1980 in Australian literature

This article presents a list of the historical events and publications of Australian literature during 1980.

Events

• The Australian/Vogel Literary Award: Inaugural award to Archie Weller, The Day Of The Dog; the award was initially given to Paul Radley, who, in 1996, admitted that his manuscript was actually written by his uncle.[1]
• Jessica Anderson won the 1980 Miles Franklin Award for The Impersonators

Major publications

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Books

• Jessica Anderson – The Impersonators
• Peter Corris – The Dying Trade
• Shirley Hazzard – The Transit of Venus
• Elizabeth Jolley – Palomino

Short story collections

• Helen Garner – Honour & Other People's Children

Children's and Young Adult fiction

• Mavis Thorpe Clark – A Stranger Came to the Mine
• Robert Ingpen — The Voyage of the Poppykettle
• Ruth Park — Playing Beatie Bow

Poetry

• Judith Rodriguez – Mudcrab at Gambaro's
• Philip Salom – The Silent Piano
• Chris Wallace-Crabbe, editor, The Golden Apples of the Sun: Twentieth Century Australian Poetry (anthology)

Drama

• Louis Nowra – Beauty and the Beast
• Steve J. Spears – The Time of the Bodgie
• David Williamson – Celluloid Heroes

Non-fiction

• Robyn Davidson – Tracks
• Clive James – Unreliable Memoirs

Awards and honours

• Kylie Tennant – Officer of the Order of Australia (AO)
• Max Fatchen – Member of the Order of Australia (AM)
• Marjorie Barnard – Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM)
• Patsy Adam-Smith – Officer of the British Empire (OBE)

Lifetime achievement

Award	Author
Patrick White Award	Bruce Dawe[2]

Literary

Award	Author	Title	Publisher
Colin Roderick Award	Allan Grocott	Convicts, Clergymen and Churches: Attitudes of convicts and ex-convicts towards the churches and clergy in New South Wales from 1788-1851	Sydney University Press
Miles Franklin Award[3]	Jessica Anderson	The Impersonators	Macmillan

Children and Young Adult

Award	Category	Author	Title	Publisher
Children's Book of the Year Award[4]	Older Readers	Lee Harding	Displaced Person	Hyland House
Picture Book	Peter Pavey	One Dragon's Dream	Nelson Australia

Poetry

Award	Author	Title	Publisher
Grace Leven Prize for Poetry	Les Murray	The Boys Who Stole the Funeral	Angus & Robertson
Kenneth Slessor Prize for Poetry	David Campbell	Man in the Honeysuckle

Births

A list, ordered by date of birth (and, if the date is either unspecified or repeated, ordered alphabetically by surname) of births in 1980 of Australian literary figures, authors of written works or literature-related individuals follows, including year of death.

• 7 July – Brooke Davis, novelist

Unknown date

• Elizabeth Campbell, poet
• Ceridwen Dovey, 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 1980 of Australian literary figures, authors of written works or literature-related individuals follows, including year of birth.

• 2 September – Frederick Macartney, poet and critic (born 1887)
• 3 February – Marnie Bassett, historian and biographer (born 1889)

See also

• 1980 in Australia
• 1980 in literature
• 1980 in poetry
• List of years in literature
• List of years in Australian literature

References

1. "Australian of the Year Awards".
2. "Brisbane Writers Festival – Bruce Dawe". Brisbane Writers Festival. Archived from the original on 6 August 2007. Retrieved 23 May 2019.
3. "In Brief: Novelist wins second award". The Canberra Times. 55 (16, 687). Australian Capital Territory, Australia. 4 June 1981. p. 3. Retrieved 23 May 2019 – via National Library of Australia.
4. "Children's". The Canberra Times. 54 (16, 361). Australian Capital Territory, Australia. 12 July 1980. p. 13. Retrieved 23 May 2019 – via National Library of Australia.