This article presents a list of the historical events and publications of Australian literature during 2002.

Major publications

Literary fiction

J. M. Coetzee John Maxwell Coetzee OMG (born 9 February 1940) is a South African–Australian novelist, essayist, linguist, translator and recipient of the 2003 Nobel Prize in Literature. He is one of the most critically acclaimed and decorated authors in ...

– '' Youth: Scenes from Provincial Life II'' *

Bryce Courtenay Arthur Bryce Courtenay, (14 August 1933 – 22 November 2012) was a South African-Australian advertising director and novelist. He is one of Australia's best-selling authors, notable for his book '' The Power of One''. Background and early ye ...

– '' Matthew Flinders' Cat'' * Andrea Goldsmith – '' The Prosperous Thief'' * Sonya Hartnett – ''

Of a Boy ''Of a Boy'' (''What The Birds See'' in the UK and US) is a 2002 novel by Sonya Hartnett about a lonely and troubled youth. The omnipresent narrator follows the plight of nine-year-old Adrian in his suburban life in 1977. At age eight, his parents ...

'' * Sarah Hay – ''Skins'' *

Chloe Hooper Chloe Melisande Hooper (born 1973) is an Australian author. Her first novel, ''A Child’s Book of True Crime'' (2002), was short-listed for the Orange Prize for Literature and was a ''New York Times'' Notable Book. In 2005, she turned to rep ...

– ''A Child's Book of True Crime'' * Kate Jennings – '' Moral Hazard'' * Gail Jones – '' Black Mirror'' *

Thomas Keneally Thomas Michael Keneally, AO (born 7 October 1935) is an Australian novelist, playwright, essayist, and actor. He is best known for his non-fiction novel ''Schindler's Ark'', the story of Oskar Schindler's rescue of Jews during the Holocaust, wh ...

– '' An Angel in Australia'' *

Colleen McCullough Colleen Margaretta McCullough (; married name Robinson, previously Ion-Robinson; 1 June 193729 January 2015) was an Australian author known for her novels, her most well-known being ''The Thorn Birds'' and ''The Ladies of Missalonghi''. Life ...

– ''

The October Horse ''The October Horse'' is the sixth novel in Colleen McCullough's ''Masters of Rome series''. Plot introduction The book begins with Gaius Julius Caesar's Egyptian campaign in Alexandria, his final battles with the Republicans led by Metellus Sc ...

'' * Alex Miller – '' Journey to the Stone Country'' *

Dorothy Porter Dorothy Featherstone Porter (26 March 1954 – 10 December 2008) was an Australian poet. She was a recipient of the Christopher Brennan Award for lifetime achievement in poetry. Early life Porter was born in Sydney. Her father was barrister ...

– ''

Wild Surmise ''Wild Surmise'' is a 2002 verse novel by Australian poet Dorothy Porter which was shortlisted for the 2003 Miles Franklin Award. Notes * Dedication: For Andy * Epigraph: 'There felt I like some watcher of the skies, When a new planet swims ...

'' *

Eva Sallis Eva Sallis (also Eva HornungDog’s ...

– ''The City of Sealions''

Children's and Young Adult fiction

J. C. Burke J. C. Burke (born 1965 in Sydney) is an Australian author, currently living in Sydney. Jane Burke was born in 1965 in Sydney, where she was the fourth of five sisters; her parents were writers. Burke did not start publishing stories until 1999. He ...

– ''White Lies'' *

Isobelle Carmody Isobelle Jane Carmody (born 16 June 1958) is an Australian writer of science fiction, fantasy, children's literature, and young adult literature. She is recipient of the Aurealis Award for best children's fiction. Biography Isobelle Carmody wa ...

– ''

Darksong ''Darksong'' is a Parallel universe fantasy novel by Isobelle Carmody. The sequel of '' Darkfall'', it is the second book in the Legendsong Saga ''The Legendsong Saga'' encompasses the novels '' Darkfall'' and ''Darksong'' written by Australian a ...

