1993 in Australian literature

This article presents a list of the historical events and publications of Australian literature during 1993.

Events

• Alex Miller (writer) won the Miles Franklin Award for The Ancestor Game

Major publications

Novels

• Liam Davison – Soundings ^[1]
• Fotini Epanomitis – The Mule's Foal ^[2]
• Rodney Hall — The Grisly Wife
• Dorothy Hewett — The Toucher ^[3]
• Elizabeth Jolley — The Georges' Wife
• Thomas Keneally – Jacko
• David Malouf — Remembering Babylon
• Roger McDonald — Water Man
• Frank Moorhouse — Grand Days
• John A. Scott – What I Have Written
• Madeleine St John — The Women in Black
• Morris West — The Lovers

Crime and mystery

• Jon Cleary – Bleak Spring
• Peter Corris
  • Browning Battles On ^[4]
  • Burn, and Other Stories
  • Cross Off ^[5]
  • Matrimonial Causes
• Garry Disher – Deathdeal ^[6]
• Jennifer Rowe – Stranglehold ^[7]
• Kerry Greenwood – The Green Mill Murder ^[8]

Science fiction and fantasy

• Terry Dowling – Twilight Beach ^[9]
• Terry Dowling and Van Ikin – Mortal Fire: Best Australian Science Fiction (editors) ^[10]
• Greg Egan
  • "Chaff"
  • "Transition Dreams"
• Rosaleen Love – Evolution Annie: And Other Stories ^[11]
• George Turner – The Destiny Makers ^[12]

Children's and young adult fiction

• Isobelle Carmody — The Gathering
• Carmel Charles — Winin: Why the Emu Cannot Fly ^[13]
• Morris Gleitzman — Sticky Beak
• John Marsden — Tomorrow, When the War Began
• James Moloney – Dougy
• Dorothy Porter — The Witch Number ^[14]
• Emily Rodda – Roan of Rin
• Tim Winton – Lockie Leonard, Scumbuster

Poetry

• Robert Gray — Certain Things ^[15]
• Barry Hill — Ghosting William Buckley ^[16]
• Philip Hodgins — The End of the Season ^[17]
• Jill Jones — Flagging Down Time ^[18]
• Jennifer Maiden — Acoustic Shadow ^[19]
• Jan Owen — Blackberry Season ^[20]
• John Tranter — At the Florida ^[21]

Drama

• Louis Nowra — Radiance

Non-fiction

• Verity Burgmann — Power and Protest: Movements for Change in Australian Society ^[22]
• Hazel Rowley — Christina Stead: A Biography ^[23]
• Peter Singer — How Are We to Live?
• Bryce Courtenay — April Fool's Day

Awards and honours

Lifetime achievement

Award	Author
Christopher Brennan Award [24]	Geoffrey Dutton
Patrick White Award [25]	Amy Witting

Literary

Award	Author	Title	Publisher
The Age Book of the Year Award [26]	Elizabeth Jolley	The Georges' Wife	Viking
ALS Gold Medal [27]	Elizabeth Riddell	Selected Poems	Angus and Robertson
Colin Roderick Award [28]	Cassandra Pybus	Gross Moral Turpitude: The Orr Case Reconsidered	Heinemann

Fiction

International

Award	Category	Author	Title	Publisher
Commonwealth Writers' Prize [29]	Best Novel, SE Asia and South Pacific region	Alex Miller	The Ancestor Game	Penguin Books
	Best First Novel, SE Asia and South Pacific region	Andrew McGahan	Praise	Allen & Unwin
	Best Overall Novel	Alex Miller	The Ancestor Game	Penguin Books

National

Award	Author	Title	Publisher
Adelaide Festival Awards for Literature [30]	Not awarded
The Age Book of the Year Award [26]	Elizabeth Jolley	The Georges' Wife	Viking
The Australian/Vogel Literary Award [31]	Helen Demidenko	The Hand That Signed the Paper	Allen and Unwin
Miles Franklin Award [32]	Alex Miller	The Ancestor Game	Penguin Books
New South Wales Premier's Literary Awards [33]	David Malouf	Remembering Babylon	Random House Australia
Victorian Premier's Literary Awards [34]	Brian Castro	After China	Allen & Unwin
Western Australian Premier's Book Awards [35]	Gail Jones	The House of Breathing	Fremantle Arts Centre Press

