'Over a fifty-year period, from 1944 to 1994, Thea Astley published a number of critical writings, including essays, newspaper articles and reviews, and short reflections and meditations on her craft. Despite a renewed interest in Astley’s work, however, most critical interrogations of her oeuvre focus on her novels, and more recently her poetry. As a result, Astley’s critical writing has not been afforded the same breadth and depth of investigation as her fiction. This lacuna is troubling, since Astley’s critical works are important not only for their insight, but for what they reveal about Astley’s self-representation, and in particular the dual identity that she embodied as both a teacher and a satirist. This article argues that these dual roles emerge clearly in Astley’s essays and in fact are inextricable from many of her works. Further, the tensions between these two personae — Astley as teacher and Astley as satirist — reveal natural overlaps with her imaginative writing, and reflect her changing ideas about fiction writing, literature, and education.' (Publication abstract)
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AbstractHistoryArchive Description
'On Kristi, a tiny Pacific island jointly ruled by France and England, a group of half-castes, native Melanesians, and sympathetic colonials grab for independence and Gavi Salway, grandson of an old-time planter, is torn between loyalties.' (Publication summary)
Publication Details of Only Known VersionEarliest 2 Known Versions of
Other Formats
- Also braille and sound recording, large print
Works about this Work
-
Double Trouble : The Teacher/Satirist Duality in Thea Astley’s Critical Writings
2019
single work
criticism
— Appears in: Queensland Review , December vol. 26 no. 2 2019; (p. 218-231) -
Thea Astley : Writing in Overpoweringly a Male Dominated Literary World
2010
single work
criticism
— Appears in: The Indian Review of World Literature in English , July vol. 6 no. 2 2010; This paper is an attempt to explore different themes in the novels of Thea Astley.(p. 1) -
Thea Astley : Exploring the Centre
2004
single work
criticism
— Appears in: Subverting the Empire : Explorers and Exploration in Australian Fiction 2004; (p. 97-144) -
Colonial History and Post-Colonial Fiction : The Writing of Thea Astley
1999
single work
criticism
— Appears in: Australian Literary Studies , May vol. 19 no. 1 1999; (p. 21-31) Thea Astley's Fictional Worlds 2006; (p. 142-152) -
'The Poetry of Revolution' in Thea Astley's "Beachmasters"
1996
single work
criticism
— Appears in: Nationalism vs. Internationalism : (Inter)National Dimensions of Literatures in English 1996; (p. 511-516)
-
A Short-Lived Attempt at Independence
1985
single work
review
— Appears in: The Weekend Australian Magazine , 16-17 March 1985; (p. 11)
— Review of Beachmasters 1985 single work novel ; Scission 1985 selected work short story -
Astley : Pathos and Comedy
1985
single work
review
— Appears in: The Canberra Times , 6 April 1985; (p. 17)
— Review of Beachmasters 1985 single work novel -
Bizarre and Pitiful Rebellion
1985
single work
review
— Appears in: The Age , 16 March 1985; (p. 13)
— Review of Beachmasters 1985 single work novel -
Skill and Subtlety in the Tropics
1985
single work
review
— Appears in: The Sydney Morning Herald , 9 March 1985; (p. 41-42)
— Review of Beachmasters 1985 single work novel -
Soft Revolution and Vibrant Life
1985
single work
review
— Appears in: The Advertiser , 9 March 1985; (p. 7)
— Review of Beachmasters 1985 single work novel -
Thea Astley : Exploring the Centre
2004
single work
criticism
— Appears in: Subverting the Empire : Explorers and Exploration in Australian Fiction 2004; (p. 97-144) -
Thea Astley : Writing in Overpoweringly a Male Dominated Literary World
2010
single work
criticism
— Appears in: The Indian Review of World Literature in English , July vol. 6 no. 2 2010; This paper is an attempt to explore different themes in the novels of Thea Astley.(p. 1) -
Revolution as Bodily Fiction - Thea Astley and Margaret Atwood
1990
single work
criticism
— Appears in: Antipodes , Winter vol. 4 no. 2 1990; (p. 109-116) -
Thea Astley
Candida Baker
(interviewer),
1986
single work
biography
interview
— Appears in: Yacker : Australian Writers Talk About Their Work 1986; (p. 28-53) -
Australia's Pacific Identity
1993
single work
criticism
— Appears in: Antipodes , June vol. 7 no. 1 1993; (p. 45-50)
Awards
- 1986 winner ASAL Awards — ALS Gold Medal
Last amended 6 Dec 2021 09:47:27
Subjects:
- South Pacific, Pacific Region,
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