2002 in Australian literature

This article presents a list of the historical events and publications of Australian literature during 2002.

Major publications

Literary fiction

• John Clarke – The Tournament
• J. M. Coetzee – Youth: Scenes from Provincial Life II
• Bryce Courtenay – Matthew Flinders' Cat
• Andrea Goldsmith – The Prosperous Thief
• Sonya Hartnett – Of a Boy
• Sarah Hay – Skins ^[1]
• Chloe Hooper – A Child's Book of True Crime ^[2]
• Kate Jennings – Moral Hazard
• Gail Jones – Black Mirror
• Thomas Keneally – An Angel in Australia
• Colleen McCullough – The October Horse
• Alex Miller – Journey to the Stone Country
• Dorothy Porter – Wild Surmise
• Eva Sallis – The City of Sealions ^[3]

Children's and Young Adult fiction

• J. C. Burke – White Lies ^[4]
• Isobelle Carmody – Darksong
• Alison Croggon – The Gift ^[5]
• Mem Fox – The Magic Hat
• Marieke Hardy – Short Cuts ^[6]
• Richard Harland – Ferren and the White Doctor ^[7]
• Lian Hearn – Across the Nightingale Floor
• Maureen McCarthy – When You Wake and Find Me Gone ^[8]
• Meme McDonald and Boori Pryor – Njunjul the Sun ^[9]
• David Metzenthen – Wildlight: A Journey ^[10]
• Kirsty Murray – Walking Home with Marie-Claire ^[11]
• Natalie Jane Prior – Fireworks and Darkness
• Gillian Rubinstein – The Whale's Child ^[12]
• Markus Zusak – The Messenger

Crime

• Carmel Bird – Open for Inspection ^[13]
• Kirsty Brooks – Lady Luck ^[14]
• Jon Cleary – The Easy Sin
• Jane Clifton – Half Past Dead ^[15]
• Peter Corris – Salt and Blood ^[16]
• Kerry Greenwood – Murder in Montparnasse ^[17]
• Gabrielle Lord – Baby Did a Bad Bad Thing ^[18]
• Barry Maitland – Babel ^[19]
• Shane Maloney – Something Fishy ^[20]
• Tara Moss – Split ^[21]
• Alex Palmer – Blood Redemption ^[22]
• Peter Temple – In The Evil Day ^[23]

Romance

• Lilian Darcy – For the Taking ^[24]
• Barbara Hannay
  • A Bride at Birralee ^[25]
  • Their Doorstep Baby ^[26]
• Di Morrissey – Kimberley Sun ^[27]
• Valerie Parv
  • The Baron and the Bodyguard ^[28]
  • The Marquis and the Mother-To-Be ^[29]

Science Fiction and Fantasy

• Damien Broderick – Transcension
• Trudi Canavan – The Novice ^[30]
• Marianne Curley – The Named
• Cecilia Dart-Thornton
  • The Battle of Evernight ^[31]
  • The Lady of the Sorrows ^[32]
• Sara Douglass
  • The Crippled Angel ^[33]
  • Hades' Daughter ^[34]
• Greg Egan
  • Schild's Ladder
  • "Singleton"
• Ian Irvine – Tetrarch ^[35]
• Fiona McIntosh
  • Destiny ^[36]
  • Revenge ^[37]
• Sean McMullen – Voyage of the Shadowmoon ^[38]
• Juliet Marillier – Wolfskin ^[39]
• Sean Williams
  • Echoes of Earth with Shane Dix ^[40]
  • The Sky Warden and the Sun ^[41]
  • The Storm Weaver and the Sand

Drama

• David Brown – Eating Ice Cream With Your Eyes Closed ^[42]
• Nick Enright
  • Country Music ^[43]
  • A Man with Five Children ^[44]
• Michael Gow – The Fortunes of Richard Mahony ^[45]
• Michael Gurr – The Simple Truth ^[46]
• Daniel Keene – Half and Half ^[47]
• Jenny Kemp – Still Angela ^[48]
• Joanna Murray-Smith – Rapture ^[49]
• David Williamson – Soulmates

