AustLit

i. History

This Association for the Study of Australian Literature (ASAL) promotes the study, discussion, and creation of Australian writing. It also seeks to increase awareness of Australian writing in the wider community and throughout the world. ASAL holds conferences and maintains a directory of postgraduate research on this website.

The Association for the Study of Australian Literature (ASAL) was incorporated in New South Wales, incorporating the Australian Literature Society (established Melbourne 1899).

View the history of ASAL.

ii. Executive

View the list of officers and representatives.

iii. Constitution

View the ASAL constitution.

iv. President's Reports

View the current President's Report and access archived reports.

JASAL

JASAL can now be viewed online at:

http://openjournals.library.usyd.edu.au/index.php/JASAL/index

Subscription Information

Subscribe to JASAL. View the Membership tab on this page for more information.

Submissions to JASAL

JASAL is a peer-reviewed journal published online from the website of the National Library of Australia at http://www.nla.gov.au/openpublish/index.php/jasal and sent in hard copy to members of the Association for the Study of Australian Literature and institutional subscribers.

A regular issue of JASAL is published each year, as well as an annual special issue, usually based on the annual ASAL conference. The editors welcome submissions that consider Australian literature in all its forms and in terms of its socio-political and cultural contexts. We encourage comparative studies with other literatures and are particularly interested in contributions that challenge received critical paradigms and contribute to public debate. Contributors should submit work to the editors online from the JASAL website. Submissions are considered at any time of the year.

We ask all ASAL members to register as Readers on the JASAL website, so that we can advise you when material is published, and can call on you for peer reviewing when appropriate. We welcome offers from ASAL members who can assist with proofreading or copyediting.

JASAL Style Guide

The JASAL style guide is available at http://www.nla.gov.au/openpublish/index.php/jasal/about/submissions.

Editorial Addresse

Management Committee: Bernadette Brennan (USyd), Philip Butterss (U Adelaide), Robert Clarke (UTas), David Gilbey (CSU), Jo Jones (Curtin), Julieanne Lamond (ANU), Susan Martin (La Trobe), Marguerite Nolan (ACU-Qld), Brigitta Olubas (UNSW), Roger Osborne (JCU), Brigid Rooney (U Syd), Meg Tasker (Ballarat).

Editorial Advisory Committee: W.D. Ashcroft (University of New South Wales), Delys Bird (University of Western Australia), Nicholas Birns (The New School for Social Research, New York), Pat Buckridge (Griffith University), Robert Dixon (University of Sydney), Carole Ferrier (University of Queensland), Terry Goldie (York University, Toronto), Dennis Haskell (University of Western Australia), Peter Kirkpatrick (University of Sydney), Christopher Lee (University of Southern Queensland), Susan Lever (University of Sydney), Elizabeth McMahon (University of New South Wales), Susan K. Martin (La Trobe University), Lyn McCredden (Deakin University), Philip Mead (University of Western Australia), Barbara H. Milech (Curtin University of Technology), Nicole Moore (University of New South Wales – Canberra), Brigid Rooney (University of Sydney), Susan Sheridan (Flinders University), Elizabeth Webby (University of Sydney), Lydia Wevers (Wellington University, New Zealand).

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Become a Member
Annual Membership of ASAL brings the following benefits:

• Receipt of the ASAL newsletter notifying about relevant conference, news and events in the field

• Members are eligible to present at ASAL conferences, both at mini-conference and main annual conferences

• Postgraduate members are eligible to apply for bursaries (to the value of $750) to support their attendance at ASAL conferences

• Postgraduate members are eligible to enter the annual A. D. Hope Prize for Best Postgraduate Essay (see Awards for more information)

• Access to networks and resources for your own Australian literature-related initiatives with the support of ASAL State Representatives and/or Postgraduate and Early Career Researcher Representatives 

Membership is for the financial year: July 1 – June 30

ASAL membership fees are as follows:

• $90 for individuals
  

• $110 for institutions
  

• $60 for concession holders and unwaged
  

• $40 for postgraduates (special two-year membership)
  

Contact the Treasurer, Roger Osborne (roger.osborne@jcu.edu.au), for more information.

Donate

ASAL is now listed on the National Register of Cultural Organisations, which means that donations to the Public Fund are tax deductible. The Fund is used to support the aims and objectives of ASAL as a cultural organisation, in particular the offering of the following prizes:

• The ALS Gold Medal

• The McRae Russell Prize

• The Mary Gilmore Award

• The A.A. Phillips prize

Donations are processed through PayPal.

Contact the Treasurer, Roger Osborne (roger.osborne@jcu.edu.au), for more information.

ASAL Seed Funding Grants 2018

(previously known as the ASAL Mini-grant Scheme)

Description: This grant scheme seeks to provide seed funding to support original and high-quality projects undertaken by scholars working in the field of Australian literary studies. This scheme will provide the kind of assistance scholars might expect to receive as full-time employees or postgraduate students in academic institutions.

Amount: Up to $2,000 (maximum).

Criteria: Grants are only available to financial members of ASAL. The successful applications will demonstrate scholarly merit and contribution to the field.

Purpose: Seed funding grants may be used for the following kinds of work: travel to archival holdings, conference attendance, organisation of symposia or other events that are seminal for an ongoing research project, duplication and reproduction rights for publications. 

How: The applicant will complete the short application form available on the ASAL website here. Please email the completed application to Dr Fiona Morrison (f.morrison@unsw.edu.au) by close of business on 30 September, 2018.

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

Subscribe to our newsletter by emailing katie.hansord@gmail.com.

