Australian literature includes the literary work written by the citizens of the Commonwealth of Australia, as well as its previous colonies. Since Australia was settled by British colonies in the late 1700′s, much of Australia’s literary tradition is heavily connected to English literature. However, modern Indigenous Australians and the growing multicultural population in the country have influenced recent Australian literature. This cultural shift has led to a literary community that is interested in Aboriginality, democracy, national and personal identity, urban living and racial equality.

There have been a few Australian authors who have achieved international fame. These writers include the Nobel prize-winning Patrick White, as well as other various authors, such as Peter Carey, Nevil Shute, Morris West, Thomas Keneally and Colleen McCullough. There are also several expatriate writers who have since made it big in the literary community, including Germaine Greer, a well known feminist writer, the art historian Robert Hughes and the humor writers Barry Humphries and Clive James. (continue reading…)