2009 in Australian literature
This article presents a list of the historical events and publications of Australian literature during 2009.
Events
- HarperCollins takes over ABC Books – the publishing arm of the Australian Broadcasting Corporation.
- Caro Llewellyn, resigns as director of the new Centre for Books, Writing and Ideas in Melbourne before taking up the role. Chrissy Sharp, the Australian general manager of Sadler's Wells Theatre in London, is appointed to take her place.
- The Australia-Asia Literary Award, based in Western Australia, is suspended.
Major publications
Literary fiction
- Steven Amsterdam – Things We Didn't See Coming
- Peter Carey – Parrot and Olivier in America
- Steven Carroll – The Lost life
- Brian Castro – The Bath Fugues
- Nick Cave – The Death of Bunny Munro
- Tracy Crisp – Black Dust Dancing
- Deborah Forster – The Book of Emmett
- Andrea Goldsmith – Reunion
- Marion Halligan – Valley of Grace
- Sonya Hartnett – Butterfly
- Eva Hornung – Dog Boy
- Katherine Johnson – Pescador's Wake
- Tom Keneally – The People's Train
- Kate Legge – The Marriage Club
- David Malouf – Ransom
- Alex Miller – Lovesong
- Jennifer Mills – The Diamond Anchor
- Sonia Orchard – The Virtuoso
- Susan Varga – Headlong
Children's and Young Adult fiction
- Allan Baille – Krakatoa Lighthouse
- Alyssa Brugman – Girl Next Door
- Judith Clarke – The Winds of Heaven
- Paul Jennings – The Nest
- Justine Larbalestier – How to Ditch Your Fairy
- Sophie Masson – The Madman of Venice
- David Metzenthen – Jarvis 24
- Tohby Riddle – The Lucky Ones
- Sean Williams – The Scarecrow
Crime and Mystery
- Robert G. Barrett – High Noon in Nimbin
- Sydney Bauer – Move to Strike
- Marshall Browne – The Iron Heart
- Peter Corris – Deep Water
- Garry Disher – Blood Moon
- Kathryn Fox – Blood Born
- Leah Giarratano – Black Ice
- Bronwyn Parry – Dark Country
Romance
- Michelle Douglas – The Aristocrat and The Single Mom
- Nicola Marsh – Two Weeks in the Magnate's Bed
- Katherine Scholes – The Hunter's Wife
- Maxine Sullivan – Valente's Baby
Science Fiction and Fantasy
- Trudi Canavan – The Magician's Apprentice
- Kim Falconer – The Spell of Rosette
- Pamela Freeman – Full Circle
- Traci Harding – Being of the Field
- Deborah Kalin – Shadow Queen
- Glenda Larke – The Last Stormlord
- Juliet Marillier – Heart's Blood
- K. J. Taylor – The Dark Griffin
- Shaune Lafferty Webb – Bus Stop on a Strange Loop
- Sean Williams – The Grand Conjunction
Drama
- Angela Betzien – The Dark Room
- Matt Cameron & Tim Finn – Poor Boy
- Joanna Murray-Smith – Rockabye
- Richard Tulloch – The Book of Everything
- David Williamson – Let the Sunshine
Poetry
- Emily Ballou – The Darwin Poems
- Judith Beveridge – Storm and Honey
- Emma Jones – The Striped World
- Jennifer Maiden – Pirate Rain
- Dorothy Porter – The Bee Hut
- Peter Porter – Better Than God
Biographies
- Roger Averill – Boy He Cry: An Island Odyssey
- Stephen Cummings – Will It Be Funny Tomorrow, Billy?: Misadventures in Music
- Jacqueline Kent – The Making of Julia Gillard
- Harry M. Miller with Peter Holder – Harry M Miller: Confessions of a Not-So-Secret Agent
- Mark McKenna – Manning Clark: A Life
- Don Walker – Shots
- Jonathon Welch – Choir Man
- George Whaley – Leo 'Rumpole' McKern: An Accidental Actor
- Kristin Williamson – David Williamson: Behind the Scenes
Awards and honours
Lifetime achievement
Fiction
International
National
Crime and Mystery
National
Science Fiction and Fantasy
International
National
Non-Fiction
Poetry
Drama
Deaths
- 3 June – Geoffrey C. Bingham, theological and short story writer
- 3 July – Frank Devine, journalist
- 6 September – Catherine Gaskin, author
- 8 September – Rica Erickson, botanical and historical writer
- 24 November – John West, poet