'' *

Alison Croggon Alison Croggon (born 1962) is a contemporary Australian poet, playwright, fantasy novelist, and librettist. Life and career Born in the Transvaal, South Africa, Alison Croggon's family moved to England before settling in Australia, first in Bal ...

– ''The Gift'' * Mem Fox – '' The Magic Hat'' * Marieke Hardy – ''Short Cuts'' *

Richard Harland Richard Harland (born 15 January 1947 in Yorkshire) is an English fantasy and science fiction writer, living in New South Wales, Australia. He was born in 1947 in Huddersfield, United Kingdom and migrated to Australia in 1970. He has been an aca ...

– ''Ferren and the White Doctor'' *

Lian Hearn Gillian Rubinstein (born 29 August 1942) is an English-born children's author and playwright. Born in Potten End, Berkhamsted, Hertfordshire, England, Rubinstein split her childhood between England and Nigeria, moving to Australia in 1973. As w ...

– ''

Across the Nightingale Floor ''Across the Nightingale Floor'' is the first of Lian Hearn's Tales of the Otori trilogy, first published in 2002. Plot Across the Nightingale Floor is set in a fictional world based on Japan during the Sengoku period, and follows the story o ...

'' * Maureen McCarthy – ''When You Wake and Find Me Gone'' *

Meme McDonald Meme McDonald (19 July 1954 – 23 December 2017) was an Australian writer, artistic director and advocate for Indigenous reconciliation. Early life and education McDonald was born on 19 July 1954 in St George, Queensland. Living on the la ...

and

Boori Pryor Boori Monty Pryor (born 1950) is an Aboriginal Australian author best known as a Storytelling, storyteller and as the inaugural Australian Children's Laureate (20122013). Early life and family Pryor is descended from the Birri Gubba nation of t ...

– ''Njunjul the Sun'' *

David Metzenthen David Metzenthen (born 1958) is an Australian writer for children and young adults who was born in Melbourne, Victoria. After completing his schooling in Melbourne, Metzenthen traveled to New Zealand where he held a variety of jobs. After retu ...

– ''Wildlight: A Journey'' *

Kirsty Murray Kirsty Murray (born 1960) is an Australian author. Murray writes children's fiction with a focus on Australian history. She is known for the '' Children of the Wind'' series of children's novels. She is a recipient of the Aurealis Award for be ...

– ''Walking Home with Marie-Claire'' *

Gillian Rubinstein Gillian Rubinstein (born 29 August 1942) is an English-born children's author and playwright. Born in Potten End, Berkhamsted, Hertfordshire, England, Rubinstein split her childhood between England and Nigeria, moving to Australia in 1973. As ...

– ''The Whale's Child'' *

Markus Zusak Markus Zusak (born 23 June 1975) is an Australian writer with Austrian and German roots. He is best known for ''The Book Thief'' and '' The Messenger'' (US title: ''I Am the Messenger''), two novels which became international bestsellers. ...

– '' The Messenger''

Crime

Carmel Bird Carmel Bird (born 1940) is an Australian writer of novels, short stories and essays. She has written books on the art of writing, and has edited anthologies of essays and stories. In 2016, she was awarded the Patrick White Literary Award. Writing ...

– ''Open for Inspection'' * Kirsty Brooks – ''Lady Luck'' *

Jon Cleary Jon Stephen Cleary (22 November 191719 July 2010) was an Australian writer and novelist. He wrote numerous books, including '' The Sundowners'' (1951), a portrait of a rural family in the 1920s as they move from one job to the next, and '' The ...

– ''The Easy Sin'' *

Jane Clifton Jane Clifton (born 10 April 1949) is a Gibraltar-born Australian actress, singer, writer and voice artist. She is best known for her role in TV serial ''Prisoner'' as tough prison bookie Margo Gaffney. As a singer, she had a stint with Jo Jo ...