Poetry

• M. T. C. Cronin – My Lover's Back : 79 Love Poems ^[50]
• Robert Gray – Afterimages ^[51]
• Jill Jones – Screens Jets Heaven: New and Selected Poems ^[52]
• Emma Lew – Anything the Landlord Touches ^[53]
• Kate Lilley – Versary ^[54]
• Les Murray
  • Collected Poems : 1961–2002 ^[55]
  • Poems the Size of Photographs ^[56]

Non-fiction

• Bruce Bennett – Australian Short Fiction: A History ^[57]
• Anna Funder – Stasiland ^[58]
• Mark McKenna – Looking for Blackfellas' Point : An Australian History of Place ^[59]
• Ashley Mallett – The Black Lords of Summer : The Story of the 1868 Aboriginal Tour of England and Beyond ^[60]
• John Marsden – The Boy You Brought Home : A Single Mother's Guide to Raising Boys ^[61]

Biographies

• Nick Bleszynski – Shoot Straight, You Bastards! : The Truth Behind the Killing of 'Breaker' Morant ^[62]
• Barry Dickins – Black and Whiteley : Barry Dickins in Search of Brett ^[63]
• Ann Galbally – Charles Conder : The Last Bohemian ^[64]
• Barry Hill – Broken Song : T. G. H. Strehlow and Aboriginal Possession ^[65]
• Thomas Keneally – American Scoundrel : The Life of the Notorious Civil War General Dan Sickles ^[66]
• Ross McMullin – Pompey Elliott ^[67]
• Brenda Niall – The Boyds : A Family Biography ^[68]
• Don Watson – Recollections of a Bleeding Heart : A Portrait of Paul Keating PM

Awards and honours

Note: these awards were presented in the year in question.

Lifetime achievement

Award	Author
Christopher Brennan Award [69]	Dimitris Tsaloumas
Patrick White Award [70]	Tom Hungerford

Literary

Award	Author	Title	Publisher
The Age Book of the Year Award [71]	Don Watson	Recollections of a Bleeding Heart : A Portrait of Paul Keating PM	Random House
ALS Gold Medal [72]	Richard Flanagan	Gould's Book of Fish	Picador
Colin Roderick Award [73]	Don Watson	Recollections of a Bleeding Heart : A Portrait of Paul Keating PM	Random House
Nita Kibble Literary Award [74]	Marion Halligan	The Fog Garden	Allen & Unwin

Fiction

International

Award	Category	Author	Title	Publisher
Commonwealth Writers' Prize [75]	Best Novel, SE Asia and South Pacific region	Richard Flanagan	Gould's Book of Fish	Picador
	Best First Novel, SE Asia and South Pacific region	Meaghan Delahunt	In the Blue House	Bloomsbury
	Overall winner	Richard Flanagan	Gould's Book of Fish	Picador

National

Award	Author	Title	Publisher
Adelaide Festival Awards for Literature [76]	Peter Carey	True History of the Kelly Gang	University of Queensland Press
The Age Book of the Year Award [71]	Joan London	Gilgamesh	Grove Press
The Australian/Vogel Literary Award [77]	Danielle Wood	The Alphabet of Light and Dark	Allen & Unwin
Miles Franklin Award [78]	Tim Winton	Dirt Music	Picador
New South Wales Premier's Literary Awards [79]	Tim Winton	Dirt Music	Picador
Queensland Premier's Literary Awards [80]	Venero Armanno	The Volcano	Knopf
Victorian Premier's Literary Award [81]	Richard Flanagan	Gould's Book of Fish: A Novel in Twelve Fish	Picador
Western Australian Premier's Book Awards [82]	Gail Jones	Black Mirror	Picador

