2009 in Australian literature

This article presents a list of the historical events and publications of Australian literature during 2009.

Events

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  • HarperCollins takes over ABC Books – the publishing arm of the Australian Broadcasting Corporation.[1]
  • Caro Llewellyn, resigns as director of the new Centre for Books, Writing and Ideas (now called the Wheeler Centre) in Melbourne before taking up the role.[2] Chrissy Sharp, the Australian general manager of Sadler's Wells Theatre in London, is appointed to take her place.[3]
  • The Australia-Asia Literary Award, based in Western Australia, is suspended.[4]

Major publications

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Literary fiction

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Children's and Young Adult fiction

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Crime and Mystery

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Romance

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  • Michelle Douglas – The Aristocrat and The Single Mom[31]
  • Nicola Marsh – Two Weeks in the Magnate's Bed[32]
  • Katherine ScholesThe Hunter's Wife[33]
  • Maxine Sullivan – Valente's Baby[34]

Science Fiction and Fantasy

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Drama

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Poetry

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Biographies

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Awards and honours

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Lifetime achievement

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Award Author
Christopher Brennan Award[63] Jennifer Strauss
Melbourne Prize for Literature[64] Gerald Murnane
Patrick White Award[65] Beverley Farmer

Literary

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Award Author Title Publisher
The Age Book of the Year[66] Steven Amsterdam Things We Didn't See Coming Sleepers Publishing
ALS Gold Medal[67] Christos Tsiolkas The Slap Allen & Unwin
Colin Roderick Award[68] Graham Freudenberg Churchill and Australia Pan Macmillan
James Boyce Van Diemen's Land Black Inc
Indie Book Awards Book of the Year[69] Craig Silvey Jasper Jones Allen & Unwin
Nita Kibble Literary Award[70] Jacqueline Kent An Exacting Heart: The Story of Hephzibah Menuhin Viking

Fiction

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International

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Award Region Category Author Title Publisher
Commonwealth Writers' Prize[71] SE Asia and South Pacific Best Novel Christos Tsiolkas The Slap Allen & Unwin
Overall winner Best Novel Christos Tsiolkas The Slap Allen & Unwin

National

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Award Author Title Publisher
Adelaide Festival Awards for Literature[72] Not awarded
The Age Book of the Year Award[73] Steven Amsterdam Things We Didn't See Coming Sleepers Publishing
The Australian/Vogel Literary Award[74] Lisa Lang Utopian Man Allen & Unwin
Kristel Thornell Night Street Allen & Unwin
Barbara Jefferis Award[75] Helen Garner The Spare Room Text Publishing
Indie Book Awards Book of the Year – Fiction[69] Craig Silvey Jasper Jones Allen & Unwin
Indie Book Awards Book of the Year – Debut Fiction[69] Sonia Orchard The Virtuoso Fourth Estate
Miles Franklin Award[76] Tim Winton Breath Random House
Prime Minister's Literary Award[77] Nam Le The Boat Hamish Hamilton
New South Wales Premier's Literary Awards Joan London The Good Parents Hamish Hamilton
Queensland Premier's Literary Awards Richard Flanagan Wanting Random House
Victorian Premier's Literary Award Christos Tsiolkas The Slap Allen & Unwin

Children and Young Adult

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National

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Award Category Author Title Publisher
Children's Book of the Year Award Older Readers Shaun Tan Tales from Outer Suburbia Allen & Unwin
Younger Readers Glenda Millard, illus. Stephen Michael King Perry Angel's Suitcase ABC Books
Picture Book Kylie Dunstan Collecting Colour Lothian
Early Childhood Bob Graham How to Heal a Broken Wing Walker Books
Davitt Award Young Adult Novel Catherine Jinks Genius Squad Allen & Unwin
Indie Book Awards Book of the Year[69] Children's & YA Sally Murphy & Heather Potter (Illus) Pearl Verses The World Walker Books
New South Wales Premier's Literary Awards Children's Ursula Dubosarsky and Tohby Riddle The Word Spy Penguin
Young People's Michelle Cooper A Brief History of Montmaray Random House Australia
Queensland Premier's Literary Awards Children's Gaye Chapman Little Blue Little Hare Books
Young Adult Glenda Millard A Small Free Kiss in the Dark Allen & Unwin
South Australian Premier's Awards Children's Not awarded
Victorian Premier's Literary Award Young Adult Fiction Sue Saliba Something in the World Called Love Penguin
Western Australian Premier's Book Awards Children's Bob Graham How to Heal a Broken Wing Walker Books
Writing for Young Adults Shaun Tan Tales from Outer Suburbia Allen & Unwin

