This article presents a list of the historical events and publications of Australian literature during 1990.
Events
Tom Flood won the Miles Franklin Award for Oceana Fine
Major publications
Novels Glenda Adams — Longleg Thea Astley — Reaching Tin River Lily Brett — Things Could Be Worse Sumner Locke Elliott — Fairyland Sonya Hartnett — The Glass House Susan Johnson – Flying Lessons Elizabeth Jolley — Cabin Fever Nigel Krauth – JF Was Here David Malouf — The Great World Colleen McCullough — The First Man in Rome Mandy Sayer — Mood Indigo Sam Watson – The Kadaitcha Sung Morris West — Lazarus
Crime and mystery Jon Cleary — Murder Song Peter Corris — O'Fear Kerry Greenwood — Flying Too High Alex Juniper — A Very Proper Death Jennifer Maiden — Play with Knives Finola Moorhead — Still Murder Kel Richards — The Case of the Vanishing Corpse
Science fiction and fantasy A. Bertram Chandler — From Sea to Shining Star Greg Egan "Axiomatic" "Eugene" "Learning to Be Me" "The Moral Virologist" "The Safe-Deposit Box" Lucy Sussex — "Red Ochre" George Turner — A Pursuit of Miracles: Eight Stories
Children's and young adult fiction Isobelle Carmody — The Farseekers Gary Crew — Strange Objects Garth Nix — The Ragwitch Emily Rodda — Finders Keepers Tim Winton — Lockie Leonard, Human Torpedo
Poetry Lee Cataldi — Women Who Live on the Ground: Poems, 1978-1988 Jean Kent — Verandahs Jennifer Maiden — The Winter Baby Les Murray — Dog Fox Field Jan Owen — Fingerprints on Light
Drama Hannie Rayson — Hotel Sorrento David Williamson — Siren
Non-fiction Beverley Farmer — A Body of Water Gwen Harwood — Blessed City: The Letters of Gwen Harwood to Thomas Riddell, January to September 1943 Dorothy Hewett — Wild Card
Awards and honours Yasmine Gooneratne , for "service to literature and to education" Harry Payne Heseltine , for "service to education, particularly in the field of Australian literature" Rodney Hall (writer) , for "service to the arts, particularly in the field of Australian literature" Andrew Taylor (poet) , for "service to the arts, particularly in the field of Australian literature" Elyne Mitchell , for "service to children's literature"
Lifetime achievement Award Author Christopher Brennan Award Not awarded Patrick White Award Robert Gray
Literary Award Author Title Publisher The Age Book of the Year Award Gwen Harwood Blessed City Angus and Robertson ALS Gold Medal Peter Porter Possible Worlds Oxford University Press Colin Roderick Award Roland Griffiths-Marsh The Sixpenny Soldier Angus and Robertson
Fiction
International
Award Category Author Title Publisher Commonwealth Writers' Prize Best Novel, SE Asia and South Pacific region Robert Drewe The Bay of Contented Men Picador
National Award Author Title Publisher Adelaide Festival Awards for Literature Peter Carey Oscar and Lucinda University of Queensland Press The Age Book of the Year Award Glenda Adams Longleg Angus & RobertsonThe Australian/Vogel Literary Award Gillian Mears The Mint Law Allen and Unwin Michael Stephens Sibling Mischief Allen and Unwin Miles Franklin Award Tom Flood Oceana Fine Allen & Unwin New South Wales Premier's Literary Awards Thea Astley Reaching Tin River William Heinemann Australia Victorian Premier's Literary Awards Tom Flood Oceana Fine Allen & Unwin Western Australian Premier's Book Awards Vasso Kalamaras The Same Light Fremantle Arts Centre Press
Poetry
Award Author Title Publisher Adelaide Festival Awards for Literature Gwen Harwood Bone Scan Angus & RobertsonAnne Elder Award Jean Kent Vernadahs Hale & Iremonger Barry Hill Raft: Poems 1983-1990 Penguin Grace Leven Prize for Poetry Not awarded Mary Gilmore Award Kristopher Rassemussen In the Name of the Father False Frontiers New South Wales Premier's Literary Awards Robert Adamson The Clean Dark Paper Bark Press Victorian Premier's Literary Awards Robert Adamson The Clean Dark Paper Bark Press
Children and Young Adult Award Category Author Title Publisher Adelaide Festival Awards for Literature Children's Gillian Rubinstein Beyond the Labyrinth Hyland HouseChildren's Book of the Year Award Older Readers Robin Klein Came Back to Show You I Could Fly Viking Books Picture Book Margaret Wild & Julie Vivas The Very Best of Friends Margaret Hamilton New South Wales Premier's Literary Awards Young People's Literature Katherine Scholes The Blue Chameleon Hill of Content Victorian Premier's Prize for Young Adult Fiction Diana Kidd Onion Tears Collins
Science fiction and fantasy Award Category Author Title Publisher Australian SF Achievement Award Best Australian Long Fiction Wynne Whiteford Lake of the Sun Ace Best Australian Short Fiction Terry Dowling "The Quiet Redemption of Andy the House" Australian Short Stories #26
Drama
Award Category Author TitleNew South Wales Premier's Literary AwardsFilmScript Jane Campion and Gerard Lee Sweetie Laura Jones An Angel at My Table Play Not awarded Victorian Premier's Literary Awards Drama Sam Sejavka The Hive
Non-fiction Award Author Title Publisher Adelaide Festival Awards for Literature John Bray Satura Wakefield Press The Age Book of the Year Award Gwen Harwood Blessed City Angus and Robertson New South Wales Premier's Literary Awards Siobhan McHugh The Snowy William Heinemann Australia Victorian Premier's Literary Awards Oskar Spate The Sixpenny Soldier 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 1990 of Australian literary figures, authors of written works or literature-related individuals follows, including year of death.
Unknown date Ellen van Neerven, Indigenous Australian 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 1990 of Australian literary figures, authors of written works or literature-related individuals follows, including year of birth. 8 March — Jack Lindsay, novelist, biographer, historian and literary critic (born 1900) 15 April — William Hart-Smith, poet (born 1911) 21 June — Martin Johnston, poet and novelist (born 1947) 30 September — Patrick White, novelist, playwright and short story writer (born 1912)
See also 1990 in Australia 1990 in literature 1990 in poetry List of years in literature List of years in Australian literature
References