AustLit

'Modern histories of a nation's literature require a comprehensive, scholarly approach. A serious literary history of Australia should focus primarily on literary form and content - the stories and myths of Australians in a variety of literary genres. Relevant historical contexts will extend from local and regional concerns to Australians' links with Europe, North America and, increasingly, Asia. Colonial and post-colonial contexts provide important avenues of investigation and research, employing the scholarly disciplines of bibliography, biography and textual editing.' (Author's abstract)

Examines Thumboo's experiences as an 'internationalist' Singaporean travelling within Africa, Australia, Asia and the Pacific and the impact of these travels on his poetry. Particular attention is drawn to Thumboo's naming of personal friends and acquaintances in his poems and of the link between relationships and a sense of place.

Puts the case for 'a literary and cultural recognition of the local and particular in people's lives' while acknowledging the value of modern pluralism. Expresses hope for the development of 'a kind of international regionalism which incorporates the benfits of global communications with those of primary identification with a place, region and community'.

Investigates 'narratives of imprisonment and escape' focusing on the extent to which they are dominated by the personal experience of the convict writer and the degree to which they explore the broader issues of place and community.

Taking the example of late twentieth century South African history, Bennett considers "the twin but competing demands of 'truth' and 'reconciliation'" and the outworking of corporate, cultural memory. An analysis is made of recent literary history publications from Canada, New Zealand and Australia and comments expressed on the decisions of policy-makers and literary history writers to "give priority to certain narratives over others".

Bennett establishes Australia's ambivalence about its own place in the world and then examines how this 'context of a colonial and post-colonial culture in Australia' has affected the perception of Asia and the Pacific. Considering Australia's relationship with Asia, as depicted in her national literature, Bennett focuses particularly on the writings of Christopher Koch, Nicholas Jose and Brian Castro. In conclusion, Bennett states that although Australia will continue to be influenced by Europe and North America, an 'enhanced interaction with Indo-Asia-Pacific countries is already generating and will generate further beneficial changes to Australian culture and society.'

Bennett discusses the ways in which the Balmain writers Moorhouse, Wilding and Viidikas each in their own way expressed the changing lifestyles and expectations of their time.