1973 in Australian literature

Literature-related events in Australia during 1973

This article presents a list of the historical events and publications of Australian literature during 1973.

Events

Patrick White is awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature, becoming the first, and so far only, Australian writer to be presented with the award.^[1]

Major publications

Books

Kit Denton – The Breaker : A Novel
Hammond Innes – Golden Soak
Morris Lurie – Rappaport's Revenge
Christina Stead – The Little Hotel
Morris West – The Salamander
Patrick White – The Eye of the Storm

Short stories

Murray Bail – "Zoeliner's Definition"
Elizabeth Jolley – "Another Holiday for the Prince"
Frank Moorhouse
- "The Airport, the Pizzeria, the Motel, the Rented Car, and the Mysteries of Life"
- The Illegal Relatives
Fay Zwicky – "Hostages"

Children's and Young Adult fiction

James Aldridge – A Sporting Proposition
Mavis Thorpe Clark – Wildfire
Max Fatchen – The Spirit Wind
Elyne Mitchell – Silver Brumby Whirlwind
Mary Elwyn Patchett – A Roar of the Lion
Ivan Southall – Matt and Jo
Eleanor Spence – Time to Go Home
Colin Thiele – The Fire in the Stone
Patricia Wrightson – The Nargun and the Stars

Poetry

Rosemary Dobson – Selected Poems
A. D. Hope
- "Hay Fever"
- Selected Poems
Roger McDonald – "Two Summers in Moravia"
Peter Porter – Jonah
Vivian Smith – "The Man Fern Near the Bus Stop"
Judith Wright – Alice : Poems 1971-72

Drama

Peter Kenna – A Hard God
John Powers – The Last of the Knucklemen^[2]

Awards and honours

Literary

Award	Author	Title	Publisher
ALS Gold Medal^[3]	Francis Webb
Colin Roderick Award^[4]	Dorothy Green	Ulysses Bound: Henry Handel Richardson and Her Fiction	Australian National University Press
Miles Franklin Award^[5]	No award

Children and Young Adult

Award	Category	Author	Title	Publisher
Children's Book of the Year Award	Older Readers^[6]	Noreen Shelley, illustrated by Robert Micklewright	Family at The Lookout	Oxford University Press
Children's Book of the Year Award	Picture Book^[6]	No award

Poetry

Award	Author	Title	Publisher
Grace Leven Prize for Poetry^[7]	Rodney Hall	A Soapbox Omnibus	University of Queensland Press

Births

A list, ordered by date of birth (and, if the date is either unspecified or repeated, ordered alphabetically by surname) of births in 1973 of Australian literary figures, authors of written works or literature-related individuals follows, including year of death.

18 March — Max Barry, novelist^[8]
26 October — Chloe Hooper, author^[9]
12 November — Jay Kristoff, fantasy and science fiction writer^[10]

Deaths

A list, ordered by date of death (and, if the date is either unspecified or repeated, ordered alphabetically by surname) of deaths in 1973 of Australian literary figures, authors of written works or literature-related individuals follows, including year of birth.

20 April – Michael Dransfield, poet (born 1948)^[11]
24 July — Isabel Mary Mitchell, novelist (born 1893)^[12]
25 July – Gina Ballantyne, poet (born 1919)^[13]
30 September — Doris Egerton Jones, novelist (born 1889)^[14]
24 October — Pat Hanna, dramatist (born 1888)^[15]
11 November — Jim Crawford, playwright (born 1908)^[16]
23 November – Francis Webb, poet (born 1925)^[17]

References

^ "Nobel Prize in Literature 1973". Nobel Foundation. Retrieved 17 October 2008.
^ "Austlit — The Last of the Knucklemen by John Powers". Austlit. Retrieved 13 May 2024.
^ Austlit — ALS Gold Medal
^ "Colin Roderick Award - Previous Winners", James Cook University
^ "Austlit — Miles Franklin Literary Award (1957-)". Austlit. Retrieved 25 August 2023.
^ ^a ^b "The Judges' Report", The Canberra Times, 7 July 1973, p11
^ Austlit - A Soapbox Omnibus by Rodney Hall
^ "Austlit — Max Barry". Austlit. Retrieved 25 August 2023.
^ "Austlit — Chloe Hooper". Austlit. Retrieved 25 August 2023.
^ "Austlit — Jay Kristoff". Austlit. Retrieved 25 August 2023.
^ "Dransfield, Michael John (1948–1973) by Patricia Dobrez". Australian Dictionary of Biography. Retrieved 25 August 2023.
^ "Mitchell, Isabel Mary (1893–1973) by E. M. Finlay". Australian Dictionary of Biography. Retrieved 1 September 2023.
^ "Gina Ballantyne". AustLit: Discover Australian Stories. The University of Queensland. Retrieved 8 July 2023.
^ "Jones, Doris Egerton (1889–1973) by Suzanne Edgar". Australian Dictionary of Biography. Retrieved 25 August 2023.
^ "Hanna, George Patrick (Pat) (1888–1973) by Mimi Colligan". Australian Dictionary of Biography. Retrieved 23 August 2023.
^ "James (Jim) Crawford (1908–1973) by Connie Healy". Australian Dictionary of Biography. Retrieved 13 November 2023.
^ "Webb, Francis Charles (1925–1973) by H. P. Heseltine". Australian Dictionary of Biography. Retrieved 25 August 2023.