List of years in Australian literature

This page gives a chronological list of years in Australian literature (descending order), with notable publications and events listed with their respective years. The time covered in individual years covers the period of European settlement of the country.

See Table of years in literature for an overview of all "year in literature" pages.

21st century

2020s

* 2023 in Australian literature: Death of Andrew Burke, Gabrielle Carey, Ron Pretty, John Tranter
* 2022 in Australian literature: Death of Jordie Albiston, Frank Moorhouse, David Ireland, Robert Adamson; '' Cold Enough for Snow'' – Jessica Au; '' Chai Time at Cinnamon Gardens'' – Shankari Chandran
* 2021 in Australian literature: Death of Kate Jennings, Tim Thorne; ''Bodies of Light'' – Jennifer Down
* 2020 in Australian literature: Death of Bruce Dawe, Elizabeth Harrower; '' The Labyrinth'' – Amanda Lohrey

2010s

* 2019 in Australian literature: Death of Andrew McGahan, Les Murray, Clive James'' – Tara June Winch
* 2018 in Australian literature: Death of Peter Temple, Peter Corris; ''Boy Swallows Universe'' — Trent Dalton; '' Too Much Lip'' – Melissa Lucashenko
* 2017 in Australian literature: Death of Peter Luck; '' The Life to Come'' – Michelle de Kretser
* 2016 in Australian literature: Death of Leonie Kramer, Gillian Mears; '' The Dry'' — Jane Harper; '' The Museum of Modern Love'' — Heather Rose; '' Extinctions'' – Josephine Wilson
* 2015 in Australian literature: Death of Veronica Brady, Colleen McCullough; '' Black Rock White City'' – A. S. Patrić; '' The Natural Way of Things'' – Charlotte Wood; '' Life or Death'' — Michael Robotham wins the Crime Writers' Association Gold Dagger award (UK)
* 2014 in Australian literature: Death of Liam Davison, Morris Lurie; ''Amnesia'' – Peter Carey; ''In Certain Circles'' – Elizabeth Harrower; '' The Eye of the Sheep'' – Sofie Laguna; '' The Golden Age'' – Joan London; ''Clariel'' – Garth Nix; '' The Narrow Road to the Deep North'' by Richard Flanagan wins the 2014 Man Booker Prize
* 2013 in Australian literature: Death of Keith Dunstan, Christopher Koch; ''The Childhood of Jesus'' – J.M. Coetzee; '' The Narrow Road to the Deep North'' – Richard Flanagan; ''Burial Rites'' – Hannah Kent; '' Eyrie'' – Tim Winton; '' All The Birds, Singing'' – Evie Wyld
* 2012 in Australian literature: Death of Bryce Courtenay, Rosemary Dobson, Max Fatchen, Robert Hughes;; '' The Chemistry of Tears'' – Peter Carey; ''Questions of Travel'' – Michelle de Kretser; ''The Rosie Project'' – Graeme Simsion; '' The Hanging Garden'' – Patrick White
* 2011 in Australian literature: Death of Sara Douglass, T. A. G. Hungerford, Hazel Rowley; '' All That I Am'' – Anna Funder; ''Sarah Thornhill'' – Kate Grenville; ''Foal's Bread'' – Gillian Mears
* 2010 in Australian literature: Death of Jessica Anderson, Ruth Park, Peter Porter, David Rowbotham, Patricia Wrightson; Glenda Guest receives the Commonwealth Writers Prize best first book; ''Beautiful Malice'' – Rebecca James; '' That Deadman Dance'' – Kim Scott; ''Bereft'' – Chris Womersley

2000s

* 2009 in Australian literature: ''Parrot and Olivier in America'' – Peter Carey; ''Ransom'' – David Malouf; ''Truth'' – Peter Temple; ''The Bath Fugues'' – Brian Castro
* 2008 in Australian literature: Death of Dorothy Porter, Ivan Southall, Eleanor Spence; '' The Spare Room'' – Helen Garner; '' The Slap'' – Christos Tsiolkas; ''Breath'' – Tim Winton; Sonya Hartnett receives the Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award
* 2007 in Australian literature: Death of Elizabeth Jolley; ''The Time We Have Taken'' – Steven Carroll; '' The Zookeeper's War'' – Steven Conte; '' The Lost Dog'' – Michelle de Kretser; ''The Broken Shore'' – Peter Temple wins the Crime Writers' Association Duncan Lawrie Dagger award (UK)
* 2006 in Australian literature: Death of Colin Thiele; ''The Garden Book'' – Brian Castro; '' The Arrival'' – Shaun Tan; ''Carpentaria'' – Alexis Wright
* 2005 in Australian literature: Death of Donald Horne; ''Shanghai Dancing'' – Brian Castro; ''The Secret River'' – Kate Grenville; '' A Commonwealth of Thieves: The Improbable Birth of Australia'' – Tom Keneally; '' The Ballad of Desmond Kale'' – Roger McDonald
* 2004 in Australian literature: Death of Thea Astley; ''Sixty Lights'' – Gail Jones; '' The White Earth'' – Andrew McGahan
* 2003 in Australian literature: Death of Joan Phipson; ''Mangroves'' – Laurie Duggan; '' The Great Fire'' – Shirley Hazzard wins the National Book Award (USA)
* 2002 in Australian literature: Death of Dorothy Hewett; ''Moral Hazard'' – Kate Jennings; '' Journey to the Stone Country'' – Alex Miller
* 2001 in Australian literature: Death of Amy Witting; Quarterly Essay publishes its first issue; ''True History of the Kelly Gang'' – Peter Carey wins the Man Booker Prize; ''Gould's Book of Fish'' – Richard Flanagan; '' Stravinsky's Lunch'' – Drusilla Modjeska; ''Dirt Music'' – Tim Winton
* 2000 in Australian literature: Death of A. D. Hope, Judith Wright; ''The Day We Had Hitler Home'' – Rodney Hall; '' Dark Palace'' – Frank Moorhouse

