1975 in Australian literature

This article presents a list of the historical events and publications of Australian literature during 1975.

Events

• Radical poet Dorothy Hewett publishes her collection Rapunzel in Suburbia, triggering a successful libel action by her lawyer ex-husband Lloyd Davies. ^{[1] [2]}

Major publications

Books

• James Aldridge – The Untouchable Juli ^[3]
• Jessica Anderson – The Commandant ^[4]
• Jon Cleary – The Safe House
• Frank Hardy – But the Dead Are Many ^[5]
• Xavier Herbert – Poor Fellow My Country
• Thomas Keneally
  • Gossip from the Forest
  • Moses the Lawgiver
• David Malouf – Johnno
• William Nagle – The Odd Angry Shot

Short stories

• Murray Bail
  • "A,B,C,D,E,F,G,H,I,J,K,L,M,N,O,P,Q,R,S,T,U,V,W,X,Y,Z" ^[6]
  • Contemporary Portraits and Other Stories ^[7]
  • "The Drover's Wife" ^[8]
• Peter Carey – "Do You Love Me?" ^[9]

Science Fiction and Fantasy

• A. Bertram Chandler
  • The Big Black Mark
  • The Broken Cycle ^[10]
• Sumner Locke Elliott – Going ^[11]
• Cordwainer Smith
  • The Best of Cordwainer Smith
  • Norstrilia

Children's and Young Adult fiction

• Elyne Mitchell – The Colt at Taparoo ^[12]

Poetry

Main article: 1975 in poetry

• Gwen Harwood – Selected Poems ^[13]
• Dorothy Hewett – Rapunzel in Suburbia ^[14]
• A. D. Hope – A Late Picking : Poems 1965-1974
• Kate Jennings – Mother I'm Rooted : An Anthology of Australian Women Poets (edited) ^[15]
• Les Murray – "The Powerline Incarnation" ^[16]
• Peter Porter
  • "An Exequy" ^[17]
  • Living in a Calm Country ^[18]
• Thomas Shapcott – Shabbytown Calendar ^[19]

Drama

• Robert J. Merritt – The Cake Man
• Steve J. Spears – The Elocution of Benjamin Franklin

Biography

• Charles Perkins – A Bastard Like Me ^[20]

Non-fiction

• Geoffrey Blainey – Triumph of the Nomads : A History of Ancient Australia ^[21]
• Anne Summers – Damned Whores and God's Police ^[22]

Awards and honours

Lifetime achievement

Award	Author
Christopher Brennan Award [23]	Judith Wright
Patrick White Award [24]	David Campbell

Literary

Award	Author	Title	Publisher
The Age Book of the Year Award [25]	Thea Astley	A Kindness Cup	Nelson Books
ALS Gold Medal [26]	Not awarded
Colin Roderick Award [27]	Denis Murphy	T.J. Ryan	University of Queensland Press

Fiction

Award	Author	Title	Publisher
The Age Book of the Year Award [25]	Thea Astley	A Kindness Cup	Nelson Books
Miles Franklin Award [28]	Xavier Herbert	Poor Fellow My Country	Fontana Books

Children and Young Adult

Award	Category	Author	Title	Publisher
Children's Book of the Year Award	Older Readers [29]	Not awarded
Picture Book [29]	A. B. Paterson, illustrated by Quentin Hole	The Man from Ironbark	Collins

Science fiction and fantasy

Award	Category	Author	Title	Publisher
Australian SF Achievement Award [30]	Best Australian Science Fiction	A. Bertram Chandler	The Bitter Pill	Wren Publishing

Poetry

Award	Author	Title	Publisher
Grace Leven Prize for Poetry [31]	Gwen Harwood	Selected Poems	Angus and Robertson

Drama

Award	Author	Title
AWGIE Award for Stage [32]	Jim McNeil	How Does Your Garden Grow?

Non-fiction

Award	Author	Title	Publisher
The Age Book of the Year Award [33]	Not awarded

Births

A list, ordered by date of birth (and, if the date is either unspecified or repeated, ordered alphabetically by surname) of births in 1975 of Australian literary figures, authors of written works or literature-related individuals follows, including year of death.

• 23 June — Markus Zusak, novelist ^[34]

Unknown date

• Nardi Simpson, novelist and musician ^[35]

Deaths

A list, ordered by date of death (and, if the date is either unspecified or repeated, ordered alphabetically by surname) of deaths in 1975 of Australian literary figures, authors of written works or literature-related individuals follows, including year of birth.

