2010 in Australian literature
This article presents a list of the historical events and publications of Australian literature during 2010.
Events
[edit]- 26 January – Peter Goldsworthy is awarded a Member (AM) in the General Division in the Australia Day Honours List.[1]
- February – The "Australian Book Review" magazine conducted a poll of its readers and announces that Cloudstreet by Tim Winton is Australia's favourite novel.[2]
- 22 June – Peter Temple wins the Miles Franklin Award for his novel Truth[3] becoming the first crime novel to do so.
Major publications
[edit]Literary fiction
[edit]- Jon Bauer – Rocks in the Belly[4]
- Carmel Bird – Child of the Twilight[5]
- Ashley Hay – The Body in the Clouds[6]
- Anita Heiss – Manhattan Dreaming[7]
- Toni Jordan – Fall Girl[8]
- Amanda Lohrey – Reading Madame Bovary (short story collection)
- Roger McDonald – When Colts Ran
- Fiona McGregor – Indelible Ink
- Monica McInerney – At Home with the Templetons[9]
- Kate Morton – The Distant Hours
- D.B.C. Pierre – Lights Out in Wonderland[10]
- Jessica Rudd – Campaign Ruby[11]
- Kim Scott – That Deadman Dance
- Chris Womersley – Bereft
Children's and Young Adult fiction
[edit]- Alexandra Adornetto – Halo[12]
- John Flanagan – The Emperor of Nihon-Ja
- Mem Fox – Let's Count Goats!
- Sonya Hartnett – The Midnight Zoo
- Rebecca James – Beautiful Malice[13]
- Alison Lester – Noni the Pony
- Doug MacLeod – The Life of a Teenage Body-Snatcher[14]
- Melina Marchetta – The Piper's Son[15]
- Garth Nix – Lord Sunday
- Markus Zusak – Bridge of Clay
Science Fiction and Fantasy
[edit]- John Birmingham – After America
- Trudi Canavan – The Ambassador's Mission[16]
- Sara Creasy – Song of Scarabaeus
- Sara Douglass – The Infinity Gate[17]
- Greg Egan – Zendegi
- Fiona McIntosh – King's Wrath[18]
- Sean McMullen – "Eight Miles"
- Juliet Marillier – Seer of Sevenwaters[19]
- Shaun Micallef – Preincarnate
- Scott Westerfeld – Behemoth[20]
- Sean Williams
Crime and Mystery
[edit]- Lenny Bartulin – The Black Russian[21]
- John Birmingham – After America
- Honey Brown – The Good Daughter
- Peter Corris – Torn Apart
- Garry Disher – Wyatt
- Kathryn Fox – Death Mask[22]
- Kerry Greenwood – Dead Man's Chest: A Phryne Fisher Mystery[23]
- Katherine Howell – Cold Justice
- Adrian Hyland – Gunshot Road[24]
- Colleen McCullough – Naked Cruelty[25]
- Geoff McGeachin – The Diggers Rest Hotel
- Tara Moss – The Blood Countess[26]
- P. M. Newton – The Old School[27]
- Malla Nunn – Let the Dead Lie[28]
- Leigh Redhead – Thrill City[29]
- Michael Robotham – Bleed for Me[30]
- Angela Savage – The Half-Child[31]
- David Whish-Wilson – Line of Sight[32]
Poetry
[edit]- Brook Emery ed. (with Victoria Haritos)
- Brook Emery ed. (with John L Sheppard and Victoria Haritos) – Holding Patterns: Physics and Engineering Poems[35]
- Christopher Kelen – The Whole Forest Dancing: Poems on Four Legs in the Morning[36]
- Les Murray – Taller When Prone[37]
- Dorothy Porter – Love Poems[38]
- Peter Porter – The Rest on the Flight: Selected Poems[39]
- Thomas Shapcott – Parts of Us[40]
- John Tranter – Starlight: 150 Poems[41]
- Mark Tredinnick – Fire Diary[42]
Biography
[edit]- Blanche d'Alpuget – Hawke: The Prime Minister[43]
- Jeff Apter – Together Alone: The Story of the Finn Brothers[44]
- Jim Davidson – A Three Cornered Life: The Historian W.K. Hancock[45]
- Sheila Fitzpatrick – My Father's Daughter
- Malcolm Fraser & Margaret Simons – Malcolm Fraser: The Political Memoirs[46]
- Rob Mundle – Bligh: Master Mariner[47]
- Anne Pender – One Man Show: The Stages of Barry Humphries[48]