20th century

1990s

* 1999 in Australian literature: Death of Morris West; ''Drylands'' – Thea Astley; '' The Idea of Perfection'' – Kate Grenville; ''The Quality of Sprawl'' – Les Murray; '' Benang'' – Kim Scott
* 1998 in Australian literature: Death of Geoffrey Dutton, Elizabeth Riddell; ''Eucalyptus'' – Murray Bail; ''Romulus, My Father'' – Raymond Gaita; '' Fredy Neptune'' – Les Murray
* 1997 in Australian literature: Death of Dal Stivens, George Turner; ''The Endeavour Journal of Sir Joseph Banks, 1768–71'' – Joseph Banks; '' Jack Maggs'' – Peter Carey
* 1996 in Australian literature: Death of P. L. Travers; ''A Mapmaker's Dream'' – James Cowan; '' The Glade within the Grove'' – David Foster; ''Remembering Babylon'' – David Malouf wins the International Dublin Literary Award; ''Subhuman Redneck Poems'' – Les Murray
* 1995 in Australian literature: Death of Gwen Harwood; ''The First Stone'' – Helen Garner; '' Highways to a War'' – Christopher Koch
* 1994 in Australian literature: Death of Frank Hardy; '' The Hand That Signed the Paper'' – Helen Demidenko; ''Permutation City'' – Greg Egan; ''The Monkey's Mask'' – Dorothy Porter
* 1993 in Australian literature: Death of Nancy Keesing; ''The Grisly Wife'' – Rodney Hall; ''Grand Days'' – Frank Moorhouse; ''Christina Stead: A Biography'' – Hazel Rowley
* 1992 in Australian literature: ''Honk If You Are Jesus'' – Peter Goldsworthy; ''Praise'' – Andrew McGahan; '' Looking for Alibrandi'' – Melina Marchetta; ''The Ancestor Game'' – Alex Miller
* 1991 in Australian literature: Death of Manning Clark; ''Our Sunshine'' – Robert Drewe; ''Patrick White: A Life'' – David Marr; ''Cloudstreet'' – Tim Winton
* 1990 in Australian literature: Death of Patrick White; ''Cabin Fever'' – Elizabeth Jolley; '' The Great World'' – David Malouf

1980s

* 1989 in Australian literature: '' The Power of One'' – Bryce Courtenay; '' Oceana Fine'' – Tom Flood; ''Maestro'' – Peter Goldsworthy; ''I for Isobel'' – Amy Witting
* 1988 in Australian literature: Death of Kylie Tennant; ''Oscar and Lucinda'' – Peter Carey wins the Man Booker Prize
* 1987 in Australian literature: '' Dancing on Coral'' – Glenda Adams; ''The Songlines'' – Bruce Chatwin; '' Louisa'' – Brian Matthews; '' My Place'' – Sally Morgan; '' The Sea and Summer'' – George Turner; ''Emerald City'' – David Williamson
* 1986 in Australian literature: ''The Well'' – Elizabeth Jolley; ''Julia Paradise'' – Rod Jones; ''The Fatal Shore'' – Robert Hughes
* 1985 in Australian literature: ''Lilian's Story'' – Kate Grenville; ''The Doubleman'' – Christopher Koch
* 1984 in Australian literature: Death of Xavier Herbert; '' Archimedes and the Seagle'' — David Ireland; '' Milk and Honey'' – Elizabeth Jolley; '' Shallows'' – Tim Winton
* 1983 in Australian literature: Death of Christina Stead, Alan Moorehead; ''Possum Magic'' – Mem Fox
* 1982 in Australian literature: '' Just Relations'' – Rodney Hall; ''Schindler's Ark'' – Tom Keneally wins the Man Booker Prize; ''The Plains'' – Gerald Murnane
* 1981 in Australian literature: Death of Dymphna Cusack; ''Bliss'' – Peter Carey; ''A Fortunate Life'' – Albert Facey
* 1980 in Australian literature: ''The Impersonators'' – Jessica Anderson; '' The Dying Trade'' – Peter Corris; ''Tracks'' – Robyn Davidson; ''The Transit of Venus'' – Shirley Hazzard; '' Unreliable Memoirs'' – Clive James