1972 in Australian literature
This article presents a list of the historical events and publications of Australian literature during 1972.
Events
- Thomas Keneally becomes the first Australian to be shortlisted for the Booker Prize for Fiction for The Chant of Jimmie Blacksmith.
Major publications
Books
- Thea Astley – The Acolyte
- Russell Braddon – End Play
- Jon Cleary – Man's Estate
- Sumner Locke Elliott – The Man Who Got Away
- Catherine Gaskin – A Falcon for a Queen
- David Ireland – The Flesheaters
- Thomas Keneally – The Chant of Jimmie Blacksmith
- Peter Mathers – ''The Wort Papers''
Short stories
- Peter Carey
- * "Crabs"
- * "Peeling"
- Frank Hardy – It's Moments Like These
- Elizabeth Jolley – "Dingle the Fool"
- Frank Moorhouse – ''The Americans, Baby''
Children's and Young Adult fiction
- Hesba Brinsmead – Echo in the Wilderness
- Alan Marshall – Fight for Life
- Mary Elwyn Patchett – Rebel Brumby
- Ivan Southall – Head in the Clouds
- Eleanor Spence – The Nothing Place
- Patricia Wrightson – ''An Older Kind of Magic''
Science fiction and fantasy
- A. Bertram Chandler – ''The Hard Way Up''
Poetry
- Michael Dransfield
- * Drug Poems
- * The Inspector of Tides
- Harry Payne Heseltine – The Penguin Book of Australian Verse
- Les Murray – Poems Against Economics
- Peter Porter
- * After Martial
- * Preaching to the Converted
- Thomas Shapcott – Begin With Walking
- Peter Skrzynecki – ''Head-Waters''
Drama
Awards and honours
Poetry
| Award | Author | Title | Publisher |
| Grace Leven Prize for Poetry | Peter Skrzynecki | Head-Waters | Lyre Bird Writers |
Drama
| Award | Author | Title |
| AWGIE Award for Stage | David Williamson | The Removalists |
Births
A list, ordered by date of birth of births in 1972 of Australian literary figures, authors of written works or literature-related individuals follows, including year of death.- 11 August – Danielle Wood, journalist, writer and academic
- Louis Armand, poet and critic
- Steve Toltz, novelist
- Samuel Wagan Watson, poet
Deaths
A list, ordered by date of death of deaths in 1972 of Australian literary figures, authors of written works or literature-related individuals follows, including year of birth.- 3 June – Martin Boyd, novelist
- 16 August – Dulcie Deamer, poet
- 16 October – Eunice Hanger, playwright and educator