– ''Half Past Dead'' *

Peter Corris Peter Robert Corris (8 May 1942 – 30 August 2018) was an Australian academic, historian, journalist and a novelist of historical and crime fiction. As crime fiction writer, he was described as "the Godfather of contemporary Australian crime-w ...

– ''Salt and Blood'' * Kerry Greenwood – ''Murder in Montparnasse'' *

Gabrielle Lord Gabrielle Craig Lord (born 1946) is an Australian writer who has been described as Australia's first lady of crime.Pressley, Alison (2007) "Lord and lady" in ''Good Reading Magazine'', April 2007, pp. 22–23 She has published a wide range ...

– ''Baby Did a Bad Bad Thing'' *

Barry Maitland Barry Maitland (born 1941 in Scotland) is an Australian author of crime fiction. After studying architecture at Cambridge, Maitland practised and taught in the UK before moving to Australia, where he became a Professor of Architecture at the ...

– ''Babel'' *

Shane Maloney Shane Maloney (born 1953) born in Hamilton, Victoria is a Melbourne author best known as the creator of the Murray Whelan series of crime novels. Life and career Maloney was educated at Christian Brothers' College, St Kilda (CBC St Kilda). He st ...

– ''Something Fishy'' *

Tara Moss Tara Rae Moss (born 2 October 1973) is a Canadian-Australian author, documentary maker and presenter, journalist, former model and UNICEF national ambassador for child survival. Biography Moss was born in Victoria, British Columbia, where she a ...

– ''Split'' * Alex Palmer – ''Blood Redemption'' *

Peter Temple Peter Temple (10 March 1946 – 8 March 2018) was an Australian crime fiction writer, mainly known for his ''Jack Irish'' novel series. He won several awards for his writing, including the Gold Dagger in 2007, the first for an Australian. He w ...

– ''In The Evil Day''

Romance

Lilian Darcy Lilian Darcy (b. 14 February in Australia) is popular Australian writer of over 75 medical romance novels since 1981. Biography Lilian Darcy was born on 14 February in Australia. She grew up reading the books by L.M. Montgomery. She obtained a ...

– ''For the Taking'' * Barbara Hannay ** ''A Bride at Birralee'' ** ''Their Doorstep Baby'' *

Di Morrissey Di Morrissey (born Grace Diane Cairns, 1943) is a best-selling Australian novelist. Early life Di Morrissey was born in 1943 to Kay and Len Cairns in Wingham, New South Wales, named Grace Diane Cairns. At the age of five, she moved with he ...

– ''Kimberley Sun'' * Valerie Parv ** ''The Baron and the Bodyguard'' ** ''The Marquis and the Mother-To-Be''

Science Fiction and Fantasy

Damien Broderick Damien Francis Broderick (born 22 April 1944) is an Australian science fiction and popular science writer and editor of some 74 books. His science fiction novel ''The Dreaming Dragons'' (1980) introduced the trope of the generation time machine ...

– '' Transcension'' *

Trudi Canavan Trudi Canavan (born 23 October 1969) is an Australian writer of fantasy novels, best known for her best-selling fantasy trilogies '' The Black Magician'' and '' Age of the Five''. While establishing her writing career she worked as a graphic de ...

– ''The Novice'' *

Cecilia Dart-Thornton Cecilia Dart-Thornton is an Australian author of fantasy novels, notably the '' Bitterbynde'' Trilogy. Dart-Thornton was educated at Monash University where she completed a Bachelor of Arts, majoring in sociology. Published works ''The Bitte ...

** ''The Battle of Evernight'' ** ''The Lady of the Sorrows'' * Sara Douglass ** ''The Crippled Angel'' ** ''Hades' Daughter'' *

Ian Irvine Ian Irvine (born 1950) is an Australian fantasy and eco- thriller author and marine scientist. To date Irvine has written 27 novels, including fantasy, eco-thrillers and books for children. He has had books published in at least 12 countries a ...