- Mark Logue & Peter Conradi – The King's Speech: How One Man Saved the British Monarchy[49]
Awards and honours
[edit]Lifetime achievement
[edit]| Award | Author |
|---|---|
| Christopher Brennan Award[50] | Peter Steele |
| Patrick White Award[51] | David Foster |
Literary
[edit]| Award | Author | Title | Publisher |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Age Book of the Year[52] | Alex Miller | Lovesong | Allen & Unwin |
| ALS Gold Medal[53] | David Malouf | Ransom | Knopf Australia |
| Colin Roderick Award[54] | Michael Cathcart | The Water Dreamers | Text Publishing |
| Indie Book Awards Book of the Year[55] | Not awarded | ||
| Nita Kibble Literary Award[56] | Shirley Walker | The Ghost at the Wedding | Viking |
Fiction
[edit]International
[edit]| Award | Region | Category | Author | Title | Publisher |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Commonwealth Writers' Prize[57] | SE Asia and South Pacific | Best First Book | Glenda Guest | Siddon Rock | Vintage Australia |
National
[edit]Children and Young Adult
[edit]National
[edit]| Award | Category | Author | Title | Publisher |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Children's Book of the Year Award[67] | Older Readers | David Metzenthen | Jarvis 24 | Penguin Group |
| Younger Readers | Odo Hirsch | Darius Bell and the Glitter Pond | Allen & Unwin | |
| Picture Book | Gregory Rogers | The Hero of Little Street | Allen & Unwin | |
| Early Childhood | Lisa Shanahan, illus. Emma Quay | Bear & Chook By the Sea | Lothian | |
| Indie Book Awards Book of the Year[55] | Children's & YA | Not Awarded | ||
| New South Wales Premier's Literary Awards[63] | Children's | Allan Baillie | Krakatoa Lighthouse | Penguin Books Australia |
| Young People's | Pamela Rushby | When the Hipchicks Went to War | Hachette | |
| Queensland Premier's Literary Awards[64] | Children's | Sally Murphy | Toppling | Walker Books |
| Young Adult | Richard Yaxley | Drink the Air | Richard Yaxley | |
| South Australian Premier's Awards | Children's | Shaun Tan | Tales from Outer Suburbia | Allen and Unwin |
| Victorian Premier's Literary Award[65] | Young Adult Fiction | Kirsty Eagar | Raw Blue | Penguin Group |
| Western Australian Premier's Book Awards | Children's | Sally Murphy | Toppling | Walker Books |
| Writing for Young Adults | Scott Gardner | Happy as Larry | Allen and Unwin | |
| James Roy | Anonymity Jones | Woolshed Press | ||
Crime and Mystery
[edit]National
[edit]| Award | Category | Author | Title | Publisher |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Davitt Award[68] | Novel | Marianne Delacourt | Sharp Shooter | Arena |
| Young adult novel | Justine Larbalestier | Liar | Allen & Unwin | |
| True crime | Ellen Connolly and Candace Sutton | Ladykiller | Allen & Unwin | |
| Readers' choice | Kerry Greenwood | Forbidden Fruit | Allen & Unwin | |
| Ned Kelly Award[69] | Novel | Garry Disher | Wyatt | Text Publishing |
| First novel | Mark Dapin | King of the Cross | Pan Macmillan | |
| True crime | Kathy Marks | Pitcairn: Paradise Lost | Fourth Estate | |
| Lifetime achievement | Peter Doyle | |||
Science fiction
[edit]| Award | Category | Author | Title | Publisher |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aurealis Award | SF Novel | Marianne de Pierres | Transformation Space | Orbit Books |
| SF Short Story | K.J. Bishop | "The House of a Mouse" | Subterrannean Online | |
| Fantasy Novel | Tansy Rayner Roberts | Power and Majesty | HarperVoyager | |
| Fantasy Short Story | Thoraiya Dyer | "Yowie" | Twelfth Planet Press (Sprawl) | |
