Telling Stories: Australian Literary Cultures 1935-2012

Telling Stories Australian Literary Cultures 1935-2012

Edited by Tanya Dalziell and Paul Genoni

‘The first, belated, postmodern history of Australia’, Tony Hughes-Daeth, Westerly ‘hugely entertaining – a sort of QI in book form’ 
– Susan Lever, Australian Book Review

‘I learnt a huge amount about Australia from reading Telling Stories. This collection is a testimony to the wealth of Australian literary and cultural productions, and these essays are truly gripping.’
– Kate Livett, Southerly
Read the full review in Southerly

Telling Stories explores the interaction between literary culture and the public sphere in Australia, in a series of informative, witty, intelligent and thought-provoking essays. In doing so it unearths the fascinating and changing role that literature has played in Australia’s sporting, political, civic and cultural life.

The essays span many forms (fiction, memoir, letters, public lectures, theatre, cartoons, song) so that authors expressing themselves in very different ways and in different historical periods are heard in conversation for the first time. Accomplished writers and canonical texts share the pages with political milestones, cinematic breakthroughs, turning points in popular culture, largely forgotten novels and memorable musical and sporting moments,  to provide a fresh, kaleidoscopic view of literary Australia.

Telling Stories follows a chronological structure from 1935 to 2012, with each year (more or less) being represented with an entry (or two).

Crawfords - Television for the people
Listen to Telling Stories contributor Jeff Doyle on ABC's Hindsight discuss the impact of pioneering homegrown Australian television programs such as Homicide and The Sullivans produced by the Crawfords in the 1960s and 1970s. He joins Australian television writers actors like Graeme Blundell, Sigrid Thornton and Deb Cox.

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