Most famous Australian authors

Australian authors have a different air about them – a different way of writing, of describing the world around them. Does it come from growing up in the rugged desert or the shady beaches of Australia, where the people are laid back, use half-words and know how to describe true, suffocating heat? Perhaps, but these 10 Australian authors have carved their way in the history of literature by the uniqueness of their words.

Kate Grenville

Her novel The Secret River broke ground in covering the treatment of Indigenous Australians in the time when white settlers arrived from Europe and took over their land. The book sparked criticism from some historians but received a positive response from many Aboriginal people. Grenville went on to win several literary awards and was shortlisted for the Man Booker Prize. Grenville wrote 14 other novels after her success with The Secret River, including some guides on learning how to write a novel.

Bryce Courtenay

Although he was born in South Africa, most of Courtenay’s novels are set in his adopted country of Australia. His first novel, The Power of One, rapidly became one of Australia’s best-selling books by a living author. He was among Australia’s most beloved authors because of the connection he forged with his readers. He gave away over 2,500 books a year to people on the street. His novel Jessica is a heart-wrenching tale, and epic love story, of a girl in outback Australia and the events that follow.

Tim Winton

Born in the rugged Western Australian town of Karrinyup, Tim Winton forged a unique literary career for himself by writing books that illustrate Australian life and landscape, most commonly set in his native west coast. He wrote his first novel while still in university, but it wasn’t until Cloudstreet was published in 1991 that his career really took off. His novel Breath perfectly captures the coastal life of two young Australian teenagers in the seventies, their love of surfing and how they push the boundaries of courage and recklessness to find release from their otherwise unremarkable lives.

Melina Marchetta

No Australian author has a grasp on the psyche of a teenage Italian-Australian quite like Marchetta. Her first novel Looking for Alibrandi told the tale of a teenage Italian-Australian girl at a snobby all-girls school and her struggle to fit in with both of her cultural identities. While Marchetta wrote three other young adult novels exploring the same psyche, she released her first U.K.-based crime novel in 2016, which was received with glowing reviews.

Mem Fox

Ask any Australian about their most beloved books as a child and Possum Magic is bound to arise. Mem Fox wrote the famous Australian novel in 1978; it follows the story of two possums travelling through Australia and the wacky native Australian animals they come across in the bush. Her most recent book, I’m Australian Too, is a children’s book celebrating Australia’s diverse and multicultural population. She’s a staple to every Aussie primary school classroom, and Possum Magic remains in print 35 years after it was first published.

Richard Flanagan

Although he’s been described as the ‘great novelist of our generation’, Richard Flanagan didn’t step into the spotlight until The Narrow Road to the Dark North was published in 2013. The novel tells the stories of prisoners of war in the Japanese labour camps on the Thai-Burma railway and won the Man Booker Prize in 2014. His books are set in the scene of Australia’s rich history, with Flanagan’s own forefathers migrating to Australia as convicts. He has single-handedly brought literary recognition to the tiny state of Tasmania.

Sally Morgan

Sally Morgan is an Aboriginal author and artist born in Perth, descended from the Bailgu people. Her first novel, My Place, tells the story of her Indigenous family’s past, and of the brutal historical roots of Australia, and the terrible treatment toward the Aboriginal Australians when white settlers arrived. The novel won the Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission humanitarian award in 1987. Morgan also paints traditional Aboriginal landscape dot paintings, and her works are on display in private and public collections in both Australia and overseas.

Matthew Reilly

Australia’s most renowned thriller writer, Reilly takes his rightful place next to authors such as Lee Child and Stephen King. His novels are fast-paced, action-filled and intellectually twisting. While he was young, when he first started out, his writing – much like fine wine – has only improved with time, with three of his novels being the biggest-selling Australian titles of their year.

Banjo Paterson

He was a journalist and author but, first and foremost, a bush poet. He wrote ballads and poems about the simplicity and beauty of life in the Australian outback. His most well-known poem is the iconic Waltzing Matilda. He also wrote The Man from Snowy River, which tells the tale of a brave pioneer who chases down a mob of brumbies to rescue a prizewinning racehorse.

