2009 in Australian literature

This article presents a list of the historical events and publications of Australian literature during 2009.

Events

• HarperCollins takes over ABC Books – the publishing arm of the Australian Broadcasting Corporation.^[1]
• Caro Llewellyn, resigns as director of the new Centre for Books, Writing and Ideas (now called the Wheeler Centre) in Melbourne before taking up the role.^[2] Chrissy Sharp, the Australian general manager of Sadler's Wells Theatre in London, is appointed to take her place.^[3]
• The Australia-Asia Literary Award, based in Western Australia, is suspended.^[4]

Major publications

Literary fiction

• Steven Amsterdam – Things We Didn't See Coming
• Peter Carey – Parrot and Olivier in America
• Steven Carroll – The Lost life
• Brian Castro – The Bath Fugues
• Nick Cave – The Death of Bunny Munro
• Tracy Crisp – Black Dust Dancing
• Deborah Forster – The Book of Emmett
• Andrea Goldsmith – Reunion
• Marion Halligan – Valley of Grace
• Sonya Hartnett – Butterfly
• Eva Hornung – Dog Boy
• Katherine Johnson – Pescador's Wake
• Tom Keneally – The People's Train
• Kate Legge – The Marriage Club
• David Malouf – Ransom
• Alex Miller – Lovesong
• Jennifer Mills – The Diamond Anchor
• Sonia Orchard – The Virtuoso
• Susan Varga – Headlong

Children's and Young Adult fiction

• Allan Baille – Krakatoa Lighthouse
• Alyssa Brugman – Girl Next Door
• Judith Clarke – The Winds of Heaven
• Paul Jennings – The Nest
• Justine Larbalestier – How to Ditch Your Fairy
• Sophie Masson – The Madman of Venice
• David Metzenthen – Jarvis 24
• Tohby Riddle – The Lucky Ones
• Sean Williams – The Scarecrow

Crime and Mystery

• Robert G. Barrett – High Noon in Nimbin
• Sydney Bauer – Move to Strike
• Marshall Browne – The Iron Heart
• Peter Corris – Deep Water
• Garry Disher – Blood Moon
• Kathryn Fox – Blood Born
• Leah Giarratano – Black Ice
• Bronwyn Parry – Dark Country

Romance

• Michelle Douglas – The Aristocrat and The Single Mom
• Nicola Marsh – Two Weeks in the Magnate's Bed
• Katherine Scholes – The Hunter's Wife
• Maxine Sullivan – Valente's Baby

Science Fiction and Fantasy

• Trudi Canavan – The Magician's Apprentice
• Kim Falconer – The Spell of Rosette
• Pamela Freeman – Full Circle
• Traci Harding – Being of the Field
• Deborah Kalin – Shadow Queen
• Glenda Larke – The Last Stormlord
• Juliet Marillier – Heart's Blood
• K. J. Taylor – The Dark Griffin
• Shaune Lafferty Webb – Bus Stop on a Strange Loop
• Sean Williams – The Grand Conjunction

Drama

• Angela Betzien – The Dark Room
• Matt Cameron & Tim Finn – Poor Boy
• Joanna Murray-Smith – Rockabye
• Richard Tulloch – The Book of Everything
• David Williamson – Let the Sunshine

Poetry

• Emily Ballou – The Darwin Poems
• Judith Beveridge – Storm and Honey
• Emma Jones – The Striped World
• Jennifer Maiden – Pirate Rain
• Dorothy Porter – The Bee Hut
• Peter Porter – Better Than God

Biographies

• Roger Averill – Boy He Cry: An Island Odyssey
• Stephen Cummings – Will It Be Funny Tomorrow, Billy?: Misadventures in Music
• Harry M. Miller with Peter Holder – Harry M Miller: Confessions of a Not-So-Secret Agent
• Mark McKenna – Manning Clark: A Life
• Don Walker – Shots
• Jonathon Welch – Choir Man
• George Whaley – Leo 'Rumpole' McKern: An Accidental Actor
• Kristin Williamson – David Williamson: Behind the Scenes

Awards and honours

Lifetime achievement

Fiction

International

National

Crime and Mystery

National

Science Fiction and Fantasy

International

National

Non-Fiction

Poetry

Drama

Deaths

• 3 July – Frank Devine, journalist (born 1931)
• 6 September – Catherine Gaskin, author (born 1929)
• 24 November – John West, poet (born 1951)

See also

• Literature
• List of years in Australian literature
• List of Australian literary awards
• 2009 in Australia
• 2009 in literature
• 2009 in poetry

References

Note: all references relating to awards can, or should be, found on the relevant award's page.