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Interesting Questions, Facts and Information
- There are a total of 40 general entries. We are selecting 30 for display.
Special Topics
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 Interesting Questions, Facts, and Information
 Australian Literature
Unreliable Memoirs. James was born in 1939 in the Sydney suburb of Kogarah
Barry Humphries. Barry Humphries is also known as Dame Edna Everage, Sir Les Patterson et al...
Thomas Keneally. 'Chant' is based on a true story in Australian history: the rampage by the Governor brothers.
Patrick White. White won in 1973. He was born in the UK, but came to live in Australia when young.
| In 1994, "The Hand that Signed the Paper" won a Vogel Award for a first novel, followed by the prestigious Miles Franklin award and the Gold Medal of the Association for the Study of Australian Literature in 1995. Scandal ensued with accusations of plagiarism. Who was the controversial author of this book? | Great Australian Literature
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Helen Demidenko (aka Helen Darville). All the answers listed refer to famous scandals in the area of Australian Art and Literature. Although the novel "The Hand that Signed the Paper" was a work of fiction, Helen Demidenko falsely claimed that her knowledge of the novel's subject matter (the holocaust in the Ukraine) was first-hand due to her Ukranian roots. In reality, Demidenko was an assumed name - she was really Helen Darville, of British descent. When it was alleged that, not only was the novel NOT "fiction based on fact", but that a significant amount of it was actually plagiarised from many different sources, controversy erupted. The judges who bestowed the Miles Franklin Award were criticised for refusing to discuss the reasons why they chose the book for the award and for refusing to rescind it. The author successfully defended herself against the charges of plagiarism but the book remains controversial.
"A Fortunate Life" by Albert Facey. The book jacket summarises Albert Facey's autobiography as the story of "a parentless boy who started work at eight on the rough West Australian frontier, he struggled as an itinerant rural worker, survived the gore of Gallipoli, the loss of his farm in the Depression, the death of his son in World War II and that of his beloved wife after sixty devoted years - yet felt that his life was fortunate". Facey was 87 when his book was published in 1981. He died the following year.
| "Looking for Alibrandi" by Melina Marchetta is a modern Australian classic. First published in 1992, it is now commonly featured on high school English reading lists. The main character is a 17-year-old girl whose last name is Alibrandi. What is her first name? | Great Australian Literature
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Josephine. The central character is Josephine, commonly known as Josie. Christina is her mother. Seraphina (Sera) and Anna are her friends. "Looking for Alibrandi" was Melina Marchetta's debut novel and was an instant success. The book describes, with great humour, Josie's search for who she really is. At the end of the novel, she declares "... the important thing is that I know where my place in life is...it matters who I feel like I am".
| One of Australia's most-loved children's books was written by May Gibbs. Her book described the world of the Australian bush with characters based on the flora and fauna, and featuring two gumnut babies. What is the name of this Australian children's classic? | Great Australian Literature
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Snugglepot and Cuddlepie. All the books listed are Australian children's classics, however, it was May Gibbs who created "Snugglepot and Cuddlepie", the two gumnut babies. May Gibbs is as famous for her children's books as she is for her illustrations in them and their underlying theme of conservation. "Snugglepot and Cuddlepie" has never been out of print since it was first published in 1918.
| Which great Australian novel tells the story of Rufus Dawes, sentenced to transportation to a penal colony in Australia for a crime he did not commit? | Great Australian Literature
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"For the Term of his Natural Life" by Marcus Clarke. Clarke's book paints a vivid, detailed (some say far too detailed) picture of colonial and convict life in 19th century Australia. The book started out as a serial which was published in the "Australian Journal" between 1870 and 1872. The serial was then edited, abridged and republished as a novel in 1874.
| Which Nobel Prize-winning Australian author wrote the novels "The Tree of Man", "The Aunt's Story", "Voss" and "Riders in the Chariot"? | Great Australian Literature
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Patrick White. Patrick White won the 1973 Nobel Prize for Literature, becoming the first Australian ever to win this award. The official press release from the Swedish Academy that awards the Nobel Prize stated that it was "for an epic and psychological narrative art which has introduced a new continent into literature".
