This article presents a list of the historical events and publications of Australian literature during 1981.
Events Peter Carey won the 1981 Miles Franklin Award for Bliss
Major publications
Literary novels Peter Carey — Bliss Blanche d'Alpuget — Turtle Beach Sumner Locke Elliott — Signs of Life David Foster — Moonlite Miles Franklin — On Dearborn Street David Ireland — City of Women Elizabeth Jolley — The Newspaper of Claremont Street David Malouf — Child's Play Colleen McCullough — An Indecent Obsession Morris West — The Clowns of God
Crime and mystery Marshall Browne — Dragon Strike Peter Corris — White Meat
Science fiction and fantasy John Brosnan — Skyship David Lake — The Man Who Loved Morlocks Keith Taylor — Bard George Turner — Vaneglory
Children's and young adult fiction Jan Ormerod — Sunshine Ruth Park — The Muddle-Headed Wombat is Very Bad Eleanor Spence – The Seventh Pebble Colin Thiele — The Valley Between
Poetry Alan Gould — Astral Sea Gwen Harwood — The Lion's Bride Geoffrey Lehmann — Nero's Poems: Translations of the Public and Private Poems of the Emperor Nero
Drama Louis Nowra Inside The Island The Precious Woman
Non-fiction Albert Facey — A Fortunate Life Henry Reynolds — The Other Side of the Frontier Eric Charles Rolls — A Million Wild Acres Gavin Souter — A Company of Heralds Patrick White — Flaws in the Glass
Awards and honours Companion of the Order of Australia (AC) A. D. Hope
Member of the Order of Australia (AM) Dymphna Cusack Beatrice Deloitte Davis David Ireland Jack Lindsay Alan Marshall Stephen Murray-Smith Leslie Rees Ivan Southall Joan Woodberry
Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM) Walter W. Stone
Lifetime achievement award Award Author Christopher Brennan Award Not awarded Patrick White Award Dal Stivens
Literary Award Author Title Publisher The Age Book of the Year Award Eric Charles Rolls A Million Wild Acres Nelson ALS Gold Medal Not awarded Colin Roderick Award Gavin Souter A Company of Heralds Melbourne University Press
Fiction Award Author Title Publisher The Age Book of the Year Award Blanche d'Alpuget Turtle Beach PenguinThe Australian/Vogel Literary Award Chris Matthews Al Jazzar Allen & Unwin Tim Winton An Open Swimmer Allen & Unwin Miles Franklin Award Peter Carey Bliss Faber and Faber New South Wales Premier's Literary Awards Jessica Anderson The Impersonators Macmillan
Children and Young Adult Award Category Author Title PublisherChildren's Book of the Year Award Older Readers Ruth Park Playing Beatie Bow Nelson Books Picture Book Not awarded New South Wales Premier's Literary Awards Children's Book Award Ruth Park and Deborah Niland When the Wind Changed William Collins Special Children's Book Award Eleanor Spence The Seventh Pebble Oxford University Press
Science fiction and fantasy Award Category Author Title Publisher Australian SF Achievement Award Best Australian Science Fiction Damien Broderick The Dreaming Dragons Norstrilia Press
Poetry
Award Author Title PublisherAnne Elder Award Gig Ryan The Division of Anger Transit Press Jenny Boult The Hotel Anonymous Bent Enterprises Grace Leven Prize for Poetry Geoffrey Lehmann Nero's Poems: Translations of the Public and PrivatePoems of the Emperor Nero Angus & Robertson New South Wales Premier's Literary Awards Alan Gould Astral Sea Angus & Robertson
Non-fiction Award Author Title Publisher The Age Book of the Year Award Eric Charles Rolls A Million Wild Acres Nelson New South Wales Premier's Literary Awards A. B. Facey A Fortunate Life Manuscript version
Births A list, ordered by date of birth (and, if the date is either unspecified or repeated, ordered alphabetically by surname) of births in 1981 of Australian literary figures, authors of written works or literature-related individuals follows, including year of death.
7 April — Lili Wilkinson, author of young adult fiction
Unknown date Zana Fraillon, novelist for children and young adults Alice Pung, novelist and memoir writer, editor and lawyer
Deaths A list, ordered by date of death (and, if the date is either unspecified or repeated, ordered alphabetically by surname) of deaths in 1981 of Australian literary figures, authors of written works or literature-related individuals follows, including year of birth. 14 January — John O'Grady, writer, best known as Nino Culotta, author of They're a Weird Mob (born 1907) 29 March — Clive Sansom, poet and playwright (born 1910) 19 April — Louis Kaye, novelist and short story writer (born 1901) 29 April — Leonard Mann, poet and novelist (born 1895) 29 August — Wal Stone, book publisher, collector and supporter of Australian literature (born 1910)Stone, Jean (1988). The Passionate Bibliophile: The Story of Walter Stone, Australian Bookman Extraordinaire. Sydney: Angus & Robertson. . 19 October — Dymphna Cusack, novelist and playwright (born 1902)
Unknown date Edith Mary England, novelist and poet (born 1899) Ada Verdun Howell, author and poet (born 1902)
See also 1981 in Australia 1981 in literature 1981 in poetry List of years in literature List of years in Australian literature
References