THE USA

LITERATURE

The tragedy and the romanticism is Washington Irving. His work had on the earliest phase of romanticism in the literature of the United States. He created a historical picture of the life and mores of America, ironically describing the greed, selfishness, narrowness and conservatism of people.

Of course, the American writer is James F. Cooper. F. Cooper largely created the American tradition. F. Cooper was a proponent of democracy based on the Patriarchal agrarian views of the puritans.

The Central place in the work of Edgar Allan PoE is occupied by psychological stories, which are often called "terrible" or "terrible", many of them have mysticism. The writer was interested in human behavior in extreme situations and borderline States of the psyche, mental pain and fear became the object of his deep artistic research.

W. Whitman is a classic and innovator in American poetry. He was an example of self-made man, and perfectly expresses the ideology of American individualism. Whitman's most significant work is Leaves of grass, a book of poems full of historical optimism and inspired by a heroic era in American history.

The work of another romantic writer, Herman Melville, went through almost complete oblivion. The main work of G. Melville-the novel "Moby dick" - was created at a time when the country began to move towards civil war, and in the atmosphere of spiritual life in the United States there was already an alarming sense of impending disaster.

Mark Twain is the founder of realism in us literature, a national genius who became a legendary figure during his lifetime. His work incorporated the mentality, character, and culture of America itself. Thanks to his books, the image of the United States was formed in the minds of Europeans.

O. Henry (William Sidney porter) - porter began his career under original circumstances – he was convicted of embezzlement and sentenced to prison, during which he began writing stories and publishing them under the pseudonym O. Henry.

Jack London is an author who has fulfilled the reader's dream of heroism and romance. The subject of attention of the young D. London was the problem of social injustice. Being a tramp himself, he realized that the cause of misfortunes is not only laziness and vices of people themselves, but also the social conditions in which they are forced to exist.

Theodore Dreiser is a key figure in American literature. His work opened the XX century (his first novel "Sister Kerry" was published in 1900). The main novel by T. Dreiser, "American tragedy", was published at a time of rapid economic prosperity in the United States.

The twenties have been described by American critics as the" Golden age " of the American novel. This was evidenced by the appearance of outstanding novels by writers E. Hemingway, W. Faulkner, F. S. Fitzgerald, S. Lewis, sh. Anderson, and j. DOS Passos, plays by J. O’Neill, poetry by T. S. Eliot, E. pound, R. frost, and K. Sanberg.

MOVIE

Since the 20s of the last century, the US film industry is deservedly considered the most prolific in terms of the number of films produced and box office figures. You can't confuse American movies with anything else. Over the decades, thousands of brilliant melodramas, thrillers, comedies, dramas, and musicals have been presented to the audience. But no matter what genre the movie is shot in, movies in the United States have an exciting, unique flavor. Horror fans will be interested in watching the movie "Deborah Logan's Demons". Fans of the detective genre will be pleased with such thrillers as "Lair of the beast". Will not leave anyone indifferent spectacular fantasy "Warrior". Well, for those who like to laugh at the screen, we recommend the Comedy "Movie 43", "Three days to kill" with Kevin Costner and "RED 2", which starred everyone's favorite "die hard" Bruce Willis.

MUSIC

The music of the United States reflects the country's pluri-ethnic population through a diverse array of styles. It is a mixture of music influenced by West African, Irish, Scottish and mainland European cultures among others. The country's most internationally renowned genres are jazz, blues, country, bluegrass, americana (music), rock, rhythm and blues, soul, ragtime, funk, hip hop, doo wop, pop, techno, house, folk music, disco, boogaloo, reggaeton, and salsa. American music is heard around the world. Since the beginning of the 20th century, some forms of American popular music have gained a near-global audience.

Native Americans were the earliest inhabitants of the land that is today known as the United States and played its first music. Beginning in the 17th century, immigrants from the United Kingdom, Ireland, Spain, Germany, and France began arriving in large numbers, bringing with them new styles and instruments. African slaves brought their own musical traditions, and each subsequent wave of immigrants contributed to a melting pot.

