligan, novelist (died 2024) ^[30]
• 28 July – Geoffrey Lehmann, poet and writer for children ^[31]
• 7 July – Geoff Page, poet ^[32]
• 18 August – Jan Owen, poet ^[33]
• 16 October – Ron Pretty, poet (died 2023) ^[34]
• 10 November – Jill Roe, historian (died 2017) ^[35]
• 16 November – Craig Powell, poet (died 2022) ^[36]

Unknown date

• Carmel Bird, novelist ^[37]
• Rosaleen Love, critic and short story writer ^[38]

Deaths

A list, ordered by date of death (and, if the date is either unspecified or repeated, ordered alphabetically by surname) of deaths in 1940 of Australian literary figures, authors of written works or literature-related individuals follows, including year of birth.

• 27 March – K. Langloh Parker, author (born 1856) ^[39]
• 3 May – S. Elliott Napier, poet and journalist (born 1870) ^[40]

See also

• 1940 in Australia
• 1940 in literature
• 1940 in poetry
• List of years in Australian literature
• List of years in literature

References

1. "Contemporary Australian Verse", The Courier-Mail, 28 December 1940, p7
2. "Old Eugowra by E. C. Allen". National Library of Australia. Retrieved 17 September 2024.
3. "Southern Saga by Roy Connolly". National Library of Australia. Retrieved 17 September 2024.
4. "Holiday by Dulcie Deamer". National Library of Australia. Retrieved 17 September 2024.
5. "The House on the Fens by Arthur Gask". National Library of Australia. Retrieved 17 September 2024.
6. "The Tragedy of the Silver Moon by Arthur Gask". National Library of Australia. Retrieved 17 September 2024.
7. "Leaves in the Wind by Josephine Knowles". National Library of Australia. Retrieved 17 September 2024.
8. "Red Morgan Rides by Will Lawson". National Library of Australia. Retrieved 17 September 2024.
9. "Framed in Hardwood by Eric Lowe". National Library of Australia. Retrieved 17 September 2024.
10. "Maid No More by Helen Simpson". National Library of Australia. Retrieved 17 September 2024.
11. "Behold New Holland by Rix Weaver". National Library of Australia. Retrieved 17 September 2024.
12. ""The Day at the Brown Lakes" by Gavin Casey". Austlit. Retrieved 17 September 2024.
13. "The Woman at the Mill by Frank Dalby Davison". National Library of Australia. Retrieved 17 September 2024.
14. ""Tell Us About the Turkey" by Alan Marshall". Austlit. Retrieved 17 September 2024.
15. "Peter & Co. by Mary Grant Bruce". National Library of Australia. Retrieved 15 September 2024.
16. "The Complete Adventures of Snugglepot and Cuddlepie by May Gibbs". National Library of Australia. Retrieved 15 September 2024.
17. "Happy Ever After by P. L. Travers". National Library of Australia. Retrieved 15 September 2024.
18. "Blinky Bill Joins the Army by Dorothy Wall". National Library of Australia. Retrieved 15 September 2024.
19. "The Gift of Blood by Max Harris". National Library of Australia. Retrieved 6 August 2024.
20. ""Native-Born" by Eve Langley". Austlit. Retrieved 6 August 2024.
21. ""Corroboree to the Sun" by Ian Mudie". Austlit. Retrieved 6 August 2024.
22. ""Tyrrell's Bookshop" by Roderic Quinn". Austlit. Retrieved 6 August 2024.
23. ""Metempsychosis" by Kenneth Slessor". Austlit. Retrieved 6 August 2024.
24. "Elegy for an Airman by Douglas Stewart". National Library of Australia. Retrieved 6 August 2024.
25. "Sailormen's Ghosts by Malcolm Uren". National Library of Australia. Retrieved 6 August 2024.
26. "ALS Gold Medal — Previous Winners". Association for the Study of Australian Literature. Retrieved 29 May 2024.
27. "J. M. Coetzee". Austlit. Retrieved 6 August 2024.
28. "Andrew Taylor". Austlit. Retrieved 6 August 2024.
29. "Jack Hibberd (1940-2024)". Austlit. Retrieved 6 August 2024.
30. "Marion Halligan". AustLit: Discover Australian Stories. The University of Queensland. Retrieved 24 February 2024.
31. "Geoffrey Lehmann". Austlit. Retrieved 6 August 2024.
32. "Geoff Page". Austlit. Retrieved 6 August 2024.
33. "Jan Owen". Austlit. Retrieved 6 August 2024.
34. "Ron Pretty (1940-2023)". AustLit: Discover Australian Stories. The University of Queensland. Retrieved 18 February 2024.
35. "Jill Roe (1940-2017)". AustLit: Discover Australian Stories. The University of Queensland. Retrieved 14 February 2024.
36. "Craig Powell (1940-2022)". AustLit: Discover Australian Stories. The University of Queensland. Retrieved 18 February 2024.
37. "Carmel Bird". Austlit. Retrieved 6 August 2024.
38. "Rosaleen Love". Austlit. Retrieved 6 August 2024.
39. "K. Langloh Parker (1856-1940)". AustLit: Discover Australian Stories. The University of Queensland. Retrieved 18 February 2024.
40. "S. Elliott Napier (1870-1940)". Austlit. Retrieved 25 July 2023.