1973 in Australian literature

This article presents a list of the historical events and publications of Australian literature during 1973.

Events

• Patrick White is awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature, becoming the first, and so far only, Australian writer to be presented with the award. ^[1]

Major publications

Books

• Kit Denton – The Breaker : A Novel ^[2]
• Hammond Innes – Golden Soak ^[3]
• Morris Lurie – Rappaport's Revenge ^[4]
• Christina Stead – The Little Hotel
• F. J. Thwaites – Tracks I Knew Not
• Morris West – The Salamander
• Patrick White – The Eye of the Storm

Short stories

• Murray Bail – "Zoellner's Definition" ^[5]
• Elizabeth Jolley – "Another Holiday for the Prince" ^[6]

• Frank Moorhouse
  • "The Airport, the Pizzeria, the Motel, the Rented Car, and the Mysteries of Life" ^[7]
  • The Illegal Relatives ^[8]
• Fay Zwicky – "Hostages" ^[9]

Children's and Young Adult fiction

• James Aldridge – A Sporting Proposition ^[10]
• Mavis Thorpe Clark – Wildfire ^[11]
• Max Fatchen – The Spirit Wind ^[12]
• Elyne Mitchell – Silver Brumby Whirlwind ^[13]
• Mary Elwyn Patchett – Roar of the Lion ^[14]
• Ivan Southall – Matt and Jo ^[15]
• Eleanor Spence – Time to Go Home ^[16]
• Colin Thiele – The Fire in the Stone ^[17]
• Patricia Wrightson – The Nargun and the Stars

Poetry

Main article: 1973 in poetry

• Rosemary Dobson – Selected Poems ^[18]
• Rodney Hall – A Soapbox Omnibus
• A. D. Hope
  • "Hay Fever" ^[19]
  • Selected Poems ^[20]
• Roger McDonald – "Two Summers in Moravia" ^[21]
• Peter Porter – Jonah ^[22]
• Vivian Smith – "The Man Fern Near the Bus Stop" ^[23]
• Judith Wright – Alive : Poems 1971-72 ^[24]

Drama

• Peter Kenna – A Hard God
• John Powers – The Last of the Knucklemen ^[25]
• David Williamson – What If You Died Tomorrow?

Awards and honours

Literary

Award	Author	Title	Publisher
ALS Gold Medal [26]	Francis Webb
Colin Roderick Award [27]	Dorothy Green	Ulysses Bound: Henry Handel Richardson and Her Fiction	Australian National University Press
Miles Franklin Award [28]	No award

Children and Young Adult

Award	Category	Author	Title	Publisher
Children's Book of the Year Award	Older Readers [29]	Noreen Shelley, illustrated by Robert Micklewright	Family at The Lookout	Oxford University Press
Picture Book [29]	No award

Science fiction and fantasy

Award	Category	Author	Title	Publisher
Australian SF Achievement Award [30]	Best Australian Science Fiction	John Foyster	"Let it Ring"	Infinity Three

Poetry

Award	Author	Title	Publisher
Grace Leven Prize for Poetry [31]	Rodney Hall	A Soapbox Omnibus	University of Queensland 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 1973 of Australian literary figures, authors of written works or literature-related individuals follows, including year of death.

• 18 March — Max Barry, novelist ^[32]
• 26 October — Chloe Hooper, author ^[33]
• 12 November — Jay Kristoff, fantasy and science fiction writer ^[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 1973 of Australian literary figures, authors of written works or literature-related individuals follows, including year of birth.

• 20 April – Michael Dransfield, poet (born 1948) ^[35]
• 24 July — Isabel Mary Mitchell, novelist (born 1893) ^[36]
• 25 July – Gina Ballantyne, poet (born 1919) ^[37]
• 30 September — Doris Egerton Jones, novelist (born 1889) ^[38]
• 24 October — Pat Hanna, dramatist (born 1888) ^[39]
• 11 November — Jim Crawford, playwright (born 1908) ^[40]
• 23 November – Francis Webb, poet (born 1925) ^[41]

See also

• 1973 in Australia
• 1973 in literature
• 1973 in poetry
• List of years in Australian literature
• List of years in literature