Much of modern popular music has roots in the emergence in the late 19th century of African American blues and the growth of gospel music in the 1920s. The African American basis for popular music used elements derived from European and indigenous music. There are also strong African roots in the music tradition of the original white settlers, such as country and bluegrass. The United States has also seen documented folk music and recorded popular music produced in the ethnic styles of the Ukrainian, Irish, Scottish, Polish, Hispanic, and Jewish communities, among others.

Many American cities and towns have vibrant music scenes which, in turn, support a number of regional musical styles. With musical centers such as Boston, Philadelphia, Seattle, Portland, New York, San Francisco, New Orleans, Detroit, Houston, Minneapolis, Chicago, Miami, Atlanta, San Juan, Nashville, Austin, Washington D.C., Los Angeles, and smaller cities such as Asbury Park, New Jersey, Milwaukee, Cleveland, Asheville, North Carolina, Oakland, the Research Triangle, Boulder, Colorado, Madison, Wisconsin, and Burlington, Vermont have all have produced and contributed to the many distinctive styles of music from the country. The Cajun and Creole traditions in Louisiana music, the folk and popular styles of Hawaiian music, and the bluegrass and old-time music of the Southeastern states are a few examples of diversity in American music.

GREAT BRITAIN

MUSIC

Modern music can already boast of its richness and diversity. In the 50s, rock and roll appeared in England. The British were among the first to get acquainted with a culture that combined American country, African Blues, soul, and rhythm and Blues. As a result, a new kind of rock ' n ' roll has emerged, called the beat. The Beatles have made this genre famous all over the world. In the 70s, there are no less well-known genres that have become very popular all over the world. For example, punk (Sex Pistols), folk — rock (Pentangle), ska (Madness) and others. Especially popular during this period are such musical groups as" Queen", "Pink Floyd». These musicians influenced the development of rock music. Or artists like Elton John and Mick Jagger. In the 90s, electronic music was very popular in England. There are genres such as techno, trip — hop, house, and modern youth, who are fond of these styles, gets the name "rave". Also, at this time, there is such a well-known worldwide genre in music as BritPop (Blur, Radiohead).

Various music programs, radio, and television also have a great influence on the development of modern music culture. The culture of England is very diverse and has an impact on world culture. It has a great attachment to folk music and for this reason, special clubs have been created. A large number of musicians and tourists come to England to attend festivals and concerts.

LITERATURE

The history of English literature actually includes several "stories" of various types. This is literature that belongs to specific socio-political epochs in the history of England; literature that reflects certain systems of moral ideals and philosophical views; literature that has its own internal (formal, linguistic) unity and specificity. At different times, one or another "story" came to the fore. Heterogeneity of definitions is fixed in the names that are usually given to different periods of English literature. Some periods are designated by the names of prominent political or literary figures ("the Victorian era", "the age of Johnson"), others – by the prevailing literary ideas and themes ("Renaissance", "Romantic movement"), and others ("old English literature" and "middle English literature") – by the language in which the works were created.

FILMS

For all lovers of the famous subtle English humor, exquisite British literature, charming landscapes of Albion And unbearably charming London gentlemen who never lose their composure, there are British films. Having carefully studied a wide list of films, you can find there real treasures of British cinema, recognized all over the world, such as:" Slumdog Millionaire"," only lovers will Survive"," Resident evil"," Room with a view"," the adventures of Paddington"," High hopes", "Jane Eyre".

Tasks.

Ex.1 Choose the right answer.

1. When there was a virtual explosion of musical activity in Canada?

a) in the second half of the 20th century

b) in the second half of the 19th century

c) in the 21 century

2. Where the Canadian Opera Company is based?

a) Montreal

b) Toronto

c) Vancouver

3. Neil Young, Joni Mitchell, Leonard Cohen are member of the band

a) The Band

b) The Trio

c) Drummers

4. What Angus Young is famous for?

a) He is a director

b) He is an actor

c) He is a guitarist

5. Bon Scott was a rock musician of a rock band. What’s the name of it?

a) Nirvana

b) AC/DC

c) Scorpions

6. Hugh Jackman was born in…

a) Australia

b) Austria

c) New Zeland

7. Heath Ledger, Australia born artist is most famous for his film

a