This article presents a list of the historical events and publications of Australian literature during 1954.
Events Charlotte Jay (pseudonym of Geraldine Halls) won the inaugural Edgar Allan Poe Award for Best Novel for Beat Not the Bones
Novels
James Aldridge – Heroes of the Empty View Jon Cleary – The Climate of Courage Miles Franklin – Cockatoos : A Story of Youth and Exodists Catherine Gaskin – Sara Dane T. A. G. Hungerford – Sowers of the Wind : A Novel of the Occupation of Japan Eric Lambert The Five Bright Stars The Veterans Eve Langley – White Topee Kenneth Mackenzie – The Refuge Alan Moorehead – A Summer Night E. V. Timms – The Fury Judah Waten – The Unbending
Crime and mystery
Arthur Upfield Death of a Lake Sinister Stones
Short stories
A. Bertram Chandler – "Shadow Before" David Martin – "Where a Man Belongs" John Morrison – "The Incense-Burner" Dal Stivens – "In the Depths" Judah Waten – "Well, What do You Say to My Boy?"
Children's and Young Adult fiction
Nan Chauncy – A Fortune for the Brave Joan Phipson – Six and Silver Norman B. Tindale & Harold Arthur Lindsay – The First Walkabout, illustrated by Madeleine Boyce
Poetry
Thea Astley – "Droving Man" Dorothy Auchterlonie – "The Tree" John Blight "Death of a Whale" "Rope" The Two Suns Met : Poems R. D. Fitzgerald "Beginnings" "Edge" Mary Gilmore – Fourteen Men : Verses A. D. Hope – "The Return of Persephone" Christopher Koch – "The Boy Who Dreamed the Country Night" James McAuley "New Guinea" "To the Holy Spirit" Kenneth Mackenzie – "An Old Inmate" David Rowbotham – "Mullabinda" Douglas Stewart – "Spider-Gums" Colin Thiele – "The Mushroomer" John Thompson – Thirty Poems Judith Wright "At Cooloolah" "Flying Fox on Barbed Wire" "The Two Fires"
Drama
Theatre James Workman – Eternal Night
Biography
Nevil Shute – Slide Rule : The Autobiography of an Engineer David Unaipon – My Life Story
Non-Fiction
Frank Clune – The Kelly Hunters Frank Clune and P. R. Stephensen – The Viking of Van Diemen's Land Vance Palmer – The Legend of the Nineties
Awards and honours
Literary
Award Author Title Publisher ALS Gold Medal Mary Gilmore Fourteen Men : Verses Angus and Robertson
Children's and Young Adult
Award Category Author Title Publisher Children's Book of the Year AwardAustlit - Australian Legendary Tales by K. Langloh Parker Older Readers K. Langloh Parker, edited by Henrietta Drake-Brockman,illustrated by Elizabeth Durack Australian Legendary Tales Angus and Robertson
Poetry
Award Author Title Publisher Grace Leven Prize for Poetry John Thompson Thirty Poems Edwards and Shaw
Births
A list, ordered by date of birth (and, if the date is either unspecified or repeated, ordered alphabetically by surname) of births in 1954 of Australian literary figures, authors of written works or literature-related individuals follows, including year of death.
12 January Brian Caswell, writer for children Lee Tulloch, novelist 26 March – Dorothy Porter, poet (died 2008) 21 May – Paul Collins, author and editor 17 June – Kerry Greenwood, novelist (died 2025) 5 July – Kevin Hart, poet 20 September – James Moloney, writer for children 1 November – Andrew Lansdown, poet 16 November – Anne Morgan, writer of children's books
Unknown date Russell Blackford, novelist and critic Rory Harris, poet Shane McCauley, poet Rosemary Sorensen, journalist, editor and critic
Deaths
A list, ordered by date of death (and, if the date is either unspecified or repeated, ordered alphabetically by surname) of deaths in 1954 of Australian literary figures, authors of written works or literature-related individuals follows, including year of birth.
16 May — Jack McLaren, novelist (born 1884) 28 June — Nancy Francis, poet, journalist and short story writer (born 1873) 19 September – Miles Franklin, novelist (born 1879) 2 November – Malcolm Afford, playwright and novelist (born 1906)
See also 1954 in Australia 1954 in literature 1954 in poetry List of years in Australian literature List of years in literature
References