1981 in Australian literature

This article presents a list of the historical events and publications of Australian literature during 1981.

Events

• Peter Carey won the 1981 Miles Franklin Award for Bliss

Major publications

Novels

• Peter Carey, Bliss
• David Ireland, City of Women
• Colleen McCullough, An Indecent Obsession

Children's and young adult fiction

• Jan Ormerod, Sunshine
• Ruth Park, The Muddle-Headed Wombat is Very Bad
• Colin Thiele, The Valley Between

Poetry

• Gwen Harwood, The Lion's Bride

Drama

• Louis Nowra
  • Inside The Island
  • The Precious Woman
  • Lulu

Non-fiction

• Albert Facey, A Fortunate Life
• Henry Reynolds, The Other Side of the Frontier
• Eric Charles Rolls, A Million Wild Acres
• Patrick White, Flaws in the Glass

Awards and honours

Companion of the Order of Australia (AC)

• A. D. Hope[1]

Member of the Order of Australia (AM)

• Dymphna Cusack[1]
• Beatrice Deloitte Davis[1]
• David Ireland[2]
• Jack Lindsay[1]
• Alan Marshall[1]
• Stephen Murray-Smith[2]
• Leslie Rees[2]
• Ivan Southall[1]
• Joan Woodberry[2]

Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM)

• Walter W. Stone[2]

Births

A list, ordered by date of birth (and, if the date is either unspecified or repeated, ordered alphabetically by surname) of births in 1981 of Australian literary figures, authors of written works or literature-related individuals follows, including year of death.

• 7 April — Lili Wilkinson, author of young adult fiction

Unknown date

• Alice Pung, novelist and memoir writer, editor and lawyer

Deaths

A list, ordered by date of death (and, if the date is either unspecified or repeated, ordered alphabetically by surname) of deaths in 1981 of Australian literary figures, authors of written works or literature-related individuals follows, including year of birth.

• 14 January — John O'Grady, writer, best known as Nino Culotta, author of They're a Weird Mob (born 1907)[3]
• 29 March — Clive Sansom, poet and playwright (born 1910)[4]
• 19 April — Louis Kaye, novelist and short story writer (born 1901)[5]
• 29 April — Leonard Mann, poet and novelist (born 1895)[6]
• 29 August — Wal Stone, book publisher, collector and supporter of Australian literature (born 1910)[7]
• 19 October — Dymphna Cusack, novelist and playwright (born 1902)[8]

Unknown date

• Ada Verdun Howell, author and poet (born 1902)

See also

• 1981 in Australia
• 1981 in literature
• 1981 in poetry
• List of years in literature
• List of years in Australian literature

References

1. "The Awards and Recipients". Canberra Times (ACT : 1926 - 1995). 26 January 1981. p. 6. Retrieved 18 September 2019.
2. "The Queen's Birthday Honours Lists Commonwealth". Canberra Times (ACT : 1926 - 1995). 13 June 1981. p. 11. Retrieved 25 June 2019.
3. White, Richard, "O'Grady, John (Patrick) (1907–1981)", Australian Dictionary of Biography, National Centre of Biography, Australian National University, retrieved 25 June 2019
4. Spaulding, Ralph, "Sansom, Clive Henry (1910–1981)", Australian Dictionary of Biography, National Centre of Biography, Australian National University, retrieved 25 June 2019
5. Pierce, Peter, "Norman, Noel Wilson ('Louis Kaye') (1901–1981)", Australian Dictionary of Biography, National Centre of Biography, Australian National University, retrieved 25 June 2019
6. Lacy, Gavin De, "Mann, Leonard (1895–1981)", Australian Dictionary of Biography, National Centre of Biography, Australian National University, retrieved 25 June 2019
7. Stone, Jean (1988). The Passionate Bibliophile: The Story of Walter Stone, Australian Bookman Extraordinaire. Sydney: Angus & Robertson. ISBN 0207153949.
8. North, Marilla, "Cusack, Ellen Dymphna (Nell) (1902–1981)", Australian Dictionary of Biography, National Centre of Biography, Australian National University, retrieved 25 June 2019