Crime and Mystery

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National

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Award Category Author Title Publisher
Davitt Award[78] Novel Malla Nunn A Beautiful Place to Die Pan Macmillan
Young adult novel Catherine Jinks Genius Squad Allen & Unwin
True crime Chloe Hooper The Tall Man Penguin
Readers' choice Katherine Howell The Darkest Hour Pan Macmillan
Ned Kelly Award[79] Novel Peter Corris Deep Water Allen & Unwin
Kel Robertson Smoke and Mirrors Ginninderra Press
First novel Nick Gadd Ghostlines Scribe
True crime Chloe Hooper The Tall Man Penguin
Lifetime achievement Shane Maloney

Science Fiction and Fantasy

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International

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Award Category Author Title Publisher
World Fantasy Award[80] Best Novel Margo Lanagan Tender Morsels Knopf

National

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Award Category Author Title Publisher
Aurealis Award SF Novel Andrew McGahan Wonders of a Godless World Allen & Unwin
SF Short Story Peter M. Ball "Clockwork, Patchwork and Ravens" Apex Magazine
Fantasy Novel Trudi Canavan The Magician's Apprentice Orbit Books
Fantasy Short Story Christopher Green "Father's Kill" Beneath Ceaseless Skies
Ian McHugh "Once a Month, On a Sunday" Andromeda Spaceways Inflight Magazine
Horror Novel Honey Brown Red Queen Penguin Books
Horror Short Story Paul Haines "Slice of Life – A Spot of Liver" The Mayne Press
Paul Haines "Wives" Coeur de Lion Publishing (X6)
Ditmar Award[81] Novel Margo Lanagan Tender Morsels Allen & Unwin
Novella/Novelette Kirstyn McDermott "Painlessness" Greatest Uncommon Denominator
Short Story Margo Lanagan "The Goosle" The Del Rey Book of Science Fiction and Fantasy
Collected Work ed. Jack Dann Dreaming Again Voyager
Shadows Award Kaaron Warren Slights Angry Robot

Poetry

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Award Author Title Publisher
Adelaide Festival Awards for Literature[72] Not awarded
The Age Book of the Year Peter Porter Better Than God Picador
Anne Elder Award[82] Emma Jones The Striped World Faber and Faber
Grace Leven Prize for Poetry[83] Not awarded
Mary Gilmore Prize[84] Not awarded
New South Wales Premier's Literary Awards L. K. Holt Man Wolf Man John Leonard Press
Queensland Premier's Literary Awards Emma Jones The Striped World Faber
Victorian Premier's Literary Award Robert Adamson The Golden Bird Black Inc.
Western Australian Premier's Book Awards Kate Middleton Fire Season Giramondo Publishing

Drama

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Award Author Title Publisher
Patrick White Playwrights' Award Ian Wilding Forever Seven

