This article presents a list of the historical events and publications of Australian literature during 1986.
Events
Elizabeth Jolley won the 1986 Miles Franklin Award for The Well The Melbourne Writers Festival is held for the first time
Major publications
Novels Margaret Barbalet — Blood in the Rain Janine Burke — Second Sight Blanche d'Alpuget — Winter in Jerusalem Elizabeth Jolley — The Well Rod Jones — Julia Paradise John Macgregor — Propinquity Christina Stead — I'm Dying Laughing: The Humourist Alan Wearne — The Nightmarkets Morris West — Cassidy Tim Winton — That Eye, the Sky Patrick White — Memoirs of Many in One
Crime and mystery Peter Corris Deal Me Out The Greenwich Apartments Tony Kenrick — China White
Science fiction and fantasy George Turner — "Shut the Door When You Go Out" Cherry Wilder — The Summer's King
Short stories Janette Turner Hospital — Dislocations Joan London — Sister Ships and Other Stories Sally Morgan — "The Letter" Archie Weller — Going Home Tim Winton — "Swimming to Salvation"
Children's and young adult fiction Graeme Base — Animalia Hesba Fay Brinsmead — Someplace Beautiful Victor Kelleher — Taronga Doug MacLeod — Sister Madge's Book of Nuns Emily Rodda — Pigs Might Fly Gillian Rubinstein — Space Demons
Poetry Lily Brett — The Auschwitz Poems Robert Harris — The Cloud Passes Over Susan Hampton and Kate Llewellyn – The Penguin Book of Australian Women Poets (edited) Philip Hodgins — Blood and Bone Rhyll McMaster — Washing the Money : Poems with Photographs Philip Neilson — The Penguin Book of Australian Satirical Verse (edited) Jan Owen — Boy with a Telescope John A. Scott — St. Clair: Three Narratives
Drama Michael Gow — Away
Non-fiction Gillian Bouras — A Foreign Wife Robert Hughes — The Fatal Shore Kylie Tennant — The Missing Heir
Awards and honours Geoffrey Serle , for "service to scholarship and literature, particularly in the field of Australian history" Nicholas Hasluck , for "service to literature" Dorothy Hewett , for "service to literature" Barbara Jefferis , for "service to literature" Grace Perry , for "service to Australian literature, particularly as editor of Poetry Australia" Russel Ward , for "service to literature, particularly in the field of Australian history"
Lifetime achievement Award Author Christopher Brennan Award Not awarded Patrick White Award John Morrison
Literary awards Award Author Title Publisher The Age Book of the Year Award Joan London Sister Ships and Other Stories Fremantle Press ALS Gold Medal Thea Astley Beachmasters Penguin Books Colin Roderick Award Fr Tom Boland James Duhig University of Queensland Press
Fiction awards Award Author Title Publisher Adelaide Festival Awards for Literature Helen Garner The Children's Bach McPhee Gribble The Age Book of the Year Award Joan London Sister Ships and Other Stories Fremantle Press The Australian/Vogel Literary Award Robin Walton Glace Fruits Allen and Unwin Miles Franklin Award Elizabeth Jolley The Well Viking Press New South Wales Premier's Literary Awards Helen Garner Postcards from Surfers McPhee Gribble Victorian Premier's Literary Awards Peter Carey Illywhacker University of Queensland Press Western Australian Premier's Book Awards Peter Cowan The Colour of the Sky Fremantle Arts Centre Press
Children and Young Adult Award Category Author Title Publisher Adelaide Festival Awards for Literature Children's Ivan Southall The Long Night Watch Methuen PublishingChildren's Book of the Year Award Older Readers Thurley Fowler The Green Wind Rigby Picture Book Terry Denton Felix & Alexander Oxford University Press New South Wales Premier's Literary Awards Young People's Literature James Aldridge The True Story of Spit MacPhee Viking/Penguin Books Australia
Science fiction and fantasy Award Category Author Title Publisher Australian SF Achievement Award Best Australian Science Fiction Peter Carey Illywhacker University of Queensland Press
Poetry
Award Author Title Publisher Adelaide Festival Awards for Literature Robert Gray Selected Poems 1963-1983 Angus and Robertson Anne Elder Award Jan Owen Boy with Telescope Angus and Robertson Grace Leven Prize for Poetry Rhyll McMaster Washing the Money : Poems with Photographs Angus and Robertson Mary Gilmore Award Stephen J. Williams A Crowd of Voices Pariah Press New South Wales Premier's Literary Awards Robert Gray Selected Poems 1963-1983 Angus & RobertsonVictorian Premier's Literary Awards Rhyll McMaster Washing the Money : Poems with Photographs Angus & Robertson John A. Scott St. Clair University of Queensland Press
Drama
Award Category Author TitleNew South Wales Premier's Literary Awards Script Peter Carey & Ray Lawrence Bliss Play Michael Gow Away Victorian Premier's Literary Awards Drama Janis Balodis Too Young for Ghosts
Non-fiction Award Author Title Publisher Adelaide Festival Awards for Literature R. M. Gibbs A History of Prince Alfred College Peacock Publications The Age Book of the Year Award Garry Kinnane George Johnston: A Biography NelsonNew South Wales Premier's Literary Awards George Munster A Paper Prince Viking Phillip Pepper with Tess De Araugo The Kurnai of Gippsland, Volume One Hyland House Victorian Premier's Literary Awards John Bryson Evil Angels Viking
Births A list, ordered by date of birth (and, if the date is either unspecified or repeated, ordered alphabetically by surname) of births in 1986 of Australian literary figures, authors of written works or literature-related individuals follows, including year of death.
23 August — Jack Heath, writer of fiction for children and adults
Deaths A list, ordered by date of death (and, if the date is either unspecified or repeated, ordered alphabetically by surname) of deaths in 1986 of Australian literary figures, authors of written works or literature-related individuals follows, including year of birth.
2 March — Margaret Trist, novelist and short story writer (born 1914) 27 September — Olga Masters, writer, journalist, novelist and short story writer (born 1919) 10 November — Laurence Collinson, British and Australian playwright, actor, poet, journalist, and secondary school teacher (born 1925)
See also 1986 in Australia 1986 in literature 1986 in poetry List of years in literature List of years in Australian literature
References