1976 in Australian literature

This article presents a list of the historical events and publications of Australian literature during 1976.

Major publications

Books

• Robert Drewe – The Savage Crows
• David Ireland – The Glass Canoe
• Thomas Keneally – Season in Purgatory
• Frank Moorhouse – Conference-Ville
• Gerald Murnane – A Lifetime on Clouds
• Christina Stead – Miss Herbert (The Suburban Wife)
• Morris West – The Navigator
• Patrick White – A Fringe of Leaves

Short stories

• Elizabeth Jolley – Five Acre Virgin and Other Stories
• Dal Stivens – The Unicorn and Other Tales

Science Fiction and Fantasy

• A. Bertram Chandler – The Way Back
• Lee Harding
  • The Altered I : An Encounter with Science Fiction (edited)
  • Future Sanctuary
• David Lake – Walkers on the Sky

Children's and Young Adult fiction

• Hesba Brinsmead – Under the Silkwood
• Elyne Mitchell – Son of the Whirlwind
• Eleanor Spence – The October Child

Poetry

Main article: 1976 in poetry

• John Blight – Selected Poems, 1939-1975
• Geoffrey Lehmann – Selected Poems
• Les Murray
  • "The Buladelah-Taree Holiday Song Cycle"
  • Selected Poems: The Vernacular Republic
• Judith Wright – Fourth Quarter

Drama

• Dorothy Hewett – The Tatty Hollow Story
• Steve J. Spears – The Elocution of Benjamin Franklin
• Ric Throssell – For Valour (first performed 1960)
• David Williamson
  • The Club
  • A Handful of Friends

Non-fiction

• Donald Horne – Death of the Lucky Country
• Gavin Souter – Lion and Kangaroo

Awards and honours

Lifetime achievement

Award	Author
Christopher Brennan Award [1]	A. D. Hope
Patrick White Award [2]	John Blight

Literary

Award	Author	Title	Publisher
The Age Book of the Year Award [3]	A. D. Hope	A Late Picking : Poems 1965-1974	Angus & Robertson
ALS Gold Medal [4]	No award
Colin Roderick Award [5]	Gavin Souter	Lion and Kangaroo	Collins

Fiction

Award	Author	Title	Publisher
The Age Book of the Year Award [3]	A. D. Hope	A Late Picking : Poems 1965-1974	Angus & Robertson
Miles Franklin Award [6]	David Ireland	The Glass Canoe	Macmillan

Children and Young Adult

Award	Category	Author	Title	Publisher
Children's Book of the Year Award	Older Readers [7]	Ivan Southall	Fly West	Angus and Robertson
Picture Book [7]	Dick Roughsey	The Rainbow Serpent	Collins

Poetry

Award	Author	Title	Publisher
Grace Leven Prize for Poetry [8]	John Blight	Selected Poems 1939–1975	Nelson

Non-fiction

Award	Author	Title	Publisher
The Age Book of the Year Award [9]	Hugh Stretton	Capitalism, Socialism and the Environment	Cambridge 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 1976 of Australian literary figures, authors of written works or literature-related individuals follows, including year of death.

• 26 May — Marieke Hardy, writer ^[10]

Unknown date

• Kate Morton, novelist ^[11]

Deaths

A list, ordered by date of death (and, if the date is either unspecified or repeated, ordered alphabetically by surname) of deaths in 1976 of Australian literary figures, authors of written works or literature-related individuals follows, including year of birth.

• 18 February — Catherine Shepherd, playwright (born 1901) ^[12]
• 16 April – Nina Murdoch, poet and biographer (born 1890) ^[13]
• 2 June – Lyndall Hadow, short story writer and journalist (born 1903) ^[14]
• 14 August — James Devaney, novelist (born 1890) ^[15]
• 22 August – Ella McFadyen, poet (born 1887) ^[16]
• 15 October – James McAuley, poet (born 1917) ^[17]
• 23 October – Ian Mudie, poet (born 1911) ^[18]

See also

• 1976 in Australia
• 1976 in literature
• 1976 in poetry
• List of years in Australian literature
• List of years in literature

References

1. ""Poetry prize"". The Canberra Times, 4 March 1976, p3. Retrieved 13 September 2023.
2. "Austlit — Patrick White Award - Past Winners". Austlit. Retrieved 22 August 2023.
3. "Austlit — A Late Picking by A. D. Hope". Austlit. Retrieved 4 September 2023.
4. "ALS Gold Medal — Previous Winners". Association for the Study of Australian Literature. Retrieved 22 August 2023.
5. "Colin Roderick Award - Previous Winners", James Cook University
6. "Author's third Miles Franklin", The Canberra Times, 3 June 1980, p3
7. "1976 children's book awards announced", The Canberra Times, 10 July 1976, p3
8. Austlit - Selected Poems 1939–1975 by John Blight
9. ""The Age Book of the Year Award"". Austlit. Retrieved 27 September 2023.
10. "Austlit — Marieke Hardy". Austlit. Retrieved 27 September 2023.
11. "Austlit — Kate Morton". Austlit. Retrieved 27 September 2023.
12. "Shepherd, Catherine (1901–1976) by Gillian Winter". Australian Dictionary of Biography. Retrieved 23 September 2023.
13. "Murdoch, Madoline (Nina) (1890–1976) by Suzanne Edgar". Australian Dictionary of Biography. Retrieved 25 June 2023.
14. "Lyndall Hadow". Austlit. Retrieved 25 June 2023.
15. "Devaney, James Martin (1890–1976) by M. D. O'Hagan". Australian Dictionary of Biography. Retrieved 26 August 2023.
16. "McFadyen, Ella May (1887–1976) by Emily Gallagher". Australian Dictionary of Biography. Retrieved 25 June 2023.
17. "McAuley, James Phillip (1917–1976) by Peter Pierce". Australian Dictionary of Biography. Retrieved 25 June 2023.
18. "Mudie, Ian Mayelston (1911–1976) by Philip Butterss". Australian Dictionary of Biography. Retrieved 25 June 2023.