2011 in Australian literature

This article presents a list of the historical events and publications of Australian literature during 2011.

Events

• Four authors are named in the Queen's Birthday Honours: Peter FitzSimons, Susanne Gervay, Roland Perry, and Chris Wallace-Crabbe ^[1]
• Thomas Keneally donates his personal library to the Sydney Mechanics' School of Arts ^[2]
• Australian libraries and library associations join together to make 2012 the National Year of Reading ^[3]
• Australian Booksellers Association (ABA) declares Saturday, 20 August 2011, the inaugural National Bookshop Day ^[4]
• Final issue of the "Australian Literary Review" to be published in October 2011 ^[5]
• Hannie Rayson is the first Australian to be awarded a commission with New York’s Manhattan Theatre Club ^[6]
• Friends and family of biographer Hazel Rowley establish funds to commemorate Rowley’s life and her writing legacy via the Hazel Rowley Literary Fund ^[7]
• Alison Lester and Boori Monty Pryor are appointed to be Australia’s first Children’s Laureates ^[8]
• The University of Technology Sydney (UTS) appoints Robert Adamson to hold the inaugural CAL Chair in Australian Poetry ^[9]

Major publications

Literary fiction

• Tony Birch – Blood
• Geraldine Brooks – Caleb's Crossing ^[10]
• Annah Faulkner – The Beloved ^[11]
• Anna Funder – All That I Am
• Kate Grenville – Sarah Thornhill
• Gail Jones – Five Bells
• Jeanine Leane – Purple Threads
• Gillian Mears – Foal's Bread
• Alex Miller – Autumn Laing
• Frank Moorhouse – Cold Light
• Liane Moriarty – The Hypnotist's Love Story
• Favel Parrett – Past The Shallows
• Elliot Perlman – The Street Sweeper
• Craig Sherborne – The Amateur Science of Love ^[12]
• Cory Taylor – Me and Mr Booker ^[13]
• Rohan Wilson – The Roving Party
• Charlotte Wood – Animal People ^[14]

Children's and Young Adult fiction

• Alexandra Adornetto – Hades ^[15]
• Em Bailey – Shift ^[16]
• J. C. Burke – Pig Boy
• Isobelle Carmody – The Sending
• Ursula Dubosarsky – The Golden Day
• Scott Gardner – The Dead I Know ^[17]
• Steven Herrick – Black Painted Fingernails ^[18]
• Andrew McGahan – The Coming of the Whirlpool ^[19]
• Melina Marchetta – Froi of the Exiles ^[20]
• Vikki Wakefield – All I Ever Wanted ^[21]
• Scott Westerfeld – Goliath

Science fiction and fantasy

• Max Barry – Machine Man
• Trudi Canavan – The Rogue
• Greg Egan – The Clockwork Rocket
• Will Elliott – Shadow ^[22]
• Kim Falconer – Road to the Soul ^[23]
• Pamela Freeman – Ember and Ash ^[24]
• Richard Harland – Liberator ^[25]
• Glenda Larke – Stormlord's Exile ^[26]
• Kim Westwood – The Courier's New Bicycle

Crime and mystery

• Alan Carter – Prime Cut ^[27]
• Peter Corris – Follow the Money ^[28]
• Garry Disher – Whispering Death ^[29]
• Sulari Gentill – A Decline in Prophets ^[30]
• Kerry Greenwood – Cooking the Books ^[31]
• Malcolm Knox – The Life
• Stuart Littlemore – Harry Curry: Counsel of Choice ^[32]
• Barry Maitland – Chelsea Mansions ^[33]
• Kel Robertson – Rip Off ^[34]
• Michael Robotham – The Wreckage ^[35]

Poetry

• Ali Alizadeh – Ashes in the Air ^[36]
• Joanne Burns – Amphora ^[37]
• Barry Hill – Lines for Birds: Poems and Paintings ^[38]
• John Kinsella – Armour ^[39]
• Geoffrey Lehmann and Robert Gray – Australian Poetry Since 1788 (edited) ^[40]
• Jaya Savige – Surface to Air ^[41]

