For most of the postwar period, Australian literary debate was marked by the division between radical nationalists on the Left and cultural conservatives on the Right. John McLaren's broad cultural history traces the origins of these conflicts, discusses key literary works and major journals, and focuses on the individuals involved in various sagas and struggles. McLaren shows that writing became a form of politics itself, expressing either hope or fear about the revolution that was perceived to be imminent, as well as reflecting society more broadly. The work of politically committed writers is closely examined, as is the response to ostensibly unpolitical writers. McLaren also considers the new journalism and the work of younger poets. He shows that it was not until the changes brought by the 1960s and the Whitlam government that literature was truly freed from these constraints.
- ISBN13 9780521567565
- Publish Date 1 January 1996
- Publish Status Active
- Out of Print 25 May 2021
- Publish Country GB
- Imprint Cambridge University Press
- Format Paperback (US Trade)
- Pages 256
- Language English