– ''Tetrarch'' *

Fiona McIntosh Fiona McIntosh (born 1960) is an English-born Australian author of adult and children's books. She was born in Brighton, England and between the ages of three and eight, travelled a lot to Africa due to her father's work. At the age of nineteen ...

** ''Destiny'' ** ''Revenge'' *

Sean McMullen Sean Christopher McMullen (born 21 December 1948 in Sale, Victoria) is an Australian science fiction and fantasy author. Biography McMullen is one of Australia's leading science-fiction and fantasy authors and has written over 70 stories and 1 ...

– ''Voyage of the Shadowmoon'' *

Juliet Marillier Juliet Marillier (born 27 July 1948) is a New Zealand-born writer of fantasy, focusing predominantly on historical fantasy. Biography Juliet Marillier was educated at the University of Otago, where she graduated with a BA in languages and a ...

– ''Wolfskin'' * Sean Williams ** ''Echoes of Earth'' with

Shane Dix Shane Dix (born 1960 in Wales) is an Australian science fiction author best known for his collaborative work with Sean Williams in the '' Star Wars'': New Jedi Order series. In addition to his novels with Sean Williams, Dix has had short stories ...

** ''The Sky Warden and the Sun'' ** ''The Storm Weaver and the Sand''

Drama

*David Brown – ''Eating Ice Cream With Your Eyes Closed'' * Nick Enright ** ''Country Music'' ** ''A Man with Five Children'' * Michael Gow – ''The Fortunes of Richard Mahony'' * Michael Gurr – ''The Simple Truth'' *

Daniel Keene Daniel Keene (born 1955) is an Australian playwright whose work has been performed throughout the world. Career Keene's plays have been performed in Australia, France, Poland and the United States. Many of his plays have been published in Fr ...

– ''Half and Half'' * Jenny Kemp – ''Still Angela'' * Joanna Murray-Smith – ''Rapture'' * David Williamson – '' Soulmates''

Poetry

* M. T. C. Cronin – ''My Lover's Back : 79 Love Poems'' * Robert Gray – ''Afterimages'' * Jill Jones – ''Screens Jets Heaven: New and Selected Poems'' *

Emma Lew Emma Lew (born 1962) is a contemporary Australian poet. Born in Melbourne, Emma Lew studied arts at Melbourne University and worked as a deckhand, shop assistant, proof-reader, and clerical assistant, only beginning to write poetry in 1993.

– ''Anything the Landlord Touches'' *

Kate Lilley Kate Lilley (born 1960) is a contemporary Australian poet and academic. Early life Kate Lilley was born in Perth, Western Australia in 1960 and moved to Sydney with her family. She is the daughter of writers Dorothy Hewett and Merv Lilley, an ...

– ''Versary'' * Les Murray **''Collected Poems : 1961–2002'' ** ''Poems the Size of Photographs''

Non-fiction

* Bruce Bennett, ''Australian Short Fiction: A History'' *

Anna Funder Anna Funder (born 1966) is an Australian author. She is the author of '' Stasiland'' and '' All That I Am'' and the novella ''The Girl With the Dogs''. Life Funder went to primary school in Melbourne and Paris; she attended Star of the Sea Co ...

– ''Stasiland'' *

Mark McKenna Mark McKenna (born 5 May 1996) is an Irish actor, musician, and singer. He is mostly known for having starred in the film ''Sing Street'' and the YouTube Premium/Amazon Prime series'' Wayne (TV series), Wayne''. Career McKenna made his film deb ...

– ''Looking for Blackfellas' Point : An Australian History of Place'' * Ashley Mallett – ''The Black Lords of Summer : The Story of the 1868 Aboriginal Tour of England and Beyond'' * John Marsden – ''The Boy You Brought Home : A Single Mother's Guide to Raising Boys''

Biographies

* Nick Bleszynski – ''Shoot Straight, You Bastards! : The Truth Behind the Killing of 'Breaker' Morant'' *

Barry Dickins Barry Dickins (born 6 November 1949) is a prolific Australian playwright, author, artist, actor, educator and journalist, probably best known for his historical dramas and his reminisces about growing up and living in working class Melbourne. H ...

