 First edition | |
| Author | Ronald McKie |
|---|---|
| Country | Australia |
| Language | English |
| Publisher | Collins, Australia |
Publication date | 1974 |
| Media type | Print (Hardback & Paperback) |
| Pages | 211 |
| ISBN | 0-00-221586-1 |
| OCLC | 1120471 |
| 823 | |
| LC Class | PZ4.M15754 Man3 PR9619.3.M256 |
| Preceded by | The Heroes |
| Followed by | The Crushing |
The Mango Tree is a Miles Franklin Award-winning novel by Australian author Ronald McKie. [1]
The story follows the childhood of a young man, named Jamie, growing up in a country town in Australia during the early 20th century.
Hope Hewitt in The Canberra Times found the author to be "an excellent reporter, quickly setting scene and then swiftly changing gear and catching the cxcitement of events moving too quickly for words. The climax of this book when the fanatic Preacher Jones goes round the bend and rampages off with a gun is a gripping piece of narrative. But good documentary and good reportage are not the same as good imaginative fiction. Their purposes are different; and in trying to concentrate as we clearly are meant to, on Jamie's development to whatever sort of person he is going to be, there needs to be a much greater selection and a different scale of proportions among the too rich material Mr McKie has to draw upon." [2]
In 1977, it was adapted into a film of the same name, [5] directed by Kevin James Dobson, from a script by Michael Pate, and featuring Gerald Fitzgerald, Robert Helpmann and Christopher Pate in the lead roles. [6]
The Miles Franklin Literary Award is an annual literary prize awarded to "a novel which is of the highest literary merit and presents Australian life in any of its phases". The award was set up according to the will of Miles Franklin (1879–1954), who is best known for writing the Australian classic My Brilliant Career (1901). She bequeathed her estate to fund this award. As of 2016, the award is valued at A$60,000.
Ronald Cecil Hamlyn McKie was an Australian novelist. He was born on 11 May 1909 in Toowoomba, Queensland. After receiving his education at the Brisbane Grammar School and the University of Queensland, he worked as a journalist on newspapers in Melbourne, Sydney, Singapore, and China. He served in the AIF during World War II from 1942–1943, following which he served as war correspondent for several Australian and UK newspapers. After the war he worked for Sydney's Daily Telegraph. McKie died from kidney disease on 8 May 1991 in Canterbury, Melbourne, Australia.
The Mango Tree is a 1977 Australian drama film directed by Kevin James Dobson and starring Geraldine Fitzgerald and Sir Robert Helpmann. Lead actor Christopher Pate is the son of actor Michael Pate who also produced and wrote the film. It is based on the book of the same name, by Ronald McKie.
The Age Book of the Year Awards were annual literary awards presented by Melbourne's The Age newspaper. The awards were first presented in 1974. After 1998, they were presented as part of the Melbourne Writers Festival. Initially, two awards were given, one for fiction, the other for non-fiction work, but in 1993, a poetry award in honour of Dinny O'Hearn was added. The criteria were that the works be "of outstanding literary merit and express Australian identity or character," and be published in the year before the award was made. One of the award-winners was chosen as The Age Book of the Year. The awards were discontinued in 2013. In 2021 The Age Book of the Year was revived as a fiction prize, with the winner announced at the Melbourne Writers Festival.
The Grisly Wife is a 1993 Miles Franklin literary award-winning novel by the Australian author Rodney Hall.
The Well Dressed Explorer (1962) is a Miles Franklin Award-winning novel by Australian author Thea Astley. This novel shared the award with The Cupboard Under the Stairs by George Turner.
The Slow Natives (1965) is a Miles Franklin Award-winning novel by Australian author Thea Astley.
Tirra Lirra by the River is a novel by Australian writer Jessica Anderson. It won the Miles Franklin Award. Though written some years before, it was first published in 1978. It is included in Carmen Callil and Colm Tóibín's collection The Modern Library: The Best 200 Novels in English since 1950.
A Woman of the Future (1979) is a novel by Australian author David Ireland. It won the Miles Franklin Award in 1979 and was joint winner of the Age Book of the Year award in 1980.
Dancing on Coral is a Miles Franklin Award-winning novel by Australian author Glenda Adams.
Oceana Fine is a 1990 Miles Franklin Award-winning novel by Australian author Tom Flood.
The Great World is a 1990 Miles Franklin literary award-winning novel by the Australian author David Malouf.
Longleg is a 1990 novel by Australian author Glenda Adams.
Death of a River Guide is a 1994 novel by Australian author Richard Flanagan. Death of a River Guide was Flanagan's first novel.
Reaching Tin River (1990) is a novel by Australian author Thea Astley.
This article presents a list of the historical events and publications of Australian literature during 1974.
This article presents a list of the historical events and publications of Australian literature during 1976.
This article presents a list of the historical events and publications of Australian literature during 1987.
This article presents a list of the historical events and publications of Australian literature during 1991.
This article presents a list of the historical events and publications of Australian literature during 1993.
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