Non-Fiction

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Award Category Author Title Publisher
Adelaide Festival Awards for Literature[72] Non-Fiction Not awarded
The Age Book of the Year Non-fiction Guy Rundle Down to the Crossroads Penguin Books
Indie Book Awards Book of the Year[69] Non-Fiction Chloe Hooper The Tall Man: Death and Life on Palm Island Hamish Hamilton
Children's Book of the Year Award Eve Pownall Award for Information Books Lincoln Hall Alive in the Death Zone Random House
Davitt Award True crime Chloe Hooper The Tall Man: Death and Life on Palm Island Hamish Hamilton
National Biography Award[85] Biography Ann Blainey I Am Melba Black Inc.
Prime Minister's Literary Awards Non-fiction Evelyn Juers House of Exile: The Life and Times of Heinrich Mann and Nelly-Kroeger Mann Giramondo Publishing
Marilyn Lake and Henry Reynolds Drawing the Global Colour Line Melbourne University Press
New South Wales Premier's Literary Awards Non-fiction Chloe Hooper The Tall Man: Death and Life on Palm Island Hamish Hamilton
New South Wales Premier's History Awards Australian History Robin Gerster Travels in Atomic Sunshine: Australia and the Occupation of Japan Scribe
Community and Regional History David Bollen Up on the Hill: A History of St Patrick's College UNSW Press
General History Warwick Anderson The Collectors of Lost Souls: Turning Kuru Scientists into Whitemen Johns Hopkins University Press
Young People's Anthony Hill Captain Cook's Apprentice Penguin Books
Queensland Premier's Literary Awards Non-fiction Chloe Hooper The Tall Man: Death and Life on Palm Island Hamish Hamilton
History Jill Roe Stella Miles Franklin Fourth Estate
Victorian Premier's Literary Award Non-fiction Chloe Hooper The Tall Man: Death and Life on Palm Island Hamish Hamilton
Western Australian Premier's Book Awards Non-fiction Iain McCalman Darwin's Armada W.W. Norton
Western Australian history Penelope Hetherington Paupers, Poor Relief & Poor Houses UWA Publishing

