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ABR Timeline - Highlights

2024

Dan Hogan wins the Peter Porter Poetry Prize

2023

Sheila Fitzpatrick becomes ABR’s third Laureate
Tracy Ellis wins the Calibre Essay Prize
Dan Disney wins the Peter Porter Poetry Prize
Rowan Heath wins the ABR Elizabeth Jolley Short Story Prize

2022

Simon Tedeschi wins the Calibre Essay Prize
First ABR tour of the Adelaide Festival
Anthony Lawrence wins the Peter Porter Poetry Prize 
Tracy Ellis wins the ABR Elizabeth Jolley Short Story Prize

2021

Sara M. Saleh wins the Peter Porter Poetry Prize
ABR adds an eleventh issue
Theodore Ell wins the Calibre Essay Prize
Camilla Chaudhary wins the ABR Elizabeth Jolley Short Story Prize

2020

A. Frances Johnson wins the Peter Porter Poetry Prize
Sarah Holland-Batt replaces Colin Golvan QC as Chair
ABR Behrouz Boochani Fellow Hessom Razavi writes about the pandemic
Yves Rees wins the Calibre Essay Prize
Mykaela Saunders wins the ABR Elizabeth Jolley Short Story Prize

2019

Felicity Plunkett becomes the 2019 ABR Patrons’ Fellow
Andy Kissane and Belle Ling share the Peter Porter Poetry Prize.
Grace Karskens wins the Calibre Essay Prize
Sonja Dechian wins the ABR Elizabeth Jolley Short Story Prize

2018

ABR celebrates its fortieth birthday
Beejay Silcox becomes the ABR Fortieth Birthday Fellow
Third ABR Cultural Tour (Germany)
ABR Open Letter in support of the ABC signed by 100 writers/commentators/artists/public figures

2017

Four-year funding from the Australia Council
Four ABR Fellowships
Prominent role in the marriage equality campaign including our Open Letter
Michael Heyward is our first Publisher of the Month

2016

New partnership with Monash University
First ABR cultural tour (USA)
Robyn Archer becomes the second ABR Laureate
States of Poetry is launched

2015

Colin Golvan QC succeeds long-time Chair Morag Fraser
First Film & Television issue

2014

Inaugural Environment issue, with the first ABR Eucalypt Fellowship essay by Danielle Clode
Robert Adamson is the first Poet of the Month
David Malouf is named ABR Laureate

2013

Martin Thomas wins the Calibre Essay Prize for his essay “Because it’s your country”: Bringing Back the Bones to West Arnhem Land’ – our best-read online feature to date
Brian Matthews is our first Critic of the Month
Launch of ABR Arts, formerly Arts Update

2012

ABR moves to Boyd Community Hub in Southbank

2011

ABR Online is launched
Gregory Day and Carrie Tiffany share the renamed ABR Elizabeth Jolley Short Story Prize for their stories 'The Neighbour's Beans' and 'Before He Left the Family'
Patrick Allington is the inaugural ABR Patrons’ Fellow, his Fellowship essay 'What is Australia Anyway?: The Glorious Limitations of the Miles Franklin Literary Award’ appears in the June 2011 issue
Judith Bishop wins the renamed Peter Porter Poetry Prize for her poem 'Openings'

2010

Maria Takolander wins the first ABR Short Story Prize for her story ‘A Roānkin Philosophy of Poetry

2009

Michelle de Kretser is our first subject on Open Page
Mark Gomes becomes the first of many full-time paid interns

2008

Publication of the 300th issue in the second series. The issue includes a birthday feature with an Editorial from Peter Rose and tributes from contributors including Inga Clendinnen, Kerryn Goldsworthy, Richard Walsh, and Clive James.

2007

Elisabeth Holdsworth wins the first Calibre Essay Prize for her essay 'An die nachgeborenen: For those who come after'

2005

Flinders University becomes a sponsor
Stephen Edgar wins the first ABR Poetry Prize for his poem 'Man on the Moon'

2003

Former Editor Kerryn Goldsworthy reflects on the early years of ABR for the 250th issue in the second series

2002

La Trobe University becomes principal sponsor

2001

Peter Rose becomes the sixth Editor
ABR begins publishing new poems
Peter Porter writes at length about Sylvia Plath and Ted Hughes

2000

Tributes to Helen Daniel in the November issue
Aviva Tuffield wins the ABR Reviewing Competition

1998

With the closure of the National Book Council,  ABR becomes fully independent
Publication of the 200th issue in the second series
ABR moves to Richmond from Carlton

1995

Helen Daniel becomes the fifth Editor; forum on the Helen Demidenko controversy

1991

David Malouf reviews David Marr’s biography of Patrick White
Robert Dessaix’s influential essay on multiculturalism, ‘Nice Work If You Can Get It’

1989

Rosemary Sorensen becomes the fourth Editor, succeeding Louise Adler

1988

In the 100th issue Manning Clark reviews Kate Grenville’s Joan Makes History

1986

Kerryn Goldsworthy becomes the second Editor

1978

Australian Book Review is revived, with John McLaren as Editor

1982

John Gorton writes about six Australian prime ministers

1961

Australian Book Review is founded in Adelaide by Max Harris and Geoffrey Dutton. This first series, edited by Max Harris and Rosemary Wighton, ran until 1974.