| L.L. Hannett and Angela Slatter | "The February Dragon" | Ticonderoga Publications (Scary Kisses) | ||
| Horror Novel | Kirstyn McDermott | Madigan Mine | Pan Macmillan | |
| Horror Short Story | Richard Harland | "The Fear" | Brimstone Press (Macabre: A Journey Through Australia's Darkest Fears) | |
| Australian Shadows Award | Long Fiction | Bob Franklin | Under Stones | Affirm Press |
| Edited Publication | Angela Challis & Marty Young | Macabre: A Journey through Australia's Darkest Fears | Brimstone Press | |
| Short Fiction | Kirstyn McDermott | "She Said" | Scenes from the Second Storey, Morrigan Books | |
| Ditmar Award | Novel | Kaaron Warren | Slights | Angry Robot Books |
| Novella/Novelette | Paul Haines | "Wives" | X6 (Coeur de Lion) | |
| Short Story | Cat Sparks | "Seventeen" | Masques (CSFG) | |
| Collected Work | Geoffrey Maloney ed. | Slice of Life, Paul Haines | The Mayne Press | |
Poetry
[edit]| Award | Author | Title | Publisher |
|---|---|---|---|
| Adelaide Festival Awards for Literature[58] | Bronwyn Lea | The Other Way Out | Giramondo Publishing |
| The Age Book of the Year[52] | Jennifer Maiden | Pirate Rain | Giramondo Publishing |
| Anne Elder Award[70] | Rosanna Licari | An Absence of Saints | University of Queensland Press |
| Grace Leven Prize for Poetry[71] | David Musgrave | Phantom Limb | John Leonard Press |
| LK Holt | Patience, Mutiny | John Leonard Press | |
| Petra White | The Simplified World | John Leonard Press | |
| Mary Gilmore Prize[72] | Joanna Preston | The Summer King | Otago University Press |
| New South Wales Premier's Literary Awards[63] | Jordie Albiston | the sonnet according to 'm' | John Leonard Press |
| Queensland Premier's Literary Awards[64] | Peter Boyle | Apocrypha | Vagabond Press |
| Victorian Premier's Literary Award[65] | Anna Kerdijk Nicholson | Possession | Five Islands Press |
| Western Australian Premier's Book Awards[66] | Mark Tredinnick | Fire Diary | Puncher and Wattmann |
Drama
[edit]| Award | Category | Author | Title | Publisher |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| New South Wales Premier's Literary Awards[63] | Script | Jane Campion | Bright Star | BBC Films; Screen Australia; UK Film Council; New South Wales Film and Television Office |
| Aviva Ziegler | Fairweather Man | Fury Productions | ||
| Patrick White Playwrights' Award[73] | Award | Melissa Bubnic | Beached | Currency Press |
| Fellowship | Raimondo Cortese |
Non-Fiction
[edit]| Award | Category | Author | Title | Publisher |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Adelaide Festival Awards for Literature[58] | Non-Fiction | Jill Roe | Stella Miles Franklin | Fourth Estate/HarperCollins |
| The Age Book of the Year[52] | Non-fiction | Kate Howarth | Ten Hail Marys | Penguin Books |
| Children's Book of the Year Award | Eve Pownall Award for Information Books | Peter Macinnis | Australian Backyard Explorer | National Library of Australia |
| Davitt Award | True crime | Ellen Connolly and Candace Sutton | Lady Killer | Allen & Unwin |
| National Biography Award[74] | Biography | Brian Matthews | Manning Clark: A Life | Allen & Unwin |
| Indie Book Awards Book of the Year[55] | Non-Fiction | Not awarded | ||
| Prime Minister's Literary Awards | Non-fiction | Grace Karskens | The Colony: A History of Early Sydney | Allen & Unwin |
| New South Wales Premier's Literary Awards[63] | Non-fiction | Paul McGeough | Kill Khalid: Mossad's failed hit ... and the rise of Hamas | Allen & Unwin |
| New South Wales Premier's History Awards | Australian History | Bain Attwood | Possession: Batman's Treaty and the Matter of History | Melbourne University Publishing |