Children and Young Adult

National

Award	Category	Author	Title	Publisher
Children's Book of the Year Award	Older Readers	Sonya Hartnett	Forest	Viking Books
	Younger Readers	John Heffernan, illus. Andrew McLean	My Dog	Margaret Hamilton Books
	Picture Book	Libby Gleeson, illus. Armin Greder	An Ordinary Day	Scholastic Press
	Early Childhood	Bob Graham	Let's Get a Pup!	Walker Books
New South Wales Premier's Literary Awards [79]	Children's	Shaun Tan	The Red Tree	Lothian Books
	Young People's	Anthony Hill	Soldier Boy: The True Story of Jim Martin, the Youngest Anzac	Penguin Books
Queensland Premier's Literary Awards	Children's	Michael Stephens	Blat Magic	HarperCollins
	Young Adult	Markus Zusak	When Dogs Cry	Pan Macmillan
Victorian Premier's Literary Award [81]	Young Adult Fiction	Meme McDonald and Boori Monty Pryor	Njunjul the Sun	Allen & Unwin
Western Australian Premier's Book Awards	Writing for Young Adults	Pat Lowe	Feeling the Heat	Penguin Books
	Children's	Mark Greenwood and Frané Lessac	The Legend of Moondyne Joe	Cygnet

Crime and Mystery

National

Award	Category	Author	Title	Publisher
Davitt Award [83]	Novel	Carolyn Morwood	A Simple Death	Women's Press
		Kerry Greenwood	The Three-Pronged Dagger	Lothian
	Readers' Choice	Lindy Cameron	Bleeding Hearts	HarperCollins
Ned Kelly Award [84]	Novel	Gabrielle Lord	Death Delights	Hodder Headline Australia
	First novel	Bunty Avieson	Apartment 255	Pan Macmillan
		Emma Darcy	Who Killed Angelique?	Pan Macmillan
	True crime	Larry Writer	Razor	Pan Macmillan
		Mike Richards	The Hanged Man	Scribe Publications
	Teenage/YA	Ken Catran	Blue Murder	Lothian
	Readers' vote	Bunty Avieson	Apartment 255	Pan Macmillan
	Lifetime achievement	Patrick Gallagher

Science fiction

Award	Category	Author	Title	Publisher
Aurealis Award	Sf Novel	Damien Broderick	Transcension	Tor Books
	Sf Short Story	Sean McMullen	"Walk to the Full Moon"	F&SF
	Fantasy Novel	Sean Williams	The Storm Weaver and the Sand	Voyager Books
	Fantasy Short Story	No award presented
	Horror Novel	A. L. McCann	The White Body of Evening	Flamingo
	Horror Short Story	Kim Westwood	"Oracle"	Redsine
	Young Adult Novel	Sophie Masson	The Hand of Glory	Hodder Headline
Ditmar Award [85]	Novel	Garth Nix	Lirael	Allen and Unwin
	Short Fiction	Jack Dann	"The Diamond Pit"	Jubilee
		Lucy Sussex	"Absolute Uncertainty"	F&SF
	Collected Work	Damien Broderick ed.	Earth is But a Star	UWA Press

Poetry

Award	Author	Title	Publisher
Adelaide Festival Awards for Literature [76]	Cath Kenneally	Around Here	Wakefield Press
The Age Book of the Year [71]	Robert Gray	Afterimages	Duffy and Snellgrove
Anne Elder Award [86]	Bronwyn Lea	Flight Animals	University of Queensland Press
Grace Leven Prize for Poetry [87]	Kate Lilley	Versary	Salt Publishing
Mary Gilmore Prize [88]	Geraldine McKenzie	Duty	Paper Bark Press
New South Wales Premier's Literary Awards [79]	Alan Wearne	The Lovemakers	Penguin Books
Victorian Premier's Literary Award [81]	Robert Gray	Afterimages	Duffy and Snellgrove
Western Australian Premier's Book Awards [82]	Barbara Temperton	Going Feral	Fremantle Arts Centre Press

Drama

Award	Author	Title	Publisher
Patrick White Playwrights' Award	Reg Cribb	Last Cab to Darwin	Last Cab Productions
	Ian Wilding	Even Amongst Dogs