Deaths

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See also

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References

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  1. ^ HarperCollins takes over at ABC Books
  2. ^ "Director closes the book on literature venture". The Age. 4 February 2009. Archived from the original on 26 July 2023.
  3. ^ Chapter two in writing centre's quest for leader
  4. ^ "Minister suspends $110,000 State literary prize". Archived from the original on 16 April 2009. Retrieved 6 May 2009.
  5. ^ "Things We Didn't See Coming by Steven Amsterdam". National Library of Australia. Retrieved 18 June 2024.
  6. ^ "The Lost Life by Steven Carroll". National Library of Australia. Retrieved 18 June 2024.
  7. ^ "The Death of Bunny Munro by Nick Cave". National Library of Australia. Retrieved 18 June 2024.
  8. ^ "Black Dust Dancing by Tracy Crisp". National Library of Australia. Retrieved 18 June 2024.
  9. ^ "The Book of Emmett by Deborah Forster". National Library of Australia. Retrieved 18 June 2024.
  10. ^ "Reunion by Andrea Goldsmith". National Library of Australia. Retrieved 18 June 2024.
  11. ^ "Valley of Grace by Marion Halligan". National Library of Australia. Retrieved 18 June 2024.
  12. ^ "Pescador's Wake by Katherine Johnson". National Library of Australia. Retrieved 18 June 2024.
  13. ^ "The Marriage Club by Kate Legge". National Library of Australia. Retrieved 18 June 2024.
  14. ^ "The Diamond Anchor by Jennifer Mills". National Library of Australia. Retrieved 18 June 2024.
  15. ^ "The Virtuoso by Sonia Orchard". National Library of Australia. Retrieved 18 June 2024.
  16. ^ "Headlong by Susan Varga". National Library of Australia. Retrieved 18 June 2024.
  17. ^ "Krakatoa Lighthouse by Allan Baillie". National Library of Australia. Retrieved 22 May 2024.
  18. ^ "Girl Next Door by Alyssa Brugman". National Library of Australia. Retrieved 22 May 2024.
  19. ^ "The Winds of Heaven by Judith Clarke". National Library of Australia. Retrieved 22 May 2024.
  20. ^ "The Nest by Paul Jennings". National Library of Australia. Retrieved 22 May 2024.
  21. ^ "The Madman of Venice by Sophie Masson". National Library of Australia. Retrieved 22 May 2024.
  22. ^ "Jarvis 24 by David Metzenthen". National Library of Australia. Retrieved 22 May 2024.
  23. ^ "The Lucky Ones by Tohby Riddle". National Library of Australia. Retrieved 22 May 2024.
  24. ^ "The Scarecrow by Sean Williams". National Library of Australia. Retrieved 22 May 2024.
  25. ^ "High Noon in Nimbin by Robert G. Barrett". National Library of Australia. Retrieved 18 June 2024.
  26. ^ "Move to Strike by Sydney Bauer". National Library of Australia. Retrieved 18 June 2024.
  27. ^ "The Iron Heart by Marshall Browne". National Library of Australia. Retrieved 18 June 2024.
  28. ^ "Blood Born by Kathryn Fox". National Library of Australia. Retrieved 18 June 2024.
  29. ^ "Black Ice by Leah Giarratano". National Library of Australia. Retrieved 18 June 2024.
  30. ^ "Dark Country by Bronwyn Parry". National Library of Australia. Retrieved 18 June 2024.
  31. ^ "The Aristocrat and The Single Mom by Michelle Douglas". Austlit. Retrieved 23 June 2024.
  32. ^ "Two Weeks in the Magnate's Bed by Nicola Marsh". National Library of Australia. Retrieved 23 June 2024.
  33. ^ "The Hunter's Wife by Katherine Scholes". National Library of Australia. Retrieved 23 June 2024.
  34. ^ "Valente's Baby by Maxine Sullivan". National Library of Australia. Retrieved 23 June 2024.
  35. ^ "The Spell of Rosette by Kim Falconer". ISFDB. Retrieved 17 May 2024.
  36. ^ "Full Circle by Pamela Freeman". ISFDB. Retrieved 17 May 2024.
  37. ^ "Being of the Field by Traci Harding". ISFDB. Retrieved 17 May 2024.
  38. ^ "Shadow Queen by Deborah Kalin". ISFDB. Retrieved 17 May 2024.
  39. ^ "The Last Stormlord by Glenda Larke". ISFDB. Retrieved 17 May 2024.
  40. ^ "Heart's Blood by Juliet Marillier". ISFDB. Retrieved 17 May 2024.
  41. ^ "The Dark Griffin by K. J. Taylor". ISFDB. Retrieved 17 May 2024.
  42. ^ "The Grand Conjunction by Sean Williams". ISFDB. Retrieved 17 May 2024.
  43. ^ "The Dark Room by Angela Betzien". Austlit. Retrieved 23 July 2024.
  44. ^ "Poor Boy by Matt Cameron & Tim Finn". Austlit. Retrieved 23 July 2024.
  45. ^ "Rockabye by Joanna Murray-Smith". Austlit. Retrieved 23 July 2024.
  46. ^ "The Book of Everything by Richard Tulloch". Austlit. Retrieved 23 July 2024.
  47. ^ "Let the Sunshine by David Williamson". Austlit. Retrieved 23 July 2024.
  48. ^ "The Darwin Poems by Emily Ballou". National Library of Australia. Retrieved 23 July 2024.
  49. ^ "Storm and Honey by Judith Beveridge". National Library of Australia. Retrieved 23 July 2024.
