1939 in Australian literature

This article presents a list of the historical events and publications of Australian literature during 1939.

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For an overview of world literature see 1939 in literature.

See also: 1938 in Australian literature, 1939 in Australia, 1940 in Australian literature.

Events

The Queenslander ceases publication after the last edition on February 22 1939.[1] The magazine was first published on February 3 1866 by Thomas Blacket Stephens in Brisbane and published serialised novels, poems and short stories by many Australian writers.

Books

• Erle Cox – Fool's Harvest
• Miles Franklin and Dymphna Cusack – Pioneers on Parade
• Arthur Gask – The Vengeance of Larose
• Michael Innes – Stop Press
• Will Lawson – In Ben Boyd's Day
• Jack Lindsay – Lost Birthright
• Myra Morris – Dark Tumult
• Henry Handel Richardson – The Young Cosima
• Alice Grant Rosman – William's Room
• Nevil Shute – What Happened to the Corbetts (aka Ordeal)
• Kylie Tennant – Foveaux
• E. V. Timms – Dark Interlude
• Arthur Upfield – The Mystery of Swordfish Reef
• Patrick White – Happy Valley

Short stories

• Katharine Susannah Prichard
  • "The Flight"
  • "Painted Finches"
• Dal Stivens – "Solemn Mass"

Children's

• Mary Grant Bruce – Son of Billabong
• Dorothy Wall – The Complete Adventures of Blinky Bill

Poetry

Main article: 1939 in poetry

• Mary Gilmore – Battlefields
• A. D. Hope – "Australia"
• Hugh McCrae – Poems
• Furnley Maurice – "Whenever I Have..."
• Kenneth Slessor
  • "Five Bells"
  • Five Bells : XX Poems
  • "South Country"
• Brian Vrepont – "The Miracle"

Drama

• Sumner Locke Elliott
  • The Cow Jumped Over the Moon
  • Interval

Awards and honours

Literary

Award	Author	Title	Publisher
ALS Gold Medal[2]	Xavier Herbert	Capricornia	Angus and Robertson

Poetry

Award	Author	Title
C.J. Dennis Memorial Prize[3]	Brian Vrepont	"The Miracle'"

Births

A list, ordered by date of birth (and, if the date is either unspecified or repeated, ordered alphabetically by surname) of births in 1939 of Australian literary figures, authors of written works or literature-related individuals follows, including year of death.

• 4 January – J. S. Harry, poet (died 2015)
• 29 January – Germaine Greer, theorist, academic and journalist
• 25 February – Gerald Murnane, novelist
• 12 July – Phillip Adams, broadcaster and journalist
• 22 August – Peter Steele, poet (died 2012)
• 6 September – Barbara Hanrahan, writer (died 1991)
• 7 October – Clive James, poet, novelist and critic (died 2019)
• 30 December – Glenda Adams, novelist (died 2007)

Unknown date

• John Baxter, novelist and biographer
• Victor Kelleher, novelist

Deaths

A list, ordered by date of death (and, if the date is either unspecified or repeated, ordered alphabetically by surname) of deaths in 1939 of Australian literary figures, authors of written works or literature-related individuals follows, including year of birth.

• 3 May – Hilary Lofting, novelist, travel writer, journalist and editor (born 1881)
• 19 December – Edward Sorenson, poet (born 1869)

See also

• 1939 in poetry
• List of years in literature
• List of years in Australian literature

References

1. "The Queenslander". National Library of Australia. Retrieved 9 October 2014.
2. "Prize for Best Novel" The Argus, 19 March 1940, p1
3. "Brian Vrepont's Success", The Telegraph, 9 September 1939, p12