Great Australian Literature Trivia Quiz

Answer: 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.

Answer: 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.

Answer: 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".

Answer: My Brilliant Career

"My Brilliant Career", published in 1901, was Miles Franklin's first novel. Miles Franklin was born Stella Maria Sarah Miles Franklin in 1879 in New South Wales. The Miles Franklin Award was established in 1954 with a bequest from the author's estate. The first award went to Patrick White for "Voss" in 1957.

Answer: Peter Carey

"Oscar and Lucinda" was Carey's third novel. It was made into a movie in 1997 starring Ralph Fiennes as Oscar and Cate Blanchett as Lucinda. It was Cate Blanchett's first major film role. Peter Carey has also won Miles Franklin Awards for "Bliss" (1981) and "Jack Maggs" (1998).

Answer: "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.

Answer: 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.

Answer: 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".

Answer: "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.

Answer: 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.