Biography

• Julian Assange – Julian Assange: The Unauthorised Autobiography ^[42]
• A. J. Brown – Michael Kirby: Paradoxes and Principles ^[43]
• Eileen Chanin – Book Life: The Life and Times of David Scott Mitchell 1836–1907 ^[44]
• Raimond Gaita – After Romulus ^[45]
• Mark McKenna – An Eye for Eternity: The Life of Manning Clark ^[46]
• Susan Mitchell – Tony Abbott: A Man's Man ^[47]
• Christine Nixon – Fair Cop ^[48]
• Sue Pieters-Hawke – Hazel: My Mother's Story ^[49]
• Alice Pung – Her Father's Daughter ^[50]
• David Robert Walker – Not Dark Yet: A Personal History ^[51]
• Sarah Watt & William McInnes – Worse Things Happen at Sea ^[52]

Awards and honours

Lifetime achievement

Award	Author
Christopher Brennan Award [53]	Jennifer Harrison
Patrick White Award [54]	Robert Adamson

Literary

Award	Author	Title	Publisher
The Age Book of the Year [55]	Fiona McGregor	Indelible Ink	Scribe Publishing
ALS Gold Medal [56]	Kim Scott	That Deadman Dance	Picador
Colin Roderick Award [57]	Karen Kissane	Worst of Days: Inside the Black Saturday Firestorm	Hachette Australia
Indie Book Awards Book of the Year [58]	Anh Do	The Happiest Refugee	Allen & Unwin
Nita Kibble Literary Award [59]	Brenda Walker	Reading by Moonlight	Hamish Hamilton
Victorian Prize for Literature [60]	Kim Scott	That Deadman Dance	Picador

Fiction

International

Award	Region	Category	Author	Title	Publisher
Commonwealth Writers' Prize [61]	SE Asia and South Pacific	Best Book	Kim Scott	That Deadman Dance	Picador

National

Award	Author	Title	Publisher
Adelaide Festival Awards for Literature [62]	Not awarded
The Age Book of the Year Award [63]	Fiona McGregor	Indelible Ink	Scribe Publications
The Australian/Vogel Literary Award [64]	Rohan Wilson	The Roving Party	Allen & Unwin
Barbara Jefferis Award [65]	G.L. Osborne	Come Inside	Clouds of Magellan
Colin Roderick Award	Gillian Mears	Foal's Bread	Allen and Unwin
Indie Book Awards Book of the Year – Fiction [58]	Chris Womersley	Bereft	Scribe
Indie Book Awards Book of the Year – Debut Fiction [58]	Jon Bauer	Rocks in the Belly	Scribe
Miles Franklin Award [66]	Kim Scott	That Deadman Dance	Picador
Prime Minister's Literary Awards [67]	Stephen Daisley	Traitor	Text Publishing
New South Wales Premier's Literary Awards [68]	Alex Miller	Lovesong	Allen & Unwin
Queensland Premier's Literary Awards [69]	Amanda Lohrey	Reading Madame Bovary	Black Inc.
Victorian Premier's Literary Award [60]	Kim Scott	That Deadman Dance	Picador
Western Australian Premier's Book Awards [70]	Anna Funder	All That I Am	Penguin Books

Children and Young Adult

National

Award	Category	Author	Title	Publisher
Children's Book of the Year Award [71]	Older Readers	Sonya Hartnett	The Midnight Zoo	Viking Books
	Younger Readers	Isobelle Carmody	The Red Wind	Viking Books
	Picture Book	Jeanie Baker	Mirror	Walker Books
		Nicki Greenberg	Hamlet	Allen & Unwin
	Early Childhood	Jan Ormerod, illus. Freya Blackwood	Maudie Bear	Little Hare Books
Indie Book Awards Book of the Year [58]	Children's & YA	Jeannie Baker	Mirror	Walker Books
New South Wales Premier's Literary Awards [68]	Children's	Sophie Masson	My Australian Story: The Hunt for Ned Kelly	Scholastic Australia
	Young People's	Cath Crowley	Graffiti Moon	Pan Macmillan Australia
Queensland Premier's Literary Awards [69]	Children's	Michael Gerard Bauer	Just a Dog	Omnibus Books
	Young Adult	Barry Jonsberg	Being Here	Allen & Unwin
Victorian Premier's Literary Award [60]	Young Adult Fiction	Cassandra Golds	The Three Loves of Persimmon	Penguin Group
Western Australian Premier's Book Awards	Children's	Michelle Gillespie & Sonia Martinez	Sam, Grace and the Shipwreck	Fremantle Press
	Writing for Young Adults	Penni Russon	Only Ever Always	Allen and Unwin