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Postgraduate Bursaries

Copyright Agency Bursaries for Postgraduates Attending ASAL Conferences 

ASAL provides bursaries for postgraduates presenting papers at ASAL conferences who would like some support for travel and/or accommodation costs. These bursaries are funded by Copyright Agency and are valued at up to $750 each. 

When do I apply?

You should apply for the Postgraduate Bursary before the conference starts, but after your paper has been accepted. Please take note of any specific advice and deadlines for applications by checking the conference website. The funding pool is not unlimited, so it is best to apply as soon as you can after acceptance of your paper, before the conference begins. Conference conveners will advise you by email if/when your application is approved/successful.

How do I apply? 

Email your request for a bursary to the conveners of the relevant ASAL conference. In your email, please provide the following details:

• Name, postgrad degree, home institution
• Title of paper accepted for conference 
• List of costed items for which you are seeking support 
• Details of any funding for conference travel you're receiving from your home institution
• Name and email of your supervisor (if possible, you should also attach or forward a supporting email from your supervisor confirming that you are without institutional funding, or else indicating what funding you are receiving).

When are the funds provided? 

Once the conference has ended, you can seek reimbursement for approved costs. Just send an email with scans of your receipts to the ASAL Treasurer, Roger Osborne (roger.osborne@jcu.edu.au).

Postgraduate Representatives

In 2017 ASAL’s postgraduate representatives are Keyvan Allahyari and Imogen Mathew. To join the ASAL postgraduate email list, please contact Keyvan by sending an email to asalpostgraduates@gmail.com.

Postgraduate Reports

View archived Postgraduate Reports:

• 2006 report

• 2007 report

• 2008 report

• 2010 report

Completed Theses

Click here to see a list of completed theses in Australian literary culture.

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Annual Conference

ASAL's 2018 conference, The Literary Interface, will be held at Australian National University, 4-7 July 2018.

View full details.

Mini-conference

ASAL's 2018 mini-conference was held in Darwin, 8-9 February 2018.

View full details.

Past Conferences

View information on past conferences.

ASAL Patrons Lectures

About Patrons Lectures

Patrons Lectures are hosted by ASAL with funding from the Copyright Agency. These lectures – of which there will be at least two per year – support emerging and distinguished Australian writers to travel to locations around Australia to present a public talk or lecture on a topic of his or her choosing for a broader public.

One of the two lectures each year should be held in a regional location with the other in a major capital city. Patrons Lectures can be stand alone events, or coupled with other events and initiatives, such as regional writers festivals and the like. They should be free to the public (a condition of Copyright Agency funding). 

By bringing Australian writers into a wide range of communities, Patrons Lectures aim to stimulate broad interest in Australian writing and facilitate deeper understanding between writers, the academy, secondary teachers and the reading public.

How to Apply for Patrons Lecture Funding

Any ASAL member is eligible to apply for funding to run a Patrons Lecture. Proposals can be designed to connect in with adjacent or associated events, seminars or festivals, and can represent an opportunity for public outreach and impact. 

Priority may be given to events proposed for regional locations. The costs associated with such an event are usually between $3000 and $6000. Approval of the proposal will depend on the amount of funds available (or remaining for a given year) and on the details of the proposal and the circumstances outlined.

The proposal should contain:

• A brief outline or proposal that addresses aims of Patrons Lectures described above.
• Details of the planned event: identify which writer you will invite (indicating whether you have an informal agreement with the relevant writer at this stage); and provide your proposed date, time, and venue.
• A proposed budget: the appropriate costs would normally include the honorarium for the writer (at the ASA rate of $1000), as well as 1-2 nights’ accommodation, travel and transfer costs, venue hire, catering, and any specific publicity. 

Submit your proposal to the ASAL executive at any time of the year, but please do so well in advance of your proposed event. Applications will be considered in relation to the above aims and criteria and with respect to available Copyright Agency funding.

View information on past lectures.

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ASAL oversees the following awards:

• ALS Gold Medal

We are grateful to the following ALS Gold Medal Donors:  Bill Ashcroft, Bernadette Brennan, Judith Brett, Philip Butterss, Julian Croft, Tony Hughes-D’aeth, Kieran Dolin, Paul Eggert, Frances de Groen, Margaret Harris, Nick Hasluck, Harry Heseltine, Helen Hewson, Ivor Indyk, Lynn Jacobs, Gail Jones, Veronica Kelly, Alan Lawson, Susan Lever, Elaine Lindsay, Philip Mead, Barbara Milech, Nicole Moore, Elizabeth Morrison, Heather Neilson, Jill Roe, Brigid Rooney, Paul Sharrad, Susan Sheridan, Tony Simoes da Silva, Yvonne Smith, Andrew Taylor, Helen Tiffin, Shirley Walker, Elizabeth Webby, Jim Wieland, Gerry Wilkes, John McLaren

Donations may be made through the following link: http://www.austlit.edu.au/austlit/page/7359520

• Walter McRae Russell Award

• A.A. Phillips Award

• Margarey Medal for Biography

• A.D. Hope Prize

• Alvie Egan Award

See more information on procedures, judges, and current lists.

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Current

Archive

2013 - 2016 News (PDF)

2017 News (PDF)

Vale

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Follow ASAL on social media via the links below:

ASAL Facebook

ASAL Twitter

Further Links:

Association for Australian Studies

ASA – Australian Society of Authors

ACLALS: Association for Commonwealth Literature and Language Studies

AustLit: The Australian Literature Resource

Australia’s Cultural Network

Centre for Australian Language and Literature Studies

EASA – European Association for Studies of Australia

ETA – English Teachers Association

InASA – International Australian Studies Association

SETIS – Sydney Electronic Text and Image Service

Teaching Australian Literature Resource website

The Westerly Centre for Australian and Asian Literature

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Videos and Audio

Gallery (forthcoming)

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