Poetry

Award	Author	Title	Publisher
Adelaide Festival Awards for Literature [30]	Not awarded
The Age Book of the Year Award [26]	John Tranter	At the Florida	University of Queensland Press
Anne Elder Award [36]	Terry Whitebeach	Bird Dream	in Four New Poets Penguin
Grace Leven Prize for Poetry [37]	Philip Hodgins	The End of the Season : Pastoral Poems	Brindabella Press
Mary Gilmore Award [38]	Jill Jones	The Mask and Jagged Star	Hazard Press
New South Wales Premier's Literary Awards [33]	Les Murray	Translations from the Natural World	Isabella Press
Victorian Premier's Literary Awards [34]	Les Murray	Translations from the Natural World	Isabella Press

Children and Young Adult

Award	Category	Author	Title	Publisher
Children's Book of the Year Award [39]	Older Readers	Melina Marchetta	Looking for Alibrandi	Puffin Books
Picture Book	Bob Graham	Rose Meets Mr Wintergarten	Penguin Books
New South Wales Premier's Literary Awards [33]	Young People's Literature	Gracie Greene, Lucille Gill and Joe Tramacchi	Tjarany Roughtail	Magabala Books
Victorian Premier's Prize for Young Adult Fiction [34]		Anna Fienberg	Ariel, Zed and the Secret of Life	Allen and Unwin

Science fiction and fantasy

Award	Category	Author	Title	Publisher
Australian SF Achievement Award [40]	Best Australian Long Fiction	Greg Egan	Quarantine	Legend
	Best Australian Short Fiction	Greg Egan	"Closer"	Eidolon #9 Winter 1992

Non-fiction

Award	Author	Title	Publisher
Adelaide Festival Awards for Literature [30]	Not awarded
The Age Book of the Year Award [26]	Janet McCalman	Journeyings: the Biography of a Middle-Class Generation 1920-1990	Melbourne University Press

Deaths

A list, ordered by date of death (and, if the date is either unspecified or repeated, ordered alphabetically by surname) of deaths in 1993 of Australian literary figures, authors of written works or literature-related individuals follows, including year of birth.

• 9 January — Paul Hasluck, statesman, poet, biographer and writer on politics (born 1905) ^[41]
• 19 January — Nancy Keesing, poet, writer, editor and promoter of Australian literature (born 1923) ^[42]
• 4 February — Leonard Frank Meares, writer of western fiction (born 1921) ^[43]
• 1 March — Ronald McCuaig, poet, journalist, literary critic, humourist and children's author (born 1908) ^[44]
• 23 March — Robert Harris, poet (born 1951) ^[45]
• 1 April — Kevin Gilbert, author, activist, artist, poet, playwright and printmaker (born 1933) ^[46]
• 12 April — Alexander Turner, poet, playwright, and theatre and radio producer (born 1907) ^[47]
• 22 April — Margaret Diesendorf, linguist, poet, editor, translator and educationist (born 1912 Vienna, Austria) ^[48]
• 18 June — Alexandra Hasluck, historian (born 1908) ^[49]
• 1 July – Eric Irvin, historian and poet (born 1908) ^[50]
• 25 August — Florence James, author and literary agent (born 1902) ^[51]
• 16 September — Oodgeroo Noonuccal, poet, political activist, artist and educator (born 1920) ^[52]

See also

• 1993 in Australia
• 1993 in literature
• 1993 in poetry
• List of years in literature
• List of years in Australian literature

