1977 in Australian literature

This article presents a list of the historical events and publications of Australian literature during 1977.

Events

• Ruth Park won the 1977 Miles Franklin Award for Swords and Crowns and Rings

Major publications

Books

• Jon Cleary – High Road to China (novel)
• Helen Garner – Monkey Grip
• Colleen McCullough – The Thorn Birds
• Ruth Park – Swords and Crowns and Rings

Short stories

• Frank Moorhouse – Tales of Mystery and Romance

Science fiction and fantasy

• A. Bertram Chandler:
  • The Far Traveller
  • Star Courier
• Lee Harding — The Weeping Sky
• David Lake:
  • The Right Hand of Dextra
  • The Wildings of Westron

Children's and young adult fiction

• Joan Phipson – Fly into Danger
• Eleanor Spence – A Candle for St. Antony
• Patricia Wrightson – The Ice Is Coming

Poetry

• Robert Adamson – Cross The Border
• Nancy Keesing – Hails and Farewells
• Jennifer Maiden – Mortal Details
• Les Murray – Ethnic Radio
• John Tranter – Crying in Early Infancy: 100 Sonnets
• Chris Wallace-Crabbe – The Emotions Are Not Skilled Workers

Drama

• Peter Kenna
  • Mates
  • Trespassers Will Be Prosecuted
• Louis Nowra – Inner Voices
• Patrick White – Big Toys
• David Williamson – The Club

Non-fiction

• Blanche d'Alpuget – Mediator: A biography of Sir Richard Kirby
• Zelda D'Aprano – Zelda: The becoming of a woman
• Fred Daly – From Curtin to Kerr
• John Edwards – Life Wasn't Meant to Be Easy: A political profile of Malcolm Fraser
• Paul Hasluck – Mucking About: An Autobiography

Awards and honours

Order of Australia

• Eleanor Dark appointed Officer of the Order of Australia (AO)[1]
• Colin Thiele appointed Companion of the Order of Australia (AC)[2]

Lifetime achievement

Award	Author
Patrick White Award	Sumner Locke Elliott

Literary

Award	Author	Title	Publisher
Colin Roderick Award	Alan Marshall[3]	The Complete Stories of Alan Marshall	Thomas Nelson
Miles Franklin Award	Ruth Park[4]	Swords and Crowns and Rings	Nelson Books

Children and Young Adult

Award	Category	Author	Title	Publisher
Children's Book of the Year Award	Older Readers	Eleanor Spence[5]	The October Child	Oxford University Press
Picture Book	No award

Poetry

Award	Author	Title	Publisher
Grace Leven Prize for Poetry	Robert Adamson[6]	Selected Poems	Angus & Robertson

Births

A list, ordered by date of birth (and, if the date is either unspecified or repeated, ordered alphabetically by surname) of births in 1977 of Australian literary figures, authors of written works or literature-related individuals follows, including year of death.

• 7 August — Patrick Holland, novelist and short story writer

Unknown date

• Jennifer Mills — novelist, short story writer and poet

Deaths

A list, ordered by date of death (and, if the date is either unspecified or repeated, ordered alphabetically by surname) of deaths in 1977 of Australian literary figures, authors of written works or literature-related individuals follows, including year of birth.

• 10 July – Alec Chisholm, journalist, ornithologist and encyclopaedist (born 1890)
• 22 August – Leon Gellert, poet (born 1892)
• 2 September – Pat Flower, playwright, television scriptwriter and crime novelist (born 1914)
• 12 September – Les Haylen, politician, playwright, novelist and journalist (born 1898)

See also

• 1977 in Australia
• 1977 in literature
• 1977 in poetry
• List of years in literature

References

1. "Full list for Order of Australia". Canberra Times (ACT : 1926 - 1995). 26 January 1977. p. 12. Retrieved 24 July 2018.
2. "Colin Milton Thiele". honours.pmc.gov.au. Retrieved 20 April 2019.
3. "Other Winners". www.jcu.edu.au. 15 November 2017. Retrieved 20 April 2019.
4. Eccleshare, Julia (7 January 2011). "Ruth Park obituary". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 20 April 2019.
5. Spence, Eleanor; Green, Malcolm (1977). The October child. Melbourne: Oxford University Press. ISBN 9780195505474.
6. "Adamson, Robert - Poet - Australian Poetry Library". www.poetrylibrary.edu.au. Retrieved 20 April 2019.