| Community and Regional History | Pauline Curby | Randwick | Randwick Municipal Council | |
| General History | Lisa Ford | Settler Sovereignty: Jurisdiction and Indigenous People in America and Australia, 1788-1836 | Harvard University Press | |
| Young People's | Jackie French | The Night They Stormed Eureka | HarperCollins | |
| Queensland Premier's Literary Awards[64] | Non-fiction | Mark Tredinnick | The Blue Plateau: A Landscape Memoir | UQP |
| History | Ian Hoskins | Sydney Harbour: A history, | NewSouth Books | |
| Victorian Premier's Literary Award[65] | Non-fiction | Brenda Walker | Reading by Moonlight: How Books Saved a Life | Penguin Books |
| Western Australian Premier's Book Awards | Non-fiction | Jim Davidson | The Historian: W K Hancock | University of New South Wales Press |
| Western Australian history | Susanna Iuliano | Vite Italiane, Italian Lives in Western Australia | University of Western Australia Press | |
Deaths
[edit]- 15 March — Patricia Wrightson, author (born 1921)[75]
- 23 April — Peter Porter, author (born 1929)[76]
- 29 May — Randolph Stow, author (died in England)(born 1935)[77]
- 9 July — Jessica Anderson, author (born 1916)[78]
- 19 July — Jon Cleary, author (born 1917)[79]
- 6 September — John McKellar, playwright (born 1930)[80]
- 8 September — Donald Horne, author (born 1921)[81]
- 6 October — David Rowbotham, author (born 1924)[82]
- 14 November — Bobbi Sykes, poet and author (born 1943)[83]
- 14 December — Ruth Park, author (born 1917)[84]
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ↑ "2010 Australia Day Honours List" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 13 February 2014. Retrieved 4 October 2014.
- ↑ Favourite Australian Novel Poll
- ↑ Temple wins Miles Franklin award, ABC News, 22 June 2010.
- ↑ "Rocks in the Belly by Jon Bauer". National Library of Australia. Retrieved 18 May 2025.
- ↑ "Child of the Twilight by Carmel Bird". National Library of Australia. Retrieved 18 May 2025.
- ↑ "The Body in the Clouds by Ashley Hay". National Library of Australia. Retrieved 18 May 2025.
- ↑ "Manhattan Dreaming by Anita Heiss". National Library of Australia. Retrieved 18 May 2025.
- ↑ "Fall Girl by Toni Jordan". National Library of Australia. Retrieved 18 May 2025.
- ↑ "At Home with the Templetons by Monica McInerney". National Library of Australia. Retrieved 18 May 2025.
- ↑ "Lights Out in Wonderland by D.B.C. Pierre". National Library of Australia. Retrieved 18 May 2025.
- ↑ "Campaign Ruby by Jessica Rudd". National Library of Australia. Retrieved 18 May 2025.
- ↑ "Halo by Alexandra Adornetto". National Library of Australia. Retrieved 17 January 2025.
- ↑ "Beautiful Malice by Rebecca James". National Library of Australia. Retrieved 17 January 2025.
- ↑ "The Life of a Teenage Body-Snatcher by Doug MacLeod". National Library of Australia. Retrieved 17 January 2025.
- ↑ " The Piper's Son by Melina Marchetta". National Library of Australia. Retrieved 17 January 2025.
- ↑ "The Ambassador's Mission by Trudi Canavan". ISFDB. Retrieved 22 May 2024.
- ↑ "The Infinity Gate by Sara Douglass". ISFDB. Retrieved 22 May 2024.
- ↑ "King's Wrath by Fiona McIntosh". ISFDB. Retrieved 22 May 2024.
- ↑ "Seer of Sevenwaters by Juliet Marillier". ISFDB. Retrieved 22 May 2024.
- ↑ "Behemoth by Scott Westerfeld". ISFDB. Retrieved 22 May 2024.
- ↑ "The Black Russian by Lenny Bartulin". National Library of Australia. Retrieved 18 March 2025.
- ↑ "Death Mask by Kathryn Fox". National Library of Australia. Retrieved 18 March 2025.