Non-Fiction

Award	Category	Author	Title	Publisher
Adelaide Festival Awards for Literature [76]	Non-Fiction	John Birmingham	Leviathan: The Unauthorised Biography of Sydney	Random House Australia
The Age Book of the Year [71]	Non-Fiction	Don Watson	Recollections of a Bleeding Heart : A Portrait of Paul Keating PM	Random House Australia
National Biography Award [89]	Biography	Jacqueline Kent	A Certain Style: Beatrice Davis, a Literary Life	Viking Books
New South Wales Premier's Literary Awards [79]	Non-Fiction	Gail Bell	The Poison Principle	Pan Macmillan
New South Wales Premier's History Awards	Australian History	Nadia Wheatley	The Life and Myth of Charmian Clift	HarperCollins
	Community and Regional History	John Bailey	The White Divers of Broome: the true story of a fatal experiment	Pan Macmillan
	General History	David Garrioch	The Making of Revolutionary Paris	University of California Press
	Young People's	Papunya School	Papunya School Book of Country and History	Allen and Unwin
Nita Kibble Literary Award		Inga Clendinnen	Tiger's Eye: A Memoir	Text Publishing
Queensland Premier's Literary Awards	Non-fiction	Brenda Niall	The Boyds: A Family Biography	Melbourne University Press
	History	Les Carlyon	Gallipoli	Pan Macmillan
Victorian Premier's Literary Award	Non-fiction	Brenda Niall	The Boyds: A Family Biography	Melbourne University Press

Deaths

• 27 May – Ray Mathew, poet and novelist (born 1929) ^[90]
• 6 June – Peter Cowan, short story writer and literary editor (born 1914) ^[91]
• 25 August – Dorothy Hewett, poet (born 1923) ^[92]
• 16 September – J. E. Macdonnell, novelist (born 1917) ^[93]
• 2 October – R. A. Simpson, poet (born 1929) ^[94]
• 8 December – Gary Catalano, poet and critic (born 1947) ^[95]

Unknown date

• Olive Pell, librarian and poet (born 1903) ^[96]

See also

• 2002 in Australia
• 2002 in literature
• 2002 in poetry
• List of years in literature
• List of years in Australian literature