References

1. "Soundings by Liam Davison". National Library of Australia. Retrieved 25 April 2024.
2. "The Mule's Foal by Fotini Epanomitis". National Library of Australia. Retrieved 25 April 2024.
3. "The Toucher by Dorothy Hewett". National Library of Australia. Retrieved 25 April 2024.
4. "Browning Battles On by Peter Corris". National Library of Australia. Retrieved 25 April 2024.
5. "Cross Off by Peter Corris". National Library of Australia. Retrieved 25 April 2024.
6. "Deathdeal by Garry Disher". National Library of Australia. Retrieved 25 April 2024.
7. "Stranglehold by Jennifer Rowe". National Library of Australia. Retrieved 25 April 2024.
8. "The Green Mill Murder by Kerry Greenwood". National Library of Australia. Retrieved 25 April 2024.
9. "Twilight Beach by Terry Dowling". ISFDB. Retrieved 25 April 2024.
10. "Mortal Fire: Best Australian Science Fiction edited by Terry Dowling & Van Ikin". ISFDB. Retrieved 25 April 2024.
11. "Evolution Annie: And Other Stories by Rosaleen Love". ISFDB. Retrieved 25 April 2024.
12. "The Destiny Makers by George Turner". ISFDB. Retrieved 25 April 2024.
13. "Winin: Why the Emu Cannot Fly by Carmel Charles". National Library of Australia. Retrieved 25 April 2024.
14. "The Witch Number by Dorothy Porter". National Library of Australia. Retrieved 25 April 2024.
15. "Certain Things by Robert Gray". National Library of Australia. Retrieved 25 April 2024.
16. "Ghosting William Buckley by Barry Hill". National Library of Australia. Retrieved 25 April 2024.
17. "The End of the Season by Philip Hodgins". National Library of Australia. Retrieved 25 April 2024.
18. "Flagging Down Time by Jill Jones". National Library of Australia. Retrieved 25 April 2024.
19. "Acoustic Shadow by Jennifer Maiden". National Library of Australia. Retrieved 25 April 2024.
20. "Blackberry Season by Jan Owen". National Library of Australia. Retrieved 25 April 2024.
21. "At the Florida by John Tranter". National Library of Australia. Retrieved 25 April 2024.
22. "Power and Protest: Movements for Change in Australian Society by Verity Burgmann". National Library of Australia. Retrieved 25 April 2024.
23. "Christina Stead: A Biography by Hazel Rowley". National Library of Australia. Retrieved 25 April 2024.
24. "Austlit — FAW Christopher Brennan Award". Austlit. Retrieved 12 September 2023.
25. "Austlit — Patrick White Award - Past Winners". Austlit. Retrieved 8 September 2023.
26. ""Jolley's way with words, not money, brings new success"". The Age, 23 November 1993, p16. ProQuest   2521743746 . Retrieved 28 May 2024.
27. "ALS Gold Medal — Previous Winners". Association for the Study of Australian Literature. Retrieved 10 January 2024.
28. "Colin Roderick Award - Other Winners". James Cook University. Retrieved 31 December 2023.
29. "Commonwealth Writers' Prize Regional Winners 1987-2007" (PDF). Commonwealth Foundation. Retrieved 17 January 2024.
30. "Adelaide Festival Awards for Literature – Past Literary Award Winners". State Library of South Australia. Retrieved 18 April 2024.
31. "Austlit — The Australian/Vogel National Literary Award 1993". Austlit. Retrieved 16 February 2023.
32. "Miller wins Miles Franklin". The Canberra Times, 26 May 1993, p5. Retrieved 14 September 2023.
33. "A night Oodgeroo would have relished". Sydney Morning Herald, 18 September 1993, p11. ProQuest   2527766918 . Retrieved 8 May 2024.
34. "Winning author hauls in a bounty". The Age, 13 September 1992, p6. Retrieved 27 April 2024.
35. ""Australian Literary Awards: Western Australian Premier's"". University Libraries. Retrieved 4 April 2025.
36. "Austlit — Anne Elder Award 1992-94". Austlit. Retrieved 12 February 2024.
37. "Austlit — Grace Leven Poetry Prize 1991-93". Austlit. Retrieved 12 February 2024.
38. "Mary Gilmore Award". Association for the Study of Australian Literature . Retrieved 10 February 2024.
39. ""CBCA - Previous Winners - 1946 Onwards"" (PDF). CBCA. Retrieved 25 August 2025.
40. ""Ditmar Awards 1993"". SFADB. Retrieved 7 August 2025.
41. "HASLUCK, the Rt. Hon. Paul Meernaa Caedwalla, KG, GCMG, GCVO (1905-1993)". Parliamentary Handbook. Retrieved 6 July 2023.
42. "Nancy Keesing (1923-1993)". AustLit: Discover Australian Stories. The University of Queensland. Retrieved 23 September 2023.
43. "Marshall Grover (1921-1993)". AustLit: Discover Australian Stories. The University of Queensland. Retrieved 23 September 2023.
44. "Austlit — Ronald McCuaig (1908-1993)". Austlit. Retrieved 13 November 2023.
45. "Austlit — Robert Harris (1951-1993)". Austlit. Retrieved 13 November 2023.
46. "Kevin John Gilbert (1933–1993) by Alison Holland and Eleanor Williams-Gilbert". Australian Dictionary of Biography. Retrieved 13 November 2023.
47. "Alexander Frederick (Tony) Turner (1907–1993) by Gail Phillips". Australian Dictionary of Biography. Retrieved 9 November 2023.
48. "Margaret Diesendorf (1912–1993) by Judith Beveridge". Australian Dictionary of Biography. Retrieved 25 November 2023.
49. "Dame Alexandra Margaret (Alix) Hasluck (1908–1993) by Ann P. Hunter". Australian Dictionary of Biography. Retrieved 13 November 2023.
50. "Austlit — Eric irvin (1908-1993)". Austlit. Retrieved 13 November 2023.
51. "James, Florence Gertrude (1902–1993) by Marilla North". Australian Dictionary of Biography. Retrieved 26 September 2023.
52. "Oodgeroo Noonuccal (1920-1993)". AustLit: Discover Australian Stories. The University of Queensland. Retrieved 5 September 2023.