  50. ^ "The Striped World by Emma Jones". National Library of Australia. Retrieved 23 July 2024.
  51. ^ "Pirate Rain by Jennifer Maiden". National Library of Australia. Retrieved 23 July 2024.
  52. ^ "The Bee Hut by Dorothy Porter". National Library of Australia. Retrieved 23 July 2024.
  53. ^ "Better Than God by Peter Porter". National Library of Australia. Retrieved 23 July 2024.
  54. ^ "Boy He Cry: An Island Odyssey by Roger Averill". National Library of Australia. Retrieved 22 June 2024.
  55. ^ "Will It Be Funny Tomorrow, Billy? by Stephen Cummings". National Library of Australia. Retrieved 22 June 2024.
  56. ^ "The Making of Julia Gillard by Jacqueline Kent". National Library of Australia. Retrieved 22 June 2024.
  57. ^ "Harry M Miller: Confessions of a Not-So-Secret Agent by Harry M. Miller with Peter Holder". National Library of Australia. Retrieved 22 June 2024.
  58. ^ "Shots by Don Walker". National Library of Australia. Retrieved 22 June 2024.
  59. ^ "Choir Man by Jonathon Welch". National Library of Australia. Retrieved 22 June 2024.
  60. ^ "The Ghost at the Wedding by Shirley Walker". National Library of Australia. Retrieved 22 June 2024.
  61. ^ "Leo 'Rumpole' McKern: An Accidental Actor by George Whaley". National Library of Australia. Retrieved 22 June 2024.
  62. ^ "David Williamson: Behind the Scenes by Kristin Williamson". National Library of Australia. Retrieved 22 June 2024.
  63. ^ "Austlit — FAW Christopher Brennan Award". Austlit. Retrieved 11 September 2023.
  64. ^ "Austlit — Melbourne Prize". Austlit. Retrieved 9 November 2023.
  65. ^ "Farmer wins literary award". Theage.com.au. 7 November 2009. Retrieved 10 September 2023.
  66. ^ Steger, Jason (22 August 2009). "Apocalyptic novel wins book of the year". The Age. Archived from the original on 15 August 2022. Retrieved 26 February 2024.
  67. ^ "ALS Gold Medal — Previous Winners". Association for the Study of Australian Literature. Retrieved 13 January 2024.
  68. ^ "Colin Roderick Award — Other Winners". James Cook University. Retrieved 2 February 2024.
  69. ^ a b c d e ""Indie Book Awards - Winners 2012 & prior"". Australian Independent Booksellers. Retrieved 12 March 2024.
  70. ^ "Kibble Literary Award". Australian National University. 9 June 2009. Retrieved 9 March 2024.
  71. ^ Flood, Alison (18 May 2009). "Australian takes Commonwealth writers' prize". The Guardian. Retrieved 18 January 2024.
  72. ^ a b c "Adelaide Festival Awards for Literature – Past Literary Award Winners". State Library of South Australia. Retrieved 18 April 2024.
  73. ^ Steger, Jason (22 August 2009). "Apocalyptic novel wins book of the year". The Age. Archived from the original on 15 August 2022. Retrieved 15 February 2024.
  74. ^ ""Austlit – Australian/Vogel Award 2009-2012"". Austlit. Retrieved 19 February 2024.
  75. ^ ""Barbara Jefferis Award"". Australian Society of Authors. Retrieved 20 January 2024.
  76. ^ "Tim Winton wins fourth Miles Franklin award". The Guardian. 18 June 2009. Retrieved 21 September 2023.
  77. ^ ""Prime Minister's Literary Awards - Shortlist and winners: 2021-2008"". Creative Australia. Retrieved 11 January 2024.
  78. ^ ""LibraryThing: Davitt Awards 2009"". LibraryThing. Retrieved 23 January 2024.
  79. ^ "2009 Ned Kelly Award Winners". Australian Crime Writers. Archived from the original on 27 March 2016. Retrieved 23 January 2024.
  80. ^ ""SFADB : World Fantasy Awards 2009"". SFADB. Retrieved 18 June 2024.
  81. ^ "SFADB: Ditmar Awards 2009"". SFADB. Retrieved 18 June 2024.
  82. ^ "Austlit — Anne Eldr Award (2008-2010)". Austlit. Retrieved 28 February 2024.
  83. ^ "Austlit — Grace Leven Poetry prize (2008-2012)". Austlit. Retrieved 28 February 2024.
  84. ^ "Mary Gilmore Award". Association for the Study of Australian Literature. Retrieved 29 February 2024.
  85. ^ ""National Biography Award – Past Winners"". State Library of NSW. Retrieved 1 August 2024.
  86. ^ "Val Vallis (1916-2009)". AustLit: Discover Australian Stories. The University of Queensland. Retrieved 16 September 2023.
  87. ^ "Geoffrey C. Bingham (1919-2009)". AustLit: Discover Australian Stories. The University of Queensland. Retrieved 19 September 2023.
  88. ^ "Frank Devine (1931-2009)". Austlit. Retrieved 17 May 2024.
  89. ^ "Catherine Gaskin (1929-2009)". AustLit: Discover Australian Stories. The University of Queensland. Retrieved 19 October 2023.
  90. ^ "Rica Erikson (1908-2009)". Austlit. Retrieved 17 May 2024.
  91. ^ "John West (1951-2009)". Austlit. Retrieved 17 May 2024.

Note: all references relating to awards can, or should be, found on the relevant award's page.