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Issue Details: First known date: 2009... 2009 Bony at Home and Abroad : The Arthur Upfield Phenomenon
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AbstractHistoryArchive Description

Upfield published thirty-four novels, twenty-nine of them in a crime fiction series featuring the Aboriginal detective Inspector Napoleon Bonaparte. His books were widely read in Australia but his financial success came principally through the publication of his work in the United States and Europe, establishing a world-wide reputation through translations into at least fifteen languages. Upfield's following overseas, particularly in America, continued to grow after his death, reaching almost cult proportions and spawning websites, newsletters and new publications as recently as this year (2008). Upfield's mysteries have commonly been categorised as 'cultural tourism', depending for their appeal on an exotic setting and sensational events. This paper contests such a view and examines Upfield's publication, reception and reputation overseas - compared to his comparative neglect in Australia - including issues of cultural translation, the nature of his readership, his relationship with his American editor and publisher, his German translator and the legacy preserved by his fans.

 

Publication Details of Only Known VersionEarliest 2 Known Versions of

  • Appears in:
    y separately published work icon JASAL Journal of the Association for the Study of Australian Literature; Australian Literature in a Global World Special Issue Antonio Jose Simoes Da Silva (editor), Wenche Ommundsen (editor), 2009 Z1605155 2009 periodical issue This Special Issue of JASAL is based on the 2008 ASAL conference 'Australian Literature in a Global World' held at the University of Wollongong. The conference aimed to 'explore the effects, on the national literature, of different aspects of globalisation: transnational flows of people, ideas and cultural forms; globalisation in the publishing and education industries; the global marketplace for cultural production'. (Editor's introduction.) 2009
  • Appears in:
    y separately published work icon Investigating Arthur Upfield : A Centenary Collection of Critical Essays Kees De Hoog (editor), Carol Hetherington (editor), Newcastle upon Tyne : Cambridge Scholars Press , 2012 Z1832688 2012 anthology criticism 'Arthur Upfield created Detective Inspector Napoleon Bonaparte (Bony) who features in twenty-nine novels written from the 1920s to the the 1960s, mostly set in the Australian Outback. He was the first Australian professional writer of crime detection novels. Upfield arrived in Australia from England on 4 November 1911, and this collection of twenty-two critical essays by academics and scholars has been published to celebrate the centenary of his arrival. The essays were all written after Upfield’s death in 1964 and provide a wide range of responses to his fiction. The contributors, from Australia, Europe and the United States, include journalist Pamela Ruskin who was Upfield’s agent for fifteen years, anthropologists, literary scholars, pioneers in the academic study of popular culture such as John G. Cawelti and Ray B. Browne, and novelists Tony Hillerman and Mudrooroo whose own works have been inspired by Upfield’s. The collection sheds light on the extent and nature of critical responses to Upfield over time, demonstrates the type of recognition he has received and highlights the way in which different preoccupations and critical trends have dealt with his work. The essays provide the basis for an assessment of Upfield’s place not only in the international annals of crime fiction but also in the literary and cultural history of Australia' (Publisher website sighted 15/12/2011). Newcastle upon Tyne : Cambridge Scholars Press , 2012 pg. 246-260

Works about this Work

Issues of Class and Gender in Australian Crime Fiction : From the 1950s to Today Rachel Franks , 2012 single work criticism
— Appears in: Sold by the Millions : Australia's Bestsellers 2012; (p. 96-111)
In this chapter, Rachel Franks notes ‘‘Australian crime fiction writers imported many types of crime fiction from Britain, including the gothic mystery and the Newgate novel, and from America, including the locked room mystery and the spy story.’ She observes how Australian crime fiction has changed along with the ‘societies that produce it.’ She concludes that for Australian crime fiction to be attractive to mass market and an assured popularity, Australian crime fiction writers must respond ‘to the changing demands of their readers,’ and ‘continue to develop the genre with increasingly sophisticated stories about murderers and those who bring them to justice.’ (Editor’s foreword xii)
Issues of Class and Gender in Australian Crime Fiction : From the 1950s to Today Rachel Franks , 2012 single work criticism
— Appears in: Sold by the Millions : Australia's Bestsellers 2012; (p. 96-111)
In this chapter, Rachel Franks notes ‘‘Australian crime fiction writers imported many types of crime fiction from Britain, including the gothic mystery and the Newgate novel, and from America, including the locked room mystery and the spy story.’ She observes how Australian crime fiction has changed along with the ‘societies that produce it.’ She concludes that for Australian crime fiction to be attractive to mass market and an assured popularity, Australian crime fiction writers must respond ‘to the changing demands of their readers,’ and ‘continue to develop the genre with increasingly sophisticated stories about murderers and those who bring them to justice.’ (Editor’s foreword xii)
Last amended 26 Sep 2018 13:12:30
http://nla.gov.au/nla.arc-63067-20090910-1633-www.nla.gov.au/openpublish/index.php/jasal/article/view/869/1751.html Bony at Home and Abroad : The Arthur Upfield Phenomenonsmall AustLit logo JASAL
246-260 Bony at Home and Abroad : The Arthur Upfield Phenomenonsmall AustLit logo
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