1979 in Australian literature
This article presents a list of the historical events and publications of Australian literature during 1979.
Events
- David Ireland won the 1979 Miles Franklin Award for A Woman of the Future
- The New South Wales Premier's Literary Awards are presented for the first time
Major publications
Books
- Gabrielle Carey and Kathy Lette – Puberty Blues
- David Ireland – A Woman of the Future
- Thomas Keneally
- * Confederates
- * Passenger
- Roger McDonald – 1915: A Novel of Gallipoli
- Randolph Stow – Visitants
- Morris West — Proteus
- Patrick White – ''The Twyborn Affair''
Short stories
- Glenda Adams — "A Snake Down Under"
- Thea Astley — Hunting the Wild Pineapple
- Peter Carey — War Crimes
- Elizabeth Jolley – ''The Travelling Entertainer and Other Stories''
Science Fiction and Fantasy
- A. Bertram Chandler – Matilda's Stepchildren
- Anne Spencer Parry – ''The Crown of Darkness''
Children's and Young Adult fiction
- Catherine Berndt – Land of the Rainbow Snake
- Mavis Thorpe Clark – The Lilly-Pilly
- Lee Harding – Displaced Person
- Joan Phipson:
- * No Escape
- * ''Mr Pringle and the Prince''
Poetry
- Robert Adamson – Where I Come From
- David Campbell – The Man in the Honeysuckle
- Rosemary Dobson and David Campbell – Seven Russian Poets
- Robert Gray – Grass Script
- Les Harrop – The Hum of the Old Suit: Poems
- Dorothy Hewett – Greenhouse
- Jennifer Maiden – The Border Loss
- Les Murray – The Boys Who Stole the Funeral
- John Tranter
- * Dazed in the Ladies Lounge
- * Editor, The New Australian Poetry
- Chris Wallace-Crabbe
- * The Emotions Are Not Skilled Workers
- * ''Toil and Spin: Two Directions in Modern Poetry''
Drama
- Dorothy Hewett – The Man From Mukinupin
- Louis Nowra
- * The Lady of the Camellias
- * ''Visions''
Non-fiction
- Manning Clark — A History of Australia Volume IV
- Terry Irving and Raewyn Connell — ''Class Structure in Australian History''
Awards and honours
Order of Australia
- John Jefferson Bray appointed Companion of the Order of Australia
- Nancy Keesing appointed Member of the Order of Australia
- Douglas Stewart appointed Officer of the Order of Australia
- Judah Waten appointed Member of the Order of Australia
Poetry
| Award | Author | Title | Publisher |
| Anne Elder Award | Les Harrop | The Hum of the Old Suit: Poems | Angus & Robertson |
| Grace Leven Prize for Poetry | David Campbell | The Man in the Honeysuckle | Angus & Robertson |
Drama
| Award | Author | Title |
| AWGIE Award for Stage | Ron Blair | Marx |
Births
A list, ordered by date of birth of births in 1979 of Australian literary figures, authors of written works or literature-related individuals follows, including year of death.- 21 May – James Clancy Phelan, writer of thrillers and young adult novels
- 6 June – Randa Abdel-Fattah, novelist
- Maxine Beneba Clarke, writer and slam poet
- Andrew Hutchinson, novelist
Deaths
A list, ordered by date of death of deaths in 1979 of Australian literary figures, authors of written works or literature-related individuals follows, including year of birth.- 6 March – Helen Palmer, socialist publisher
- 6 June – Ion Idriess, writer
- 29 July – David Campbell, poet
- 13 August – F. J. Thwaites, novelist
- 21 November – Marie Byles, travel writer and non-fiction writer
- 24 November — Tom Quilty, pastoralist and bush poet
- 8 December – Jennifer Rankin, poet and playwright