1974 in Australian literature

This article presents a list of the historical events and publications of Australian literature during 1974.

Events

• The Patrick White Award is presented for the first time. White used his 1973 Nobel Prize in Literature award to establish a trust for this prize. ^[1]
• The Age Book of the Year Awards are presented for the first time. The first set of awards consisted of the Fiction (or Imaginative Writing) Award and the Non-fiction Award. In addition, one of the two award winners was also named The Age Book of the Year. ^[2]

Major publications

Books

• James Aldridge – Mockery in Arms ^[3]
• Jon Cleary – Peter's Pence
• David Foster – The Pure Land
• Catherine Gaskin – The Property of a Gentleman ^[4]
• David Ireland – Burn ^[5]
• Thomas Keneally – Blood Red, Sister Rose
• Colleen McCullough – Tim
• Ronald McKie – The Mango Tree
• Gerald Murnane – Tamarisk Row ^[6]
• Morris West – Harlequin
• Thea Astley - A Kindness Cup

Short stories

• Peter Carey – The Fat Man in History ^[7]
• Frank Moorhouse – The Electrical Experience : A Discontinuous Narrative ^[8]
• Patrick White – The Cockatoos : Shorter Novels and Stories

Science Fiction and Fantasy

• A. Bertram Chandler – The Bitter Pill
• Cherry Wilder – "The Ark of James Carlyle" ^[9]

Children's and Young Adult fiction

• James Aldridge – The Marvellous Mongolian ^[10]
• Mavis Thorpe Clark – The Sky is Free ^[11]
• Ruth Park – Callie's Castle ^[12]
• Joan Phipson – Helping Horse ^[13]
• Colin Thiele
  • Albatross Two ^[14]
  • Magpie Island ^[15]

Poetry

Main article: 1974 in poetry

• Bruce Beaver – Lauds and Plaints : Poems (1968-1972) ^[16]
• Robert Gray – Creekwater Journal ^[17]
• Clive James – Peregrine Prykke's Pilgrimage Through the London Literary World : A Tragedy in Heroic Couplets ^[18]
• Jennifer Maiden – Tactics ^[19]
• David Malouf – Neighbours in a Thicket : Poems
• Les Murray – Lunch and Counter Lunch ^[20]

Drama

• Louis Nowra – The Death of Joe Orton ^[21]
• David Williamson – The Department ^[22]

Biography

• Ivan Southall – Fly West

Awards and honours

Lifetime achievement

Award	Author
Christopher Brennan Award [23]	R. D. Fitzgerald
Patrick White Award [24]	Christina Stead

Literary

Award	Author	Title	Publisher
The Age Book of the Year Award [25]	David Foster	The Pure Land	Macmillan
ALS Gold Medal [26]	David Malouf	Neighbours in a Thicket : Poems	University of Queensland Press
Colin Roderick Award [27]	David Malouf	Neighbours in a Thicket : Poems	University of Queensland Press

Fiction

Award	Author	Title	Publisher
The Age Book of the Year Award [25]	David Foster	The Pure Land	Macmillan
Miles Franklin Award [28]	Ronald McKie	The Mango Tree	Collins

Children and Young Adult

Award	Category	Author	Title	Publisher
Children's Book of the Year Award	Older Readers [29]	Patricia Wrightson	The Nargun and the Stars	Hutchinson
Picture Book [29]	Jenny Wagner, illustrated by Ron Brooks	The Bunyip of Berkeley's Creek	Longman Young

Science fiction and fantasy

Award	Category	Author	Title	Publisher
Australian SF Achievement Award [30]	Best Australian Science Fiction	Not awarded

Poetry

Award	Author	Title	Publisher
Grace Leven Prize for Poetry [31]	David Malouf	Neighbours in a Thicket : Poems	University of Queensland Press

Non-fiction

Award	Author	Title	Publisher
The Age Book of the Year Award [25]	Manning Clark	A History of Australia Vol. 3	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 1974 of Australian literary figures, authors of written works or literature-related individuals follows, including year of death.

• 9 June — Anna Goldsworthy, writer, teacher and classical pianist ^[32]
• 14 June — Scott Monk, author ^[33]
• 2 July — Matthew Reilly, author ^[34]

Unknown date

• Alyssa Brugman, author of fiction for young adults ^[35]
• Shaun Tan, artist and author ^[36]

Deaths

A list, ordered by date of death (and, if the date is either unspecified or repeated, ordered alphabetically by surname) of deaths in 1974 of Australian literary figures, authors of written works or literature-related individuals follows, including year of birth.