References

1. "Skins by Sarah Hay". National Library of Australia. Retrieved 2 June 2024.
2. "A Child's Book of True Crime by Chloe Hooper". National Library of Australia. Retrieved 2 June 2024.
3. "The City of Sealions by Eva Sallis". National Library of Australia. Retrieved 2 June 2024.
4. "White Lies by J. C. Burke". National Library of Australia. Retrieved 3 June 2024.
5. "The Gift by Alison Croggon". National Library of Australia. Retrieved 3 June 2024.
6. "Short Cuts by Marieke Hardy". National Library of Australia. Retrieved 3 June 2024.
7. "Ferren and the White Doctor by Richard Harland". National Library of Australia. Retrieved 3 June 2024.
8. "When You Wake and Find Me Gone by Maureen McCarthy". National Library of Australia. Retrieved 3 June 2024.
9. "Njunjul the Sun by Meme McDonald and Boori Pryor". National Library of Australia. Retrieved 3 June 2024.
10. "Wildlight: A Journey by David Metzenthen". National Library of Australia. Retrieved 3 June 2024.
11. "Walking Home with Marie-Claire by Kirsty Murray". National Library of Australia. Retrieved 3 June 2024.
12. "The Whale's Child by Gillian Rubinstein". National Library of Australia. Retrieved 3 June 2024.
13. "Open for Inspection by Carmel Bird". National Library of Australia. Retrieved 4 June 2024.
14. "Lady Luck by Kirsty Brooks". National Library of Australia. Retrieved 4 June 2024.
15. "Half Past Dead by Jane Clifton". National Library of Australia. Retrieved 4 June 2024.
16. "Salt and Blood by Peter Corris". National Library of Australia. Retrieved 4 June 2024.
17. "Murder in Montparnasse by Kerry Greenwood". National Library of Australia. Retrieved 4 June 2024.
18. "Baby Did a Bad Bad Thing by Gabrielle Lord". National Library of Australia. Retrieved 4 June 2024.
19. "Babel by Barry Maitland". National Library of Australia. Retrieved 4 June 2024.
20. "Something Fishy by Shane Maloney". National Library of Australia. Retrieved 4 June 2024.
21. "Split by Tara Moss". National Library of Australia. Retrieved 4 June 2024.
22. "Blood Redemption by Alex Palmer". National Library of Australia. Retrieved 4 June 2024.
23. "In The Evil Day by Peter Temple". National Library of Australia. Retrieved 4 June 2024.
24. "For the Taking by Lilian Darcy". Austlit. Retrieved 19 June 2024.
25. "A Bride at Birralee by Barbara Hannay". National Library of Australia. Retrieved 19 June 2024.
26. "Their Doorstep Baby by Barbara Hannay". National Library of Australia. Retrieved 19 June 2024.
27. "Kimberley Sun by Di Morrissey". National Library of Australia. Retrieved 19 June 2024.
28. "The Baron and the Bodyguard by Valerie Parv". National Library of Australia. Retrieved 19 June 2024.
29. "The Marquis and the Mother-To-Be by Valerie Parv". National Library of Australia. Retrieved 19 June 2024.
30. "The Novice by Trudi Canavan". ISFDB. Retrieved 2 June 2024.
31. "The Battle of Evernight by Cecilia Dart-Thornton". ISFDB. Retrieved 2 June 2024.
32. "The Lady of the Sorrows by Cecilia Dart-Thornton". ISFDB. Retrieved 2 June 2024.
33. "The Crippled Angel by Sara Douglass". ISFDB. Retrieved 2 June 2024.
34. "Hades' Daughter by Sara Douglass". ISFDB. Retrieved 2 June 2024.
35. "Tetrarch by Ian Irvine". ISFDB. Retrieved 2 June 2024.
36. "Destiny by Fiona McIntosh". ISFDB. Retrieved 2 June 2024.
37. "Revenge by Fiona McIntosh". ISFDB. Retrieved 2 June 2024.
38. "Voyage of the Shadowmoon by Sean McMullen". ISFDB. Retrieved 2 June 2024.
39. "Wolfskin by Juliet Marillier". ISFDB. Retrieved 2 June 2024.
40. "Echoes of Earth by Sean Williams and Shane Dix". ISFDB. Retrieved 2 June 2024.
41. "The Sky Warden and the Sun by Sean Williams". ISFDB. Retrieved 2 June 2024.
42. "Eating Ice Cream With Your Eyes Closed by David Brown". Austlit. Retrieved 15 July 2024.
43. "Country Music by Nick Enright". Austlit. Retrieved 15 July 2024.
44. "A Man with Five Children by Nick Enright". Austlit. Retrieved 15 July 2024.
45. "The Fortunes of Richard Mahony by Michael Gow". National Library of Australia. Retrieved 15 July 2024.
46. "The Simple Truth by Michael Gurr". National Library of Australia. Retrieved 15 July 2024.
47. "Half and Half by Daniel Keene". National Library of Australia. Retrieved 15 July 2024.
48. "Still Angela by Jenny Kemp". National Library of Australia. Retrieved 15 July 2024.
49. "Rapture by Joanna Murray-Smith". National Library of Australia. Retrieved 15 July 2024.
50. "My Lover's Back : 79 Love Poems by M. T. C. Cronin". National Library of Australia. Retrieved 21 June 2024.
51. "Afterimages by Robert Gray". National Library of Australia. Retrieved 21 June 2024.
52. "Screens Jets Heaven: New and Selected Poems by Jill Jones". Austlit. Retrieved 21 June 2024.
53. "Anything the Landlord Touches by Emma Lew". National Library of Australia. Retrieved 21 June 2024.