| Who am I? I am one of Australia's most popular novelists. I was born in New South Wales in 1937. I gave up my career in neurophysiology when my second novel, "The Thorn Birds", became an international best seller. | Great Australian Literature
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Colleen McCullough. Colleen McCullough is my favourite author. Her first book, "Tim", was made into a film in 1979, starring Mel Gibson as Tim. At this time Gibson was an unknown actor; it was only his second movie role. "The Thorn Birds" was made into a television miniseries in 1983 and won the 1983 Golden Globe Award for best miniseries. According to the Amazon website, it is "the second most-watched miniseries (after "Roots") of all time". The book, despite its popularity, did not earn McCullough any awards.
| Which famous Australian author's son died of medically-acquired AIDS, prompting him to write the best-seller, "April Fool's Day"? | Great Australian Literature
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Bryce Courtenay. Bryce Courtenay's son, Damon, suffered from haemophilia and he acquired AIDS from a tainted blood transfusion. Damon died on April 1, 1991, hence the title. On his official website (http://www.brycecourtenay.com/bryce.asp), Courtenay states "in the countries where it was published, it unequivocally changed the public perception of AIDS". He is very proud of the fact that his book is now compulsory reading in a number of medical schools.
Scottish terrier. May kept Scotties all her life and had around 22 of them over the years. Her home, Nutcote, has an open day during January to celebrate May's birthday. People who are accompanied by Scotties get in free, and the dogs are allowed to roam off-lead, as they would have done in May's time.
Patrick and Eugene. Grandma gave two bears to her grandsons. The scruffy bear (Boris) belongs to the best-behaved child in the world, the studious Eugene, and the neat and polite Borsch is saddled with his cousin Patrick, the worst-behaved. Neither bears nor owners are happy with this situation, but of course a swap is effected to the delight of all parties including the unsuspecting Grandma, who is pleased that her boys seem to be spending more time with their bears.
fairy bread. Fairy bread is actually an Australian party food. It consists of white bread, buttered and sprinkled with the small, coloured sweets known as either nonpareils or, as Aussies call them, hundreds and thousands. Bob, a burly builder, is quite embarrassed when he opens his lunchbox and finds this delicate treat!
Dee Huxley. Ann James, Gregory Rogers and Craig Smith are all award-winning illustrators of Australian children's books. Margaret Wild has teamed with most of them, but "Remember Me", a touching depiction of a young girl and her grandmother with a failing memory, was illustrated with Dee Huxley's soft watercolours.
1897. Despite the modernity of the title, "Teens", subtitled "A story of Australian Schoolgirls", was actually published in 1897. Its sequel, "Girls Together", appeared the following year. However, the third book about Lennie and her friends, "Teens Triumphant", was not published for another 36 years (1933).
Magabala Books. Magabala Books was established in Broome, Western Australia in 1987. The name "Magabala" means "bush banana", a plant which disperses its seeds so that they travel long distances. They have published a number of award-winning books.
"Drac and the Gremlin" and "The Eleventh Hour". It is unusual for two books to be named joint winners, but it has happened a few times. The voting system is rigid, with 8 judges (one from each state or territory) casting preferential votes and a points system used to determine the outcome. "My Place in Space" was the runner-up (or Honour Book) for that year. "The Very Best of Friends" was the winner the following year, while the remaining 2 books were shortlisted for 1989.
| Jenny calls her great-grandmother by her first name. What is the name of Jenny's great-grandmother in "The Web" by Nette Hilton? | Australian Children's Literature
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Violet-Anne. "The Web" was short-listed in the Book of the Year Younger Readers category in 1992. It is a touching story of Jenny's relationship with her great-grandmother. A spider plays a pivotal role!
a rotary fruit peeler. This is a very funny scene. The old man, looking very scared at the prospect of the peeler, is saved by the intervention of the schoolgirl cat-burglar, Leonie.