References

1. "Nobel Prize in Literature 1973". Nobel Foundation. Retrieved 17 October 2008.
2. "The Breaker : A Novel by Kit Denton". National Library of Australia. Retrieved 11 December 2024.
3. "Golden Soak by Hammond Innes". National Library of Australia. Retrieved 11 December 2024.
4. "Rappaport's Revenge by Morris Lurie". National Library of Australia. Retrieved 11 December 2024.
5. ""Zoellner's Definition" by Murray Bail". Austlit. Retrieved 11 December 2024.
6. ""Another Holiday for the Prince" by Elizabeth Jolley". Austlit. Retrieved 11 December 2024.
7. ""The Airport, the Pizzeria, the Motel, the Rented Car, and the Mysteries of Life" by Frank Moorhouse". Austlit. Retrieved 11 December 2024.
8. "The Illegal Relatives by Frank Moorhouse". National Library of Australia. Retrieved 11 December 2024.
9. ""Hostages" by Fay Zwicky". Austlit. Retrieved 11 December 2024.
10. "A Sporting Proposition by James Aldridge". National Library of Australia. Retrieved 11 December 2024.
11. "Wildfire by Mavis Thorpe Clark". National Library of Australia. Retrieved 11 December 2024.
12. "The Spirit Wind by Max Fatchen". National Library of Australia. Retrieved 11 December 2024.
13. "Silver Brumby Whirlwind by Elyne Mitchell". National Library of Australia. Retrieved 11 December 2024.
14. "Roar of the Lion by Mary Elwyn Patchett". National Library of Australia. Retrieved 11 December 2024.
15. "Matt and Jo by Ivan Southall". National Library of Australia. Retrieved 11 December 2024.
16. "Time to Go Home by Eleanor Spence". National Library of Australia. Retrieved 11 December 2024.
17. "The Fire in the Stone by Colin Thiele". National Library of Australia. Retrieved 11 December 2024.
18. "Selected Poems by Rosemary Dobson". National Library of Australia. Retrieved 10 December 2024.
19. ""Hay Fever" by A. D. Hope". Austlit. Retrieved 10 December 2024.
20. "Selected Poems by A. D. Hope". National Library of Australia. Retrieved 10 December 2024.
21. ""Two Summers in Moravia" by Roger McDonald". Austlit. Retrieved 10 December 2024.
22. "Jonah by Peter Porter". National Library of Australia. Retrieved 10 December 2024.
23. ""The Man Fern Near the Bus Stop" by Vivian Smith". Austlit. Retrieved 10 December 2024.
24. "Alive : Poems 1971-72 by Judith Wright". National Library of Australia. Retrieved 10 December 2024.
25. "The Last of the Knucklemen by John Powers". Austlit. Retrieved 13 May 2024.
26. "ALS Gold Medal — Previous Winners". Association for the Study of Australian Literature. Retrieved 10 December 2024.
27. "Colin Roderick Award - Previous Winners", James Cook University
28. "Austlit — Miles Franklin Literary Award (1957-)". Austlit. Retrieved 25 August 2023.
29. "The Judges' Report", The Canberra Times, 7 July 1973, p11
30. ""Ditmar Awards 1973"". SFADB. Retrieved 11 December 2024.
31. Austlit - A Soapbox Omnibus by Rodney Hall
32. "Austlit — Max Barry". Austlit. Retrieved 25 August 2023.
33. "Austlit — Chloe Hooper". Austlit. Retrieved 25 August 2023.
34. "Austlit — Jay Kristoff". Austlit. Retrieved 25 August 2023.
35. "Dransfield, Michael John (1948–1973) by Patricia Dobrez". Australian Dictionary of Biography. Retrieved 25 August 2023.
36. "Mitchell, Isabel Mary (1893–1973) by E. M. Finlay". Australian Dictionary of Biography. Retrieved 1 September 2023.
37. "Gina Ballantyne (1919-1973)". AustLit: Discover Australian Stories. The University of Queensland. Retrieved 8 July 2023.
38. "Jones, Doris Egerton (1889–1973) by Suzanne Edgar". Australian Dictionary of Biography. Retrieved 25 August 2023.
39. "Hanna, George Patrick (Pat) (1888–1973) by Mimi Colligan". Australian Dictionary of Biography. Retrieved 23 August 2023.
40. "James (Jim) Crawford (1908–1973) by Connie Healy". Australian Dictionary of Biography. Retrieved 13 November 2023.
41. "Webb, Francis Charles (1925–1973) by H. P. Heseltine". Australian Dictionary of Biography. Retrieved 25 August 2023.