Crime and Mystery

National

Award	Category	Author	Title	Publisher
Davitt Award [72]	Novel	Katherine Howell	Cold Justice	Pan Macmillan
	Young Adult novel	Penny Matthews	A Girl Like Me	Penguin
	True crime	Colleen Egan	Murderer No More	Allen & Unwin
	Readers' choice	P. M. Newton	The Old School	Viking
Ned Kelly Award [73]	Novel	Geoffrey McGeachin	The Diggers Rest Hotel	Penguin Books
	First novel	Alan Carter	Prime Cut	Fremantle Press
	True crime	Geesche Jacobsen	Abandoned - The Sad Death of Dianne Brimble	Allen & Unwin
	Lifetime achievement	Not awarded

Science fiction

Award	Category	Author	Title	Publisher
Aurealis Award	SF Novel	Kim Westwood	The Courier's New Bicycle	HarperVoyager
	SF Short Story	Robert N. Stephenson	"Rains of la Strange"	Coeur de Lion Publishing (Anywhere but Earth)
	Fantasy Novel	Pamela Freeman	Ember and Ash	Hachette
	Fantasy Short Story	Thoraiya Dyer	"Fruit of the Pipal Tree"	FableCroft Publishing (After the Rain)
	Horror Short Story	Paul Haines	"The Past is a Bridge Best Left Burnt"	Brimstone Press (The Last Days of Kali Yuga)
		Lisa L. Hannett	"The Short Go: a Future in Eight Seconds"	Ticonderoga Publications (Bluegrass Symphony)
Australian Shadows Awards	Novel	No Award
	Long Fiction	Paul Haines	"The Past is a Bridge Best Left Burnt"	Brimstone Press (The Last Days of Kali Yuga)
	Short Fiction	Amanda J. Spedding	"Shovel Man Joe"	Shades of Sentience, May 2011
	Edited Publication	Russell B. Farr, editor	Dead Red Heart	Ticonderoga Publications
	Collected Works	Brett McBean	Tales of Sin and Madness	LegumeMan Books
Ditmar Award	Novel	Tansy Rayner Roberts	Power and Majesty	HarperVoyager
	Novella/Novelette	Thoraiya Dyer	"The Company Articles of Edward Teach"	Twelfth Planet Press
	Short Story	Cat Sparks	"All the Love in the World"	Twelfth Planet Press (Sprawl)
		Kirstyn McDermott	"She Said"	Morrigan Books (Scenes From the Second Storey)
	Collected Work	Alisa Krasnostein ed.	Sprawl	Twelfth Planet Press

Poetry

Award	Author	Title	Publisher
Adelaide Festival Awards for Literature [62]	Not awarded
The Age Book of the Year [63]	John Tranter	Starlight: 150 Poems	University of Queensland Press
Anne Elder Award [74]	Rosanna Licari	The Weather of Tongues	Sunline
Grace Leven Prize for Poetry [75]	Not awarded
Mary Gilmore Prize [76]	Not awarded
New South Wales Premier's Literary Awards [68]	Jennifer Maiden	Pirate Rain	Giramondo Publishing
Queensland Premier's Literary Awards [69]	John Tranter	Starlight: 150 Poems	University of Queensland Press
Victorian Premier's Literary Award [60]	Cate Kennedy	The Taste of River Water	Scribe
Western Australian Premier's Book Awards [70]	Tracy Ryan	The Argument	Fremantle Press