• 11 January — Paul Grano, poet and journalist (born 1894) ^[36]
• 25 May — Clive Turnbull, writer and journalist (born 1906) ^[37]

Unknown date

• Winifred Birkett, novelist (born 1897) ^[38]

See also

• 1975 in Australia
• 1975 in literature
• 1975 in poetry
• List of years in Australian literature
• List of years in literature

References

1. Dimond, J.; Kirkpatrick, P. (2000). Literary Sydney: A walking guide. University of Queensland Press. ISBN   978-0-7022-3150-6.
2. "Dorothy Hewett passes away". ABC radio (PM). 26 August 2002.
3. "The Untouchable Juli by James Aldridge". National Library of Australia. Retrieved 10 December 2024.
4. "The Commandant by Jessica Anderson". National Library of Australia. Retrieved 10 December 2024.
5. "But the Dead Are Many by Frank Hardy". National Library of Australia. Retrieved 10 December 2024.
6. "Austlit — "A,B,C,D,E,F,G,H,I,J,K,L,M,N,O,P,Q,R,S,T,U,V,W,X,Y,Z" by Murray Bail". Austlit. Retrieved 25 November 2023.
7. "Austlit — Contemporary Portraits and Other Stories by Murray Bail". Austlit. Retrieved 27 September 2023.
8. "Austlit — "The Drover's Wife" by Murray Bail". Austlit. Retrieved 27 September 2023.
9. "Austlit — "Do You Love Me?" by Peter Carey". Austlit. Retrieved 27 September 2023.
10. "Austlit — The Broken Cycle by A. Bertram Chandler". Austlit. Retrieved 27 September 2023.
11. "Austlit — Going by Sumner Locke Elliott". Austlit. Retrieved 27 September 2023.
12. "Austlit — The Colt at Taparoo by Elyne Mitchell". Austlit. Retrieved 27 September 2023.
13. "Austlit — Selected Poems By Gwen Harwood". Austlit. Retrieved 27 September 2023.
14. "Austlit — Rapunzel in Suburbia by Dorothy Hewett". Austlit. Retrieved 27 September 2023.
15. "Austlit — Mother I'm Rooted : An Anthology of Australian Women Poets edited by Kate Jennings". Austlit. Retrieved 27 September 2023.
16. "Austlit — "The Powerline Incarnation" by Les Murray". Austlit. Retrieved 27 September 2023.
17. "Austlit — "An Exequy" by Peter Porter". Austlit. Retrieved 27 September 2023.
18. "Austlit — Living in a Calm Country by Peter Porter". Austlit. Retrieved 27 September 2023.
19. "Austlit — Shabbytown Calendar by Thomas Shapcott". Austlit. Retrieved 27 September 2023.
20. "Austlit — A Bastard Like Me by Charles Perkins". Austlit. Retrieved 27 September 2023.
21. "Austlit — Triumph of the Nomads : A History of Ancient Australia by Geoffrey Blainey". Austlit. Retrieved 27 September 2023.
22. "Austlit — Damned Whores and God's Police by Anne Summers". Austlit. Retrieved 27 September 2023.
23. ""Awards by Fellowship of Australian Writers"". Canberra Times. The Canberra Times, 5 March 1976, p16. 5 March 1975. Retrieved 13 September 2023.
24. "Austlit — Patrick White Award - Past Winners". Austlit. Retrieved 22 August 2023.
25. ""Book award"". Canberra Times. The Canberra Times, 22 November 1975, p3. 22 November 1975. Retrieved 12 July 2023.
26. "ALS Gold Medal - Previous Winners". Association for the Study of Australian Literature. Retrieved 12 July 2023.
27. "Colin Roderick Award — Other Winners". James Cook University. Retrieved 15 April 2024.
28. "In Brief : Literature", The Canberra Times, 28 April 1976, p3
29. "No major award for children's books", The Canberra Times, 26 April 1975, p11
30. ""Ditmar Awards 1975"". SFADB. Retrieved 12 December 2024.
31. Austlit - Selected Poems by Gwen Harwood
32. "AWGIE Award Winners 1968-2016" (PDF). Australian Writers' Guild. Retrieved 27 June 2025.
33. ""The Age Book of the Year Award"". Austlit. Retrieved 26 September 2023.
34. "Austlit — Markus Zusak". Austlit. Retrieved 26 September 2023.
35. "Austlit — Nardi Simpson". Austlit. Retrieved 26 September 2023.
36. "Paul Langton Grano (1894–1975)". Grano, Paul Langton (1894–1975) by Cecil Hadgraft. Australian Dictionary of Biography. Retrieved 22 June 2023.
37. "Stanley Clive Turnbull (1906–1975)". Stanley Clive Turnbull (1906–1975) by Peter Ryan. Australian Dictionary of Biography. Retrieved 22 June 2023.
38. "Winifred Birkett (1896-1975)". Austlit. Retrieved 22 June 2023.