- ↑ "Dead Man's Chest by Kerry Greenwood". National Library of Australia. Retrieved 18 March 2025.
- ↑ "Gunshot Road by Adrian Hyland". National Library of Australia. Retrieved 18 March 2025.
- ↑ "Naked Cruelty by Colleen McCullough". National Library of Australia. Retrieved 18 March 2025.
- ↑ "The Blood Countess by Tara Moss". National Library of Australia. Retrieved 18 March 2025.
- ↑ "The Old School by P. M. Newton". National Library of Australia. Retrieved 18 March 2025.
- ↑ "Let the Dead Lie by Malla Nunn". National Library of Australia. Retrieved 18 March 2025.
- ↑ "Thrill City by Leigh Redhead". National Library of Australia. Retrieved 18 March 2025.
- ↑ "Bleed for Me by Michael Robotham". National Library of Australia. Retrieved 18 March 2025.
- ↑ "The Half-Child by Angela Savage". National Library of Australia. Retrieved 18 March 2025.
- ↑ "Line of Sight by David Whish-Wilson". National Library of Australia. Retrieved 18 March 2025.
- ↑ "Earthly matters : biology and geology poems / edited by Brook Emery and Victoria Haritos ; project editor Carol Jenkins", National Library of Australia
- ↑ "Law and impulse : maths and chemistry poems / edited by Brook Emery and Victoria Haritos ; project editor Carol Jenkins", National Library of Australia
- ↑ "Holding patterns : physics and engineering poems / edited by Brook Emery and Victoria Haritos ; project editor Carol Jenkins", National Library of Australia
- ↑ "The Whole Forest Dancing: Poems on Four Legs in the Morning by Christopher Kelen". National Library of Australia. Retrieved 9 May 2025.
- ↑ "Taller When Prone by Les Murray". National Library of Australia. Retrieved 9 May 2025.
- ↑ "Love Poems by Dorothy Porter". National Library of Australia. Retrieved 9 May 2025.
- ↑ "The Rest on the Flight: Selected Poems by Peter Porter". National Library of Australia. Retrieved 9 May 2025.
- ↑ "Parts of Us by Thomas Shapcott". National Library of Australia. Retrieved 9 May 2025.
- ↑ "Starlight: 150 Poems by John Tranter". National Library of Australia. Retrieved 9 May 2025.
- ↑ "Fire Diary by Mark Tredinnick". National Library of Australia. Retrieved 9 May 2025.
- ↑ "Hawke: The Prime Minister by Blanche d'Alpuget". National Library of Australia. Retrieved 5 May 2025.
- ↑ "Together Alone: The Story of the Finn Brothers by Jeff Apter". National Library of Australia. Retrieved 5 May 2025.
- ↑ "A Three Cornered Life: The Historian W.K. Hancock by Jim Davidson". National Library of Australia. Retrieved 5 May 2025.
- ↑ "Malcolm Fraser: The Political Memoirs by Malcolm Fraser & Margaret Simons". National Library of Australia. Retrieved 5 May 2025.
- ↑ "Bligh: Master Mariner by Rob Mundle". National Library of Australia. Retrieved 5 May 2025.
- ↑ "One Man Show: The Stages of Barry Humphries by Anne Pender". National Library of Australia. Retrieved 5 May 2025.
- ↑ "The King's Speech: How One Man Saved the British Monarchy by Mark Logue & Peter Conradi". National Library of Australia. Retrieved 5 May 2025.
- ↑ "Austlit — FAW Christopher Brennan Award". Austlit. Retrieved 10 September 2023.
- ↑ "Literary postman delivers again, winning mentor's bequest". SMH.com.au. 13 November 2010. Retrieved 10 September 2023.
- 1 2 3 4 ""Lovesong"". The Age, 28 August 2010. Retrieved 3 September 2025.
- ↑ "ALS Gold Medal — Previous Winners". Association for the Study of Australian Literature. Retrieved 13 January 2024.
- ↑ "Colin Roderick Award — Other Winners". James Cook University. Retrieved 2 February 2024.
- 1 2 3 4 5 ""Indie Book Awards - Winners 2012 & prior"". Australian Independent Booksellers. Retrieved 24 May 2024.