Drama

Award	Category	Author	Title	Publisher
New South Wales Premier's Literary Awards	Play	Patricia Cornelius	Do Not Go Gentle	Currency Press
	Script	Debra Oswald	Offspring	Southern Star Entertainment
Patrick White Playwrights' Award	Award	Phillip Kavanagh	Little Borders
	Fellowship	Patricia Cornelius

Non-Fiction

Award	Category	Author	Title	Publisher
Adelaide Festival Awards for Literature [62]	Non-Fiction	Not awarded
The Age Book of the Year	Non-fiction	Jim Davidson	A Three-Cornered Life	UNSW Press
Children's Book of the Year Award	Eve Pownall Award for Information Books	Ursula Dubosarsky, illus. Tohby Riddle	The Return of the Word Spy	Viking Books
Davitt Award	True crime	Colleen Egan	Murderer No More	Allen & Unwin
National Biography Award [77]	Biography	Alasdair McGregor	Grand Obsessions: The Life and Work of Walter Burley Griffin and Marion Mahony Griffin	Lantern
Indie Book Awards Book of the Year [58]	Non-Fiction	Anh Do	The Happiest Refugee	Allen & Unwin
Prime Minister's Literary Awards	Non-fiction	Rod Moss	The Hard Light of Day	University of Queensland Press
New South Wales Premier's Literary Awards [68]	Non-fiction	Malcolm Fraser and Margaret Simons	Malcolm Fraser: The Political Memoirs	Melbourne University Publishing
New South Wales Premier's History Awards	Australian History	Penny Russell	Savage or Civilised?: Manners in Colonial Australia	UNSW Press
	Community and Regional History	Stephen Gapps	Cabrogal to Fairfield City: A History of a Multicultural Community	Fairfield City Council
	General History	Shane White, Stephen Garton, Stephen Robertson and Graham White	Playing the Numbers: Gambling in Harlem Between the Wars	Harvard University Press
	Young People's	Kirsty Murray	India Dark	Allen & Unwin
Queensland Premier's Literary Awards [69]	Non-fiction	Mark McKenna	An Eye for Eternity: The Life of Manning Clark	Melbourne University Publishing
	History	Alan Powell	Northern Voyagers: Australia's monsoon coast in maritime history	Australian Scholarly Publishing
Victorian Premier's Literary Award [60]	Non-fiction	Mark McKenna	An Eye for Eternity: The Life of Manning Clark	Melbourne University Publishing
Western Australian Premier's Book Awards	Non-fiction	Alice Pung	Her Father's Daughter	Black Inc.
	Western Australian history	Fiona Skyring	Justice: A History of the Aboriginal Legal Service of Western Australia	University of Western Australia Press

Deaths

• 1 March – Hazel Rowley, author (born 1951) ^[78]
• 15 June – Anne Godfrey-Smith, poet and theatre producer/director (born 1921) ^[79]
• 20 June – T. A. G. Hungerford, author (born 1915) ^[80]
• 2 September – Bernard Smith, art historian (born 1916)
• 27 September – Sara Douglass, author (born 1957) ^[81]
• 4 October – Di Gribble, editor and publisher (born 1942)
• 8 December – Zelman Cowen, jurist (born 1919)

Unknown date

• May – Robert J. Merritt, playwright (born 1945)

See also

• 2011 in Australia
• 2011 in literature
• 2011 in poetry
• List of years in Australian literature
• List of years in literature
• List of Australian literary awards

