Unique in its field, exhaustive in scope, the Oxford Companion to Australian Literature offers a comprehensive account of Australian writing from European settlement in 1788 to the 1990s. It presents the most important achievements in the fields of fiction, poetry, and drama, and also covers non-fictional prose in journals, diaries, biographies, and autobiographies, and the impact of key historical events on Australian literature. Fully revised and updated, the second edition contains 500 new entries, bringing the total to 3050, reflects the greater influence and volume of women's and multicultural writing, and includes major new articles on crime fiction and the immigrant experience. Written in clear and accessible language, this major reference belongs on the shelf of every library and every lover of world literature.

This revised and expanded reference work provides a comprehensive account of Australian writing from 1788 to 1993. Details of a new generation of playwrights, poets and novelists have been added to the volume, along with reviews of the development of multiculturalism and Aboriginal writing.

Offers a comprehensive record of Australian writing from European settlement to the early 1990s. Contains entries on writers, plays, novels, poems, newspapers, journals, anthologies, literary prizes, movements, and professional organizations. Includes plot summaries, detailed biographies, and a number of essay-length articles on key areas, such as Aboriginal writing and science fiction.

A fresh twenty-first century look at Australian literature in a broad, inclusive and multicultural sense.

One of the best ways to ascertain a nation's character is to examine its informal or unofficial culture - its folklore. Australians' sense of nationality is defined not merely in relation to the places they inhabit and the careers they pursue, but also via the slang and languages they speak, the jokes and yarns they exchange, the objects they make, the way they behave towards one another, and the games they play. As Australia approaches the centenary of Federation, it is timely that questions should be asked about the nature of the Australian identity in a changing, urbanized, multicultural society. The Oxford Companion to Australian Folklore addresses these questions and illustrates the range and importance of Australia's folkloric heritage. Some of Australia's best-known writers, folklorists and academics have contributed articles to the Companion. Entries range from the descriptive (Gumleaf playing) to the analytical (Popular culture and folklore); from country halls to graffiti to archival preservation of audio tapes; from the bunyip to rebetika (Greek blues); from chain letters to patchwork quilts and Wagga rugs. Also included are biographies of notables in the folklore field, and short entries on myths and heroes such as Ned Kelly, Henry Lawson, 'The Wild Colonial Boy' and 'The Dog on the Tucker Box'. Many entries contain references for those wishing to read further on a particular topic, and an appendix supplies bibliographic guidance for researchers. Until recently, Australia was one of the few countries in the world that tended to disregard the collection, preservation, study and recognition of its folk heritage and its contemporary folklore. As well as being an invaluablereference for students, families and cultural historians, The Oxford Companion to Australian Folklore is a milestone in the scholarship of Australian folklore.

An indispensable reference for the study of Australian literature.