– ''Black and Whiteley : Barry Dickins in Search of Brett'' *

Ann Galbally Ann Elizabeth Galbally (born 1945) is an Australian art historian and academic. Education and career Galbally was born in Victoria in 1945, daughter of Sheila Marie (née Kenny) and Labor Party politician, John William Galbally. She gradua ...

– ''Charles Conder : The Last Bohemian'' * Barry Hill – ''Broken Song : T. G. H. Strehlow and Aboriginal Possession'' *

– ''American Scoundrel : The Life of the Notorious Civil War General Dan Sickles'' *

Ross McMullin Ross McMullin (born 1952) is an Australian historian who has written a number of books on political and social history, as well as several biographies. McMullin was educated at the University of Melbourne, where he wrote his Master of Arts thes ...

– ''Pompey Elliott'' *

Brenda Niall Dr Brenda Mary Niall (born 25 November 1930) is an Australian biographer, literary critic and journalist. She is particularly noted for her work on Australia's well-known Boyd family of artists and writers. Educated at Genazzano FCJ College, ...

– ''The Boyds : A Family Biography'' *

Don Watson Don Watson (born 1949) is an Australian author, screenwriter, former political adviser, and speechwriter. Early life Watson was born in 1949 at Warragul in the Gippsland region of Victoria, and grew up on a farm in nearby Korumburra. Academia ...

– ''Recollections of a Bleeding Heart : A Portrait of Paul Keating PM''

Awards and honours

Note: these awards were presented in the year in question.

Lifetime achievement

Fiction

International

National

Children and Young Adult

National

Crime and Mystery

National

Science Fiction

Non-Fiction

Poetry

Drama

Deaths

* 21 May –

Dorothy Hewett Dorothy Coade Hewett (21 May 1923 – 25 August 2002) was an Australian playwright, poet and author, and a romantic feminist icon. In writing and in her life, Hewett was an experimenter. As her circumstances and beliefs changed, she progressed ...

, poet (born 1923) * 27 May –

Ray Mathew Raymond Frank "Ray" Mathew (14 April 192927 May 2002) was an Australian author. Mathew wrote poetry, drama, radio plays and filmscripts, short stories, novels, arts and literature criticism, and other non-fiction. He left Australia in 1960 and nev ...

, poet and novelist (born 1929) * 6 June – Peter Cowan, short story writer and literary editor (born 1914) * 13 September – J. E. Macdonnell, novelist (born 1917) * 2 October –

R. A. Simpson Ronald Albert Simpson (1 February 1929 – 2 October 2002) was an Australian poet and poetry editor, artist and art lecturer. He was one of the Melbourne poets, and had a long tenure as poetry editor of ''The Age''. Life Simpson was born ...

, poet (born 1929) * 8 December –

Gary Catalano Gary Catalano (30 October 1947 – 8 December 2002) was an Australian poet and art critic. Life Calatano was born on 30 October 1947 in Brisbane. He married writer Helen Hewitt in 1990. He died on 8 December 2002 in Melbourne. Awards * 1992 Gra ...

, poet and critic (born 1947)

References

Note: all references relating to awards can, or should be, found on the relevant award's page. {{Years in Australian literature Australian literature by year

Literature Literature is any collection of written work, but it is also used more narrowly for writings specifically considered to be an art form, especially prose fiction, drama, and poetry. In recent centuries, the definition has expanded to include ...

21st-century Australian literature 2002 in literature

Major publications

Literary fiction

Children's and Young Adult fiction

Crime

Romance

Science Fiction and Fantasy

Drama

Poetry

Non-fiction

Biographies

Awards and honours

Lifetime achievement

Fiction

International

National

Children and Young Adult

National

Crime and Mystery

National

Science Fiction

Non-Fiction

Poetry

Drama

Deaths

See also

References