References

1. Australian Writers Named in Queen's Birthday Honours
2. Keneally's Library Finds New Home
3. National Year of Reading in 2012
4. National Bookshop Day
5. Australian Literary Review to Cease Publication
6. Hannie Rayson Wins New York Commission
7. Hazel Rowley's Literary Legacy
8. Australia's First Children's Laureates Announced
9. UTS Appoints Inaugural CAL Chair in Australian Poetry
10. "Austlit — Caleb's Crossing by Geraldine Brooks". Austlit. Retrieved 29 January 2024.
11. "Austlit — The Beloved by Annah Faulkner". Austlit. Retrieved 29 January 2024.
12. "Austlit — The Amateur Science of Love by Craig Sherborne". Austlit. Retrieved 29 January 2024.
13. "Me and Mr Booker by". National Library of Australia. Retrieved 17 April 2025.
14. "Austlit — Animal People by Charlotte Wood". Austlit. Retrieved 29 January 2024.
15. "Hades by Alexandra Adornetto". National Library of Australia. Retrieved 17 April 2025.
16. "Shift by Em Bailey". National Library of Australia. Retrieved 17 April 2025.
17. "The Dead I Know by Scott Gardner". National Library of Australia. Retrieved 17 April 2025.
18. "Black Painted Fingernails by Steven Herrick". National Library of Australia. Retrieved 17 April 2025.
19. "The Coming of the Whirlpool by Andrew McGahan". National Library of Australia. Retrieved 17 April 2025.
20. "Froi of the Exiles by Melina Marchetta". National Library of Australia. Retrieved 17 April 2025.
21. "All I Ever Wanted by Vikki Wakefield". National Library of Australia. Retrieved 17 April 2025.
22. "Shadow by Will Elliott". ISFDB. Retrieved 15 May 2024.
23. "Road to the Soul by Kim Falconer". ISFDB. Retrieved 15 May 2024.
24. "Ember and Ash by Pamela Freeman". ISFDB. Retrieved 15 May 2024.
25. "Liberator by Richard Harland". ISFDB. Retrieved 15 May 2024.
26. "Stormlord's Exile by Glenda Larke". ISFDB. Retrieved 15 May 2024.
27. "Prime Cut by Alan Carter". National Library of Australia. Retrieved 15 May 2024.
28. "Follow the Money by Peter Corris". National Library of Australia. Retrieved 15 May 2024.
29. "Whispering Death by Garry Disher". National Library of Australia. Retrieved 15 May 2024.
30. "A Decline in Prophets by Sulari Gentill". National Library of Australia. Retrieved 18 March 2025.
31. "Cooking the Books by Kerry Greenwood". National Library of Australia. Retrieved 15 May 2024.
32. "Harry Curry: Counsel of Choice by Stuart Littlemore". National Library of Australia. Retrieved 15 May 2024.
33. "Chelsea Mansions by Barry Maitland". National Library of Australia. Retrieved 15 May 2024.
34. "Rip Off by Kel Robertson". National Library of Australia. Retrieved 15 May 2024.
35. "The Wreckage by Michael Robotham". National Library of Australia. Retrieved 15 May 2024.
36. "Ashes in the Air by Ali Alizadeh". National Library of Australia. Retrieved 15 April 2025.
37. "Amphora by Joanne Burns". National Library of Australia. Retrieved 15 April 2025.
38. "Lines for Birds: Poems and Paintings by Barry Hill". National Library of Australia. Retrieved 15 April 2025.
39. "Armour by John Kinsella". National Library of Australia. Retrieved 15 April 2025.
40. "Australian Poetry Since 1788 edited by Geoffrey Lehmann and Robert Gray". National Library of Australia. Retrieved 15 April 2025.
41. "Surface to Air by Jaya Savige". National Library of Australia. Retrieved 15 April 2025.
42. "Julian Assange: The Unauthorised Autobiography by Julian Assange". National Library of Australia. Retrieved 18 April 2025.
43. "Michael Kirby: Paradoxes and Principles by A. J. Brown". National Library of Australia. Retrieved 18 April 2025.
44. "Book Life: The Life and Times of David Scott Mitchell 1836–1907 by Eileen Chanin". National Library of Australia. Retrieved 18 April 2025.
45. "After Romulus by Raimond Gaita". National Library of Australia. Retrieved 18 April 2025.
