1953 in Australian literature

Literature-related events in Australia during the year of 1953

This article presents a list of the historical events and publications of Australian literature during 1953.

Books

Charmian Clift and George Johnston – The Big Chariot
Dymphna Cusack – Southern Steel
Eleanor Dark – No Barrier
Helen Heney – Dark Moon
T. A. G. Hungerford – Riverslake
Eve Langley – Wild Australia
Jack Lindsay – Betrayed Spring : A Novel of the British Way
Ruth Park – A Power of Roses
Nevil Shute – In the Wet
Kylie Tennant – The Joyful Condemned
F. J. Thwaites – Roof Over Heaven
E. V. Timms – The Scarlet Frontier
Arthur Upfield – Murder Must Wait

Short stories

A. Bertram Chandler – "Jetsam"
T. Inglis Moore – Australia Writes: An Anthology (edited)
Stephen Murray-Smith – The Tracks We Travel : Australian Short Stories (edited)
Colin Roderick – Australian Round-Up : Stories from 1790 to 1950 (edited)
Dal Stivens – The Gambling Ghost and Other Tales
Judith Wright – "The Weeping Fig"

Children's and Young Adult fiction

K. Langloh Parker – Australian Legendary Tales, edited by Henrietta Drake-Brockman, illustrated by Elizabeth Durack
Joan Phipson – Good Luck to the Rider, illustrated by Margaret Horder

Poetry

John Blight
- "Cormorants"
- "Crab"
- "Mangrove"
- "Stonefish and Starfish"
Dulcie Deamer – The Blue Centaur
Rosemary Dobson – "The Birth"
Mary Gilmore – "Old Botany Bay"
A. D. Hope – "Imperial Adam"
James McAuley – "Late Winter"
David Martin – "Bush Christmas"
T. Inglis Moore – Australia Writes : An Anthology (edited)
Marjorie Pizer – Freedom on the Wallaby (edited)
Elizabeth Riddell – "Country Tune"
Roland Robinson – Tumult of the Swans
Douglas Stewart – "Christmas Bells"
Francis Webb – Birthday
Judith Wright
- "The Harp and the King"
- "Request to a Year"
- The Gateway

Biography

Catherine Beatrice Edmonds – Caddie, A Sydney Barmaid
Frank Hardy – Ambrose Dyson : Man and Artist of the People
Margaret Herron – Down the Years

Non-Fiction

James H. Martin & W. D. Martin – Aircraft of Today and Tomorrow

Awards and honours

Literary

Award	Author	Title	Publisher
ALS Gold Medal^[1]	Not awarded

Children's and Young Adult

Award	Category	Author	Title	Publisher
Children's Book of the Year Award^[2]	Older Readers	James H. Martin & W. D. Martin	Aircraft of Today and Tomorrow	Angus and Robertson
Children's Book of the Year Award^[2]	Older Readers	Joan Phipson, illustrated by Margaret Horder	Good Luck to the Rider	Angus and Robertson

Poetry

Award	Author	Title	Publisher
Grace Leven Prize for Poetry^[3]	Roland Robinson	Tumult of the Swans	Edwards and Shaw

Births

A list, ordered by date of birth (and, if the date is either unspecified or repeated, ordered alphabetically by surname) of births in 1953 of Australian literary figures, authors of written works or literature-related individuals follows, including year of death.

9 January – Morris Gleitzman, writer for children
12 January – David Brooks, novelist and poet
5 February – Rod Jones, novelist
13 March – Stephen Sewell, playwright
18 April – Leigh Hobbs, artist and writer for children
14 May – Kerryn Goldsworthy, academic, editor and critic
30 August – Ross Clark, poet
29 November – Jackie French, writer for children

Unknown date

Marion Lennox, novelist
Ian McBryde, poet
Shane Maloney, novelist
Chris Mansell, poet and publisher

Deaths

A list, ordered by date of death (and, if the date is either unspecified or repeated, ordered alphabetically by surname) of deaths in 1953 of Australian literary figures, authors of written works or literature-related individuals follows, including year of birth.

9 April – Albert Dorrington, novelist (born 1874)^[4]
11 May – Leonora Polkinghorne, novelist and poet (born 1873)^[5]
22 May — Louis Lavater, composer and author (born 1867)^[6]
30 June – Beatrice Grimshaw, novelist and travel writer (born 1870)^[7]
12 August – J. H. M. Abbott, novelist and poet (born 1874)^[8]
1 September – Bernard O'Dowd, poet (born 1866)^[9]
14 December – Dora Wilcox, poet and playwright (born 1873)^[10]

Unknown Date

Guy Innes, journalist (born 1879)^[11]

References

^ "ALS Gold Medal — Previous Winners". Association for the Study of Australian Literature. Retrieved 26 August 2023.
^ "For the Young Reader", The Age, 5 December 1953, p21
^ Austlit - Tumult of the Swans by Roland Robinson
^ "Dorrington, Albert (1874–1953) by Ken Stewart". Australian Dictionary of Biography. Retrieved 26 August 2023.
^ "Austlit — Leonora Polkinghorne (1873-1953)". Austlit. Retrieved 29 July 2023.
^ "Lavater, Louis Isidore (1867–1953) by Valerie Kent". Australian Dictionary of Biography. Retrieved 21 August 2023.
^ "Grimshaw, Beatrice Ethel (1870–1953) by Hugh Laracy". Australian Dictionary of Biography. Retrieved 26 August 2023.
^ "Austlit — J. H. M. Abbott (1874-1953)". Austlit. Retrieved 30 July 2023.
^ Wallace-Crabbe, Chris, "O'Dowd, Bernard Patrick (1866–1953)", Australian Dictionary of Biography, Canberra: National Centre of Biography, Australian National University, retrieved 29 June 2023
^ "Wilcox, Mary Theodora Joyce (1873–1953) by Robert Holden". Australian Dictionary of Biography. Retrieved 29 July 2023.
^ "Austlit — Guy Innes (1879-1953)". Austlit. Retrieved 26 August 2023.