- ↑ "Kibble Literary Award". Australian National University. 9 June 2009. Retrieved 9 March 2024.
- ↑ "Literary icons of tomorrow revealed". Commonwealth Foundation. 12 April 2010. Archived from the original on 18 April 2010. Retrieved 18 January 2024.
- 1 2 3 "Adelaide Festival Awards for Literature – Past Literary Award Winners". State Library of South Australia. Retrieved 18 April 2024.
- ↑ ""Austlit – Australian/Vogel Award 2009-2012"". Austlit. Retrieved 19 February 2024.
- ↑ ""Barbara Jefferis Award"". Australian Society of Authors. Retrieved 20 January 2024.
- ↑ "Crime writer win Miles Franklin award". www.abc.net.au. 23 June 2010. Retrieved 9 August 2022.
- ↑ ""Prime Minister's Literary Awards - Shortlist and winners: 2021-2008"". Creative Australia. Retrieved 11 January 2024.
- 1 2 3 4 5 ""Herald writer wins top prize for Hamas book"". Sydney Morning Herald, 18 May 2010. Retrieved 16 January 2025.
- 1 2 3 4 ""Queensland Premier's Literary Awards - Previous Winners"". Queensland Government. Retrieved 13 May 2025.
- 1 2 3 4 ""Temple dreams of trifecta"". The Age, 29 September 2010. ProQuest 755123483. Retrieved 6 August 2025.
- 1 2 ""Australian Literary Awards: Western Australian Premier's"". University Libraries, University of Washington. Retrieved 23 May 2025.
- ↑ ""CBCA – Winners 2010"". CBCA. Retrieved 17 January 2025.
- ↑ ""LibraryThing: Davitt Awards 2010"". LibraryThing. Retrieved 24 January 2024.
- ↑ "Awards: Australia's Ned Kelly Prize". Shelf Awareness. 8 September 2010. Archived from the original on 25 December 2023. Retrieved 24 January 2024.
- ↑ "Austlit — Anne Elder Award (2008-2010)". Austlit. Retrieved 28 February 2024.
- ↑ "Austlit — Grace Leven Poetry prize (2008-2012)". Austlit. Retrieved 28 February 2024.
- ↑ "Mary Gilmore Award". Association for the Study of Australian Literature. Retrieved 29 February 2024.
- ↑ ""Patrick White Playwrights' Award – Past Winners"". Sydney Theatre Company. Retrieved 25 December 2025.
- ↑ ""National Biography Award – Past Winners"". State Library of NSW. Retrieved 1 August 2024.
- ↑ "Patricia Wrightson (1921-2010)". AustLit: Discover Australian Stories. The University of Queensland. Retrieved 23 September 2023.
- ↑ "Peter Porter (1929-2010)". AustLit: Discover Australian Stories. The University of Queensland. Retrieved 18 October 2023.
- ↑ "Randolph Stow (1935-2010)". AustLit: Discover Australian Stories. The University of Queensland. Retrieved 16 February 2024.
- ↑ "Jessica Anderson (1916-2010)". AustLit: Discover Australian Stories. The University of Queensland. Retrieved 16 September 2023.
- ↑ "Jon Cleary (1917-2010)". AustLit: Discover Australian Stories. The University of Queensland. Retrieved 16 September 2023.
- ↑ "John McKellar (1930-2010)". AustLit: Discover Australian Stories. The University of Queensland. Retrieved 30 July 2025.
- ↑ "Donald Horne (1921-2010)". AustLit: Discover Australian Stories. The University of Queensland. Retrieved 23 September 2023.
- ↑ "Donald Rowbotham (1924-2010)". AustLit: Discover Australian Stories. The University of Queensland. Retrieved 23 September 2023.
- ↑ "Roberta Sykes (1943-2010)". AustLit: Discover Australian Stories. The University of Queensland. Retrieved 19 February 2024.
- ↑ "Ruth Park (1917-2010)". AustLit: Discover Australian Stories. The University of Queensland. Retrieved 21 May 2024.
 Years in Australian literature (1850–present) | |
|---|---|
| 19th century | |
| 20th century |
|
| 21st century | |