46. "An Eye for Eternity: The Life of Manning Clark by Mark McKenna". National Library of Australia. Retrieved 18 April 2025.
47. "Tony Abbott: A Man's Man by Susan Mitchell". National Library of Australia. Retrieved 18 April 2025.
48. "Fair Cop by Christine Nixon". National Library of Australia. Retrieved 18 April 2025.
49. "Hazel: My Mother's Story by Sue Pieters-Hawke". National Library of Australia. Retrieved 18 April 2025.
50. "Her Father's Daughter by Alice Pung". National Library of Australia. Retrieved 18 April 2025.
51. "Not Dark Yet: A Personal History by David Robert Walker". National Library of Australia. Retrieved 18 April 2025.
52. "Worse Things Happen at Sea by Sarah Watt & William McInnes". National Library of Australia. Retrieved 18 April 2025.
53. "Austlit — FAW Christopher Brennan Award". Austlit. Retrieved 10 September 2023.
54. "Former inmate wins $18,000 poetry prize". canberratimes.com.au. 7 November 2011. Archived from the original on 7 November 2011. Retrieved 10 September 2023.
55. Steger, Jason (26 August 2011). "Winning words". The Age. Archived from the original on 16 December 2018. Retrieved 26 February 2024.
56. "ALS Gold Medal — Previous Winners". Association for the Study of Australian Literature. Retrieved 13 January 2024.
57. "Colin Roderick Award — Other Winners". James Cook University. Retrieved 2 February 2024.
58. ""Indie Book Awards - Winners 2012 & prior"". Australian Independent Booksellers. Retrieved 24 May 2024.
59. "Kibble Literary Award". Australian National University . 9 June 2009. Retrieved 9 March 2024.
60. "Victorian Premier's Literary Awards 2011". The Wheeler Centre. 2011. Retrieved 12 August 2025.
61. "2011 prize: final programme". Commonwealth Foundation. 21 May 2011. Archived from the original on 3 September 2011.
62. "Adelaide Festival Awards for Literature – Past Literary Award Winners". State Library of South Australia. Retrieved 18 April 2024.
63. ""The Age Book of the Year - Fiction Prize (2008-2012)"". Austlit. Retrieved 15 February 2024.
64. ""Austlit – Australian/Vogel Award 2009-2012"". Austlit. Retrieved 19 February 2024.
65. ""Barbara Jefferis Award"". Australian Society of Authors. Retrieved 20 January 2024.
66. "Kim Scott wins prestigious Miles Franklin". ABC News. 22 June 2011. Retrieved 9 August 2022.
67. ""Prime Minister's Literary Awards - Shortlist and winners: 2021-2008"". Creative Australia. Retrieved 11 January 2024.
68. ""Fraser the Cold War warrior joins the literati"". The Age, 17 May 2011. Retrieved 30 December 2023.
69. ""Queensland Premier's Literary Awards - 2011 Winners"". Queensland Government. Retrieved 13 May 2025.
70. ""Australian Literary Awards: Western Australian Premier's"". University Libraries, University of Washington. Retrieved 23 May 2025.
71. ""CBCA – Winners 2011"". CBCA. Retrieved 17 January 2025.
72. ""LibraryThing: Davitt Awards 2011"". LibraryThing. Retrieved 14 January 2024.
73. ""Ned Kelly Awards 2011"". Mystery Readers Inc. Retrieved 24 January 2024.
74. "Austlit — Anne Elder Award (2011-2013)". Austlit. Retrieved 28 February 2024.
75. "Austlit — Grace Leven Poetry prize (2008-2012)". Austlit. Retrieved 28 February 2024.
76. "Mary Gilmore Award". Association for the Study of Australian Literature . Retrieved 29 February 2024.
77. ""National Biography Award – Past Winners"". State Library of NSW. Retrieved 1 August 2024.
78. "Hazel Rowley". AustLit: Discover Australian Stories. The University of Queensland. Retrieved 23 September 2023.
79. "Anne Godfrey-Smith". AustLit: Discover Australian Stories. The University of Queensland. Retrieved 23 September 2023.
80. "T. A. G. Hungerford". AustLit: Discover Australian Stories. The University of Queensland. Retrieved 14 September 2023.
81. "Sara Douglass". AustLit: Discover Australian Stories. The University of Queensland. Retrieved 21 February 2024.