This article presents a list of the historical events and publications of Australian literature during 1977.
Events Ruth Park won the 1977 Miles Franklin Award for Swords and Crowns and Rings
Major publications Books Jon Cleary – High Road to China Sumner Locke Elliott – Water Under the Bridge Helen Garner – Monkey Grip Thomas Keneally – A Victim of the Aurora Colleen McCullough – The Thorn Birds Ruth Park – Swords and Crowns and Rings Amy Witting – The Visit
Short stories Frank Moorhouse – Tales of Mystery and Romance
Science fiction and fantasy A. Bertram Chandler The Far Traveller Star Courier Lee Harding – The Weeping Sky David Lake The Right Hand of Dextra The Wildings of Westron Cherry Wilder – The Luck of Brin's Five
Children's and young adult fiction Joan Phipson Hide Till Daytime Fly into Danger Eleanor Spence – A Candle for Saint Antony Patricia Wrightson – The Ice is Coming
Poetry Robert Adamson Cross The Border Selected Poems Graeme Curtis – At Last No Reply Nancy Keesing – Hails and Farewells Jennifer Maiden – Mortal Details Les Murray – Ethnic Radio John Tranter – Crying in Early Infancy: 100 Sonnets
Drama Dorothy Hewett – The Golden Oldies Louis Nowra – Inner Voices Patrick White – Big Toys David Williamson – The Club
Non-fiction Blanche d'Alpuget – Mediator: A Biography of Sir Richard Kirby Zelda D'Aprano – Zelda: The Becoming of a Woman Fred Daly – From Curtin to Kerr John Edwards – Life Wasn't Meant to Be Easy: A Political Profile of Malcolm Fraser Paul Hasluck – Mucking About: An Autobiography
Awards and honours
Order of Australia Eleanor Dark appointed Officer of the Order of Australia (AO) Colin Thiele appointed Companion of the Order of Australia (AC)
Lifetime achievement Award Author Christopher Brennan Award Gwen Harwood Patrick White Award Sumner Locke Elliott
Literary Award Author Title Publisher The Age Book of the Year Award No award ALS Gold Medal No award Colin Roderick Award Alan Marshall The Complete Stories of Alan Marshall Thomas Nelson
Fiction Award Author Title Publisher The Age Book of the Year Award No award Miles Franklin Award Ruth Park Swords and Crowns and Rings Nelson Books
Children and Young Adult Award Category Author Title PublisherChildren's Book of the Year Award Older Readers Eleanor Spence The October Child Oxford University Press Picture Book No award
Science fiction and fantasy Award Category Author Title Publisher Australian SF Achievement Award Best Australian Science Fiction David Lake Walkers on the Sky DAW Books
Poetry
Award Author Title PublisherAnne Elder Award Laurie Duggan East: Poems 1970-74 R. Kenny Graeme Curtis At Last No Reply Makar Press Grace Leven Prize for Poetry Robert Adamson Selected Poems Angus & Robertson
Drama
Award Author Title AWGIE Award for Stage Steve J. Spears The Elocution of Benjamin Franklin
Non-fiction Award Author Title Publisher The Age Book of the Year Award No award
Births A list, ordered by date of birth (and, if the date is either unspecified or repeated, ordered alphabetically by surname) of births in 1977 of Australian literary figures, authors of written works or literature-related individuals follows, including year of death.
7 August – Patrick Holland, novelist and short story writer
Unknown date Jennifer Mills – novelist, short story writer and poet
Deaths A list, ordered by date of death (and, if the date is either unspecified or repeated, ordered alphabetically by surname) of deaths in 1977 of Australian literary figures, authors of written works or literature-related individuals follows, including year of birth.
6 June – George Landen Dann, playwright (born 1904) 10 July – Alec Chisholm, journalist, ornithologist and encyclopaedist (born 1890) 22 August – Leon Gellert, poet (born 1892) 2 September – Pat Flower, playwright, television scriptwriter and crime novelist (born 1914) 12 September – Les Haylen, politician, playwright, novelist and journalist (born 1898)
See also 1977 in Australia 1977 in literature 1977 in poetry List of years in Australian literature List of years in literature
References