Australasian Book Society

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The Australasian Book Society was a cooperative publishing society in Australia, between 1952 and 1981. [1] Founded in Melbourne by activist George Seelaf, [2] the society was funded by member subscriptions, and each member would receive four books annually. [3]

The society was founded through the initiative of author Frank Hardy following the success of his book Power Without Glory . [4]

According to the University of Queensland's Fryer Library, the Australasian Book Society was known to have had strong links with both communist and trade union activists. [3] Some sources claim that the society was founded by the Communist Party of Australia. [5] [6]

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References

  1. "Overview: Australasian Book Society". Oxford Reference . Oxford University Press.
  2. "George Seelaf Biography". AustLit. 17 May 2006. Retrieved 29 May 2024.
  3. 1 2 "Australasian Book Society". The University of Queensland. Retrieved 29 May 2024.
  4. McLaren, John (1996). Writing in Hope and Fear: Literature as Politics in Postwar Australia. Cambridge University Press. p. 35. ISBN   9780521567565.
  5. Sparrow, Jeff (2022-11-01). "How the parallel lives of two influential editors shaped Australia's literary culture". The Conversation. Retrieved 2024-05-29.
  6. "The Lost World of Australian Communism". jacobin.com. Retrieved 2024-05-29.