More Australian Authors Trivia Quiz

Answer: Glenda Adams

Glenda Adams was an author and writing teacher. She left Australia in 1964 to study at Columbia University in New York and had short stories published in 'Ms magazine', 'Harper's', 'The Village Voice' and 'Transatlantic Review'. She returned to Australia and became a full-time teacher at the University of Technology in Sydney in 1990, but returned to New York regularly to be with her daughter.

Not a prolific writer, she nevertheless made a valuable contribution to Australian writing through her teaching, and is described by many as being a 'writer's writer' who understood the creative process. Source: Sydney Morning Herald Obituary 18th July 2007.

Answer: Ruth Park

Ruth Park was born in New Zealand in 1922 and was a very prolific writer. As well as a long list of children's books, in the 1940s she wrote her best-known novels including 'Poor Man's Orange', 'The Harp in the South', and 'Playing Beattie Bow'. Many of her books have been made into feature films and telemovies.

Her autobiography, written in 1992, was called 'A Fence around the Cuckoo'.

Answer: Roger McDonald

Roger McDonald's novel 'The Ballad of Desmond Kale' is about the early days of sheep farming in colonial Australia. An earlier book, 'Mr Darwin's Shooter' is about the man who shot and killed wildlife specimens for Charles Darwin, author of 'On the Origin of Species'. Both of these books explore master-servant relationships and are controversial because they play with historical fact.

Some critics claim it is tampering with history.

Answer: Helen Garner

This book was 'The First Stone' (1995) by Helen Garner, and it was about the case of a master at a Melbourne University college accused of sexually harassing two students. She also wrote 'Joe Cinque's Consolation', about a puzzling and bizarre murder planned by Joe's girlfriend.

Answer: Robert Drewe

'The Shark Net' (2000) is written by West Australian author, Robert Drewe. A man he knew (Eric Cooke) murdered a boy Robert also knew. Eric Cooke held Perth in fear, killing a total of eight times, variously shooting, strangling, and hacking his victims to death. Later in life, as a court reporter, Robert shared a knowing wink with the condemned man, which haunted his adult life. Robert Drewe also wrote a series of interconnected and largely autobiographical short stories called 'The Body Surfers' (1983), which was also made into a television series.

Answer: Western Australia

Yes, they are all 'sand gropers'. I wonder if it's something in the water but I suspect it is a close and sensitive relationship with the countryside that stimulates some of the best (in my opinion) writing about Australia.

Answer: Richard Flanagan

'Gould's Book of Fish' is subtitled 'A Novel in 12 Fish' It is a fantasized version of Tasmania's early history as experienced by William Buelow Gould, a 19th-century convict artist whose studies of the island's wildlife now feature in prominent Australian collections. I loved this book which could be described as black comedy.

Answer: Marele Day

When asked about the religious aspect of 'Lambs of God' Marele Day replied: 'All conjecture. I was brought up a Protestant and knew nothing about Catholics except they seemed to have more holidays. When I had the idea of nuns, I thought 'research' - and that was fascinating. Compared to Protestantism, Catholicism is this fabulously baroque, hugely ornamented cathedral; Protestantism is a plain scrubbed pine shed on a beach somewhere.' (cited in The Australian Magazine, journalist Murray Waldren).

Answer: Chris Masters

His mother, Olga Masters wrote novels and short stories, including 'The Rose Fancier', his brother, Geoff Masters, is a sports journalist. Chris Masters has written other non-fiction books based on his career as a television journalist on the ABC 4 Corners program. 'Jonestown', the Alan Jones biography, had a mixed reception and was very controversial.

Answer: Sally Morgan

Sally Morgan's 'My Place' is a powerful autobiography of three generations. As a young girl she believed she was of Indian descent but later discovered she was Aboriginal. This sparked a search for identity that she has written about with wit and sensitivity.

The three other authors have also written autobiographies: AB Facey - 'A Fortunate Life'; Elizabeth Jolley - 'My Father's Moon'; and Miles Franklin - 'My Brilliant Career'.