This article presents a list of the historical events and publications of Australian literature during 1968.
Major publications Books Thea Astley – A Boat Load of Home Folk Kenneth Cook – The Wine of God's Anger Frank Dalby Davison – The White Thorntree Geoffrey Dutton – Andy David Ireland – The Chantic Bird Thomas Keneally – Three Cheers for the Paraclete Norman Lindsay – Rooms and Houses John O'Grady – Gone Troppo F. J. Thwaites – Sky Full of Thunder Morris West – The Tower of Babel
Short stories Louise Elizabeth Rorabacher – Aliens in Their Land : The Aborigine in the Australian Short Story (edited) Patrick White – "Five-Twenty" Michael Wilding – "Joe's Absence"
Science fiction and fantasy John Baxter – The Pacific Book of Australian Science Fiction (edited) A. Bertram Chandler – Spartan Planet (aka False Fatherland)
Children's and Young Adult fiction Margaret Balderson – When Jays Fly to Barbmo Nan Chauncy – Lizzie Lights Mavis Thorpe Clark – Spark of Opal Elyne Mitchell – Moon Filly Ruth Park – The Sixpenny Island Ivan Southall – Let the Balloon Go Joan Woodberry Ash Tuesday Come Back Peter Patricia Wrightson – I Own the Racecourse!
Poetry
David Campbell "The Australian Dream" Selected Poems 1942–1968 Bruce Dawe An Eye for a Tooth : Poems "Drifters" "Homecoming" Gwen Harwood – Poems : Volume Two Dorothy Hewett Windmill Country "The Witnesses" James McAuley – "Because" Randolph Stow – "The Singing Bones"
Drama David Williamson – The Indecent Exposure of Anthony East
Biography T. Inglis Moore – Rolf Boldrewood Colin Thiele – Heysen of Hahndorf
Non-fiction Gavin Souter – A Peculiar People : The Australians in Paraguay Margaret Fulton – The Margaret Fulton Cookbook
Awards and honours
Literary Award Author Title Publisher ALS Gold Medal No award Colin Roderick Award"Colin Roderick Award - Previous Winners", James Cook University Gavin Souter A Peculiar People : The Australians in Paraguay Angus and Robertson Miles Franklin AwardAustlit - Three Cheers for the Paraclete by Thomas Keneally Thomas Keneally Three Cheers for the Paraclete Angus and Robertson
Children and Young Adult Award Category Author Title PublisherChildren's Book of the Year Award Older Readers"Children's Book Week - Prizewinners", The Canberra Times, 6 July 1968, p13 Ivan Southall To the Wild Sky Angus and Robertson Picture Book No award
Poetry
Award Author Title Publisher Grace Leven Prize for Poetry David Campbell Selected Poems 1942–1968 Angus and 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 1968 of Australian literary figures, authors of written works or literature-related individuals follows, including year of death.
23 February — Sonya Hartnett, novelist 2 April — Sofie Laguna, novelist
Unknown date
Azhar Abidi, novelist (born in Wah, Pakistan) Anita Heiss, academic and critic James Roy, writer of young adult and children's fiction Chris Womersley, 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 1968 of Australian literary figures, authors of written works or literature-related individuals follows, including year of birth.
14 January – Dorothea Mackellar, poet (born 1885) 8 March — Henrietta Drake-Brockman, journalist and novelist (born 1901) 9 June – Bernard Cronin, novelist (born 1884)
See also 1968 in Australia 1968 in literature 1968 in poetry List of years in Australian literature List of years in literature
References