• 7 January – Nan McDonald, writer for children (born 1921) ^[37]
• 21 January – R. G. Howarth, poet and critic (born 1906) ^[38]
• June – Eve Langley, novelist and poet (born 1904) ^[39]

See also

• 1974 in Australia
• 1974 in literature
• 1974 in poetry
• List of years in Australian literature
• List of years in literature

References

1. "Carter, David. "Patrick White to the rescue", ABR, no. 347, December 2012-January 2013". Archived from the original on 23 September 2015. Retrieved 17 October 2016.
2. The Oxford Companion to Australian Literature edited by Wilde et al. (1994) p. 23
3. "Austlit — Mockery in Arms by James Aldridge". Austlit. Retrieved 8 October 2023.
4. "Austlit — The Property of a Gentleman by Catherine Gaskin". Austlit. Retrieved 8 October 2023.
5. "Austlit — Burn by David Ireland". Austlit. Retrieved 8 October 2023.
6. "Austlit — Tamarisk Row by Gerald Murnane". Austlit. Retrieved 8 October 2023.
7. "Austlit — The Fat Man in History by Peter Carey". Austlit. Retrieved 8 October 2023.
8. "Austlit — The Electrical Experience : A Discontinuous Narrative by Frank Moorhouse". Austlit. Retrieved 8 October 2023.
9. ""The Ark of James Carlyle" by Cherry Wilder". ISFDB. Retrieved 22 September 2024.
10. "Austlit — The Marvellous Mongolian by James Aldridge". Austlit. Retrieved 8 October 2023.
11. "Austlit — The Sky is Free by Mavis Thorpe Clark". Austlit. Retrieved 8 October 2023.
12. "Austlit — Callie's Castle by Ruth Park". Austlit. Retrieved 8 October 2023.
13. "Austlit — Helping Horse by Joan Phipson". Austlit. Retrieved 8 October 2023.
14. "Austlit — Albatross Two by Colin Thiele". Austlit. Retrieved 8 October 2023.
15. "Austlit — Magpie Island by Colin Thiele". Austlit. Retrieved 8 October 2023.
16. "Austlit — Lauds and Plaints : Poems (1968-1972) by Bruce Beaver". Austlit. Retrieved 8 October 2023.
17. "Austlit — Creekwater Journal by Robert Gray". Austlit. Retrieved 8 October 2023.
18. "Austlit — Peregrine Prykke's Pilgrimage Through the London Literary World : A Tragedy in Heroic Couplets by Clive James". Austlit. Retrieved 8 October 2023.
19. "Austlit — Tactics by Jennifer Maiden". Austlit. Retrieved 8 October 2023.
20. "Austlit — Lunch and Counter Lunch by Les Murray". Austlit. Retrieved 8 October 2023.
21. "Austlit — The Death of Joe Orton by Louis Nowra". Austlit. Retrieved 8 October 2023.
22. "Austlit — The Department by David Williamson". Austlit. Retrieved 8 October 2023.
23. ""Poetry prize"". The Canberra Times, 4 March 1976, p3. Retrieved 13 September 2023.
24. "Austlit — Patrick White Award - Past Winners". Austlit. Retrieved 22 August 2023.
25. ""The Age brings back Melbourne Writers Festival and revives book of the year award"". The Sydney Morning Herald, 9 June 2021. Retrieved 12 July 2023.
26. "Imaginary lives of the defeated in the realm of alienation", The Canberra Times, 21 February 1990, p33
27. "Colin Roderick Award - Previous Winners", James Cook University
28. "Fiction novice wins top prize". The Sydney Morning Herald. 23 April 1975. Retrieved 24 June 2016.
29. "Judges' Report", The Canberra Times, 6 July 1974, p11
30. ""Ditmar Awards 1974"". SFADB. Retrieved 12 December 2024.
31. Austlit - Neighbours in a Thicket : Poems by David Malouf
32. "Austlit — Anna Goldsworthy". Austlit. Retrieved 8 October 2023.
33. "Austlit — Scott Monk". Austlit. Retrieved 8 October 2023.
34. "Austlit — Matthew Reilly". Austlit. Retrieved 8 October 2023.
35. "Austlit — Alyssa Brugman". Austlit. Retrieved 8 October 2023.
36. "Austlit — Shaun Tan". Austlit. Retrieved 8 October 2023.
37. "Nan McDonald (1921-1974)". AustLit: Discover Australian Stories. The University of Queensland. Retrieved 23 September 2023.
38. "Howarth, Robert Guy (1906–1974) by Stuart Lee". Australian Dictionary of Biography. Retrieved 26 September 2023.
39. "Eve Langley (1904-1974)". AustLit: Discover Australian Stories. The University of Queensland. Retrieved 6 July 2023.