Reference

That Good Old Tyranny of Distance

by Paul Brunton •

June-July 2004, no. 262

Dictionary of Literary Biography Volume 289: Australian Writers, 1950-1975' edited by Selina Samuels

Gale Group, US $270.50 hb, 462 pp

Reference

That Good Old Tyranny of Distance

by Paul Brunton •

June-July 2004, no. 262

This is the third volume in this US reference series that is dedicated to Australian writers. It includes writers who produced their first important book between 1950 and 1975. The Dictionary, which is held by all the major reference and research libraries around the world provides a welcome opportunity to display Australian writing in an international setting.

Forty writers are represented, from Robert Adamson to Patricia Wrightson. Each entry consists of a critical essay, a comprehensive bibliography of the author’s works, a select listing of the secondary literature and a note on the location of the author’s papers. There is also a portrait of each writer. The entries are written by Australians, many of whom have previously published on their subjects.

Paul Brunton

Paul Brunton is Emeritus Curator, State Library of New South Wales and an Honorary Associate of the School of Philosophical and Historical Inquiry, University of Sydney. He was Senior Curator, Mitchell Library, State Library of New South Wales, from 2002–12 and Curator of Manuscripts from 1986 to 2001. He is preparing an annotated edition of the original handwritten journal and logbook of William Bligh kept on HMS Bounty, 1787–1789, for publication by Allen & Unwin.