AUSTRALIAN LITERATURE

Australia’s literary tradition begins with the arrival of The British Colonies in Australia; therefore it is enormously linked to the English literature. 

First inhabitants of Australia had a big oral tradition which they used to entertain and spread their sacred mythology and ordinary tales and stories. When the British arrived in Australia they started writing about everything and Australia’s Aborigines started to imitate them. However, the British did not sit down and write long novels, they only looked around and were amazed by the beautiful land that were standing in and they wanted to document it and write home about their experiences in there. That is believed to be the beginnings of Australian literature. Then, the Colonial experience became a popular subject and many writers became to write about it. 

The 20th and 21st century produced greater sophistication and diversity among writers. In this blog we will present four of the most important Australian writers in those centuries:

1) Let’s start by Henry Handel Richardson (pseud. of Ethel Richardson Robertson), who being female, took a male name because at that time women’s writings were not taken seriously. Her famous autobiographical trilogy, The Fortunes of Richard Mahoney (1930), presents a compelling portrait of Australian life. This novel is recognised to be one of the greatest novels in the English language. 

2) Patrick White is regarded as one of the most important English-language novelists of the 20th century. His strong, somber novels reveal the author's talent and expertise in writing. White received the Nobel Prize in 1973,

becoming the first and only Australian to have ever been awarded a prize. 

3) Thomas Michael Keneally is best known for being the author of the novel Schindler's Ark which won the Man Booker Prize for Fiction in 1982. His book was made into a film titled Schindler's List in 1993 directed by Steven Spielberg, earning the director his first Best Director Oscar.

4) Tara June Winch is a writer of Aboriginal and European descent. Tara’s first book, Swallow the Air, won several major Australian literary awards. She is a contemporary writer who is thought to have a bright future in the literary tradition of Australia.