This article presents a list of the historical events and publications of Australian literature during 1951.
Events 18 June – Frank Hardy is acquitted of criminal libel in the state of Victoria over his self-published 1950 roman à clef on corruption in Melbourne political life, Power Without Glory
Books Dymphna Cusack – Say No to Death Dymphna Cusack and Florence James – Come In Spinner Eric Lambert – The Twenty Thousand Thieves Kenneth Mackenzie – Dead Men Rising Ruth Park – The Witch's Thorn Nevil Shute – Round the Bend Dal Stivens – Jimmy Brockett F. J. Thwaites – The Dark Abyss E. V. Timms – The Valleys Beyond Arthur Upfield – The New Shoe
Short stories Henrietta Drake-Brockman & Walter Murdoch – Australian Short Stories (edited) Frank Hardy – The Man from Clinkapella and Other Prize-Winning Stories T. A. G. Hungerford – "The Only One Who Forgot" David Rowbotham – "A Schoolie and a Ghost" Judah Waten – "Read Politics, Son" Judith Wright – "The Ant-Lion"
Poetry
John Blight – "The Oyster-Eaters" David Campbell – "Windy Gap" Rosemary Dobson – "Detail from an Annunciation by Crivelli" W. E. Harney – "West of Alice" A. D. Hope – "The Brides" Rex Ingamells – The Great South Land : An Epic Poem Nancy Keesing – Imminent Summer Christopher Koch – "Half-Heard" Eve Langley – "Australia" Kenneth Mackenzie – "Caesura" Ray Mathew With Cypress Pine "Young Man's Fancy" Hal Porter – "Sheep" Elizabeth Riddell – "Forebears : The Map" Roland Robinson "I Had No Human Speech" "Rock-Lily" "The Tank" Douglas Stewart "Mahony's Mountain" "The Sunflowers" Judith Wright – "Eroded Hills"
Biography Paul Brickhill The Dam Busters The Great Escape
Drama
Radio Henry P. Schoenheimer – Wilbur Wasn't Quite Perfect
Theatre Sumner Locke Elliott – Buy Me Blue Ribbons
Awards and honours
Literary Award Author Title Publisher ALS Gold Medal Rex Ingamells The Great South Land : An Epic Poem Georgian House
Children's and Young Adult Award Category Author Title Publisher Children's Book of the Year Award"Prizewinner for Children", The Sydney Herald, 5 August 1951, p11 Older Readers Ruth C. Williams, illustrated by Rhys Williams Verity of Sydney Town Angus and Robertson
Poetry Award Author Title Publisher Grace Leven Prize for PoetryAustlit - The Great South Land by Rex Ingamells Rex Ingamells The Great South Land : An Epic Poem Georgian House
Births A list, ordered by date of birth (and, if the date is either unspecified or repeated, ordered alphabetically by surname) of births in 1951 of Australian literary figures, authors of written works or literature-related individuals follows, including year of death.
18 January – Sally Morgan, author and dramatist 22 January – Steve J. Spears, playwright (died 2007) 2 May – Valerie Parv, romance novelist (died 2021) 24 July – Robert Hood, novelist 29 August – Janeen Webb, writer, critic and editor, mainly in the field of science fiction and fantasy 12 October – Peter Goldsworthy, novelist 16 November – Hazel Rowley, biographer (died 2011) 25 November – Van Ikin, academic and editor
Unknown date Peter Boyle, poet Peter Craven, literary critic Susan Duncan, author and journalist (died 2024) Stephen Edgar, poet and editor Robert Harris, poet (died 1993) Mark Henshaw, novelist Jill Jones, poet Pi O, poet (in Greece)
Deaths A list, ordered by date of death (and, if the date is either unspecified or repeated, ordered alphabetically by surname) of deaths in 1951 of Australian literary figures, authors of written works or literature-related individuals follows, including year of birth.
18 April – Daisy Bates, journalist (born 1859) 25 June – Arthur Gask, novelist (born 1869) 3 July – Sydney Jephcott, poet (born 1864) 4 November — Bartlett Adamson, journalist, poet, writer and political activist (born 1884) 16 December – Percival Serle, biographer and bibliographer (born 1871)
See also 1951 in Australia 1951 in literature 1951 in poetry List of years in Australian literature List of years in literature
References