54. "Versary by Kate Lilley". National Library of Australia. Retrieved 21 June 2024.
55. "Collected Poems : 1961–2002 by Les Murray". Austlit. Retrieved 21 June 2024.
56. "Poems the Size of Photographs by Les Murray". National Library of Australia. Retrieved 21 June 2024.
57. "Australian Short Fiction: A History by Bruce Bennett". National Library of Australia. Retrieved 5 August 2024.
58. "Stasiland by Anna Funder". National Library of Australia. Retrieved 5 August 2024.
59. "Looking for Blackfellas' Point by Mark McKenna". National Library of Australia. Retrieved 5 August 2024.
60. "The Black Lords of Summer by Ashley Mallett". National Library of Australia. Retrieved 5 August 2024.
61. "The Boy You Brought Home by John Marsden". National Library of Australia. Retrieved 5 August 2024.
62. "Shoot Straight, You Bastards! by Nick Bleszynski". National Library of Australia. Retrieved 5 August 2024.
63. "Black and Whiteley : Barry Dickins in Search of Brett by Barry Dickins". National Library of Australia. Retrieved 5 August 2024.
64. "Charles Conder : The Last Bohemian by Ann Galbally". National Library of Australia. Retrieved 5 August 2024.
65. "Broken Song : T. G. H. Strehlow and Aboriginal Possession by Barry Hill". National Library of Australia. Retrieved 5 August 2024.
66. "American Scoundrel : The Life of the Notorious Civil War General Dan Sickles by Thomas Keneally". National Library of Australia. Retrieved 5 August 2024.
67. "Pompey Elliott by Ross McMullin". National Library of Australia. Retrieved 5 August 2024.
68. "The Boyds : A Family Biography by Brenda Niall". National Library of Australia. Retrieved 5 August 2024.
69. "A poet of two cultures : An Interview with Dimitris Tsaloumas". Anagnostis e-Magazine. Retrieved 11 September 2023.
70. "Austlit — Patrick White Award - Past Winners". Austlit. Retrieved 10 September 2023.
71. ""Man of many words wins Age book award"". The Age, 24 August 2002, p13. ProQuest   363477476 . Retrieved 15 July 2024.
72. "ALS Gold Medal — Previous Winners". Association for the Study of Australian Literature. Retrieved 13 January 2024.
73. "Colin Roderick Award - Other Winners". James Cook University. Retrieved 16 January 2024.
74. "Kibble Literary Award". Australian National University. Retrieved 26 February 2024.
75. "Commonwealth Writers' Prize Regional Winners 1987-2007" (PDF). Commonwealth Foundation. Retrieved 18 January 2024.
76. "Adelaide Festival Awards for Literature – Past Literary Award Winners". State Library of South Australia. Retrieved 18 April 2024.
77. ""Austlit – Australian/Vogel Award 2000-2002"". Austlit. Retrieved 19 February 2024.
78. "Austlit — Miles Franklin Literary Award (1957-)". Austlit. Retrieved 21 September 2023.
79. ""Lawson of the suburbs finds poetry in ordinary lives"". Sydney Morning Herald, 28 May 2002, p3. ProQuest   363845396 . Retrieved 5 July 2024.
80. ""Queensland Premier's Literary Awards - Previous Winners"". Queensland Government. Retrieved 13 May 2025.
81. ""Book of Fish lands a premier catch"". The Age, 12 November 2002, p7. ProQuest   363612212 . Retrieved 7 February 2025.
82. ""Australian Literary Awards: Western Australian Premier's"". University Libraries, University of Washington. Retrieved 23 May 2025.
83. ""LibraryThing: Davitt Awards 2002"". LibraryThing. Retrieved 10 January 2024.
84. "2002 Ned Kelly Award Winners". Australian Crime Writers. Archived from the original on 27 March 2016. Retrieved 17 January 2024.
85. ""Ditmar Award 2002"". SFADB. Retrieved 2 July 2025.
86. "Austlit — Anne Elder Award 2002-2004". Austlit. Retrieved 13 February 2024.
87. "Austlit — Grace Leven Poetry Prize 2002-2004". Austlit. Retrieved 13 February 2024.
88. "Mary Gilmore Award". Association for the Study of Australian Literature . Retrieved 13 February 2024.
89. ""National Biography Award – Past Winners"". State Library of NSW. Retrieved 1 August 2024.
90. "Ray Mathew (1929-2002)". AustLit: Discover Australian Stories. The University of Queensland. Retrieved 23 September 2023.
91. "Peter Cowan (1914-2002)". AustLit: Discover Australian Stories. The University of Queensland. Retrieved 14 September 2023.
92. "Dorothy Hewett (1923-2002)". AustLit: Discover Australian Stories. The University of Queensland. Retrieved 23 September 2023.
93. "J. E. Macdonnell (1917-2002)". AustLit: Discover Australian Stories. The University of Queensland. Retrieved 16 September 2023.
94. "R. A. Simpson (1929-2002)". AustLit: Discover Australian Stories. The University of Queensland. Retrieved 23 September 2023.
95. "Gary Catalano (1947-2002)". AustLit: Discover Australian Stories. The University of Queensland. Retrieved 23 September 2023.
96. "Olive Pell (1903-2002)". Austlit. Retrieved 30 June 2023.

Note: all references relating to awards can, or should be, found on the relevant award's page.