Locating Australian Literary Memory
“Locating Australian Literary Memory” by Brigid Magner, published by Anthem Press in 2020, is an illustrated exploration of the cultural meanings embedded in local literary commemorations. This edition, comprising 269 pages, focuses on eleven notable Australian authors, including Adam Lindsay Gordon and A. B. ‘Banjo’ Paterson, examining how they have been honored through various forms such as statues, huts, and writers’ houses. Magner sheds light on the social memory associated with these monuments and artifacts, which serve as defenses against forgetting.
Readers will find a detailed analysis of the contradictions and eccentricities surrounding authorial commemoration in Australia. The book discusses the significance of literary memorials and the voluntary efforts that contribute to their creation. By addressing the complexities of cultural memory, Magner advocates for a broader range of practices to acknowledge those authors who have been overlooked in the literary landscape. This work engages with themes of biography, literary criticism, and the history of Australian literature, making it a thoughtful addition to discussions on cultural and regional identity.
Official synopsis Publisher
‘Locating Australian Literary Memory’ explores the cultural meanings suffusing local literary commemorations. It is orientated around eleven authors – Adam Lindsay Gordon, Joseph Furphy, Henry Handel Richardson, Henry Lawson, A. B. ‘Banjo’ Paterson, Nan Chauncy, Katharine Susannah Prichard, Eleanor Dark, P. L. Travers, Kylie Tennant and David Unaipon – who have all been celebrated through a range of forms including statues, huts, trees, writers’ houses and assorted objects. Brigid Magner illuminates the social memory residing in these monuments and artefacts, which were largely created as bulwarks against forgetting. Acknowledging the value of literary memorials and the voluntary labour that enables them, she traverses the many contradictions, ironies and eccentricities of authorial commemoration in Australia, arguing for an expanded repertoire of practices to recognise those who have been hitherto excluded.
Publisher
Topics
FAQ
What is “Locating Australian Literary Memory” about?
Who is the author of “Locating Australian Literary Memory”?
When was “Locating Australian Literary Memory” published?
What is the ISBN for “Locating Australian Literary Memory”?
What are the book details (language, pages, edition)?