1915. Born in 1941 Roger McDonald was awarded a grant from The Australian Literature Board in 1977 and two years later his first novel 1915 came on the market, winning several awards. "1915" is the story of two boys Walter and Billy from neighbouring farms near Parkes. N.S.W who go to Gallipoli and are tragically reunited by chance. The reader is left unsure whether friend kills friend.
Joan Lindsay. Joan Lindsay 1896-1984 saw "Picnic at Hanging Rock" released in 1967. It is the story of three schoolgirls and their mathematics teacher who go missing on Valentine's Day 1900. Coincidentally the three girls Miranda, Irma and Marion share the first four letters of their Christian names.
| Miles Franklin herself had probably her most renowned novel published in 1901. What was its title? | Australian Literature
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My Brilliant Career. Born Stella Maria Sarah Miles Franklin (phew now my fingers are aching) near Tumut in New South Wales in 1879, Miles' first novel "My Brilliant Career" was rejected on a number of occasions and it was only after she showed it to an impressed Henry Lawson that it was published in Britain. After her death in 1954 Miles Franklin bequeathed in her will her estate to set up the Miles Franklin Literary Award for the year's best novel or play with an Australian theme. Patrick White was the first winner in 1957.
| Which author won their first Miles Franklin Award for the their novel "The Well Dressed Explorer"? | Australian Literature
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Thea Astley. Born in Brisbane in 1925, Thea Astley won the Miles Franklin Award on no fewer than four occasions beginning with "The Well Dressed Explorer" in 1962, followed by "The Slow Natives" in 1965, then "The Acolyte" in 1972. She was to wait another 28 years before winning her fourth award for "Drylands" in 2000. Thea Astley died a week before her 79th. birthday at Byron Bay in 2004.
The other three authors have each won the award three times. Their turn may come to catch Thea up.
| Set in Sydney's Surry Hills is Ruth Park's first novel. What is the name of this novel? | Australian Literature
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The Harp in the South. Born in New Zealand in 1923 Ruth Park spent most of her adult life in Australia and considers herself an Australasian. She was the winner of the prestigious Miles Franklin Award for her novel "Swords and Crowns and Rings" in 1977. She married the Australian author D'arcy Niland and together they roamed the Australian outback gaining valuable material for later writings.
| Bill Bryson, the American author, has done many travel books. What is the name of his sometimes humorous book that looks at Australia and her people? (N.B the title may vary from country to country but I am after the Australian title ta) | Australian Literature
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Down Under. Whilst travelling around Australia in research for his book "Down Under" the thing Bryson most loves about this country is its effortlessly dry way of viewing the world as he also attributes this philosophy to himself.
A.B. Patterson. Andrew Barton "Banjo" Patterson was born on 17th February 1864 near Orange N.S.W and died shortly before his 77th birthday on 5th February 1941. Whilst writing verse for the Bulletin it was popular for authors of the late 19th. century to write under a pseudonym. Andrew chose the name of the station racehorse owned by his family "The Banjo" as his "pen name". Perhaps best know for his poem "The Man From Snowy River"; an extract of this poem is included on the ten dollar note.
Patrick White. Patrick White (1912-1990) received his Nobel Prize in 1973 for his novels depicting Australian life with rural backgrounds. Patrick White was a confessed homosexual and in his autobiography "Flaws in the Glass" mentions about writing as a homosexual in Australia.
| What is the name of Matthew Flinders' cat in the novel of the same name by Bryce Courtenay? | Australian Literature
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Trim. Matthew Flinders' cat Trim travelled with him along the east coast of Australia in his vessel "Investigator" and later in 1803, the "Cumberland" to the island of Mauritius. There Flinders was imprisoned for several years by the French, owing to the fact that England was again at war with France and the colony of Mauritius had been claimed by the French in 1715. Flinders was heading for England but the Cumberland was taking in water; fearing his pump would fail on the voyage around the Cape of Good Hope he decided to head to Mauritius for repairs to his boat. Unfortunately for Flinders he was unaware England was again at war with France. This news got to Sydney some two months after Flinders had departed. Trim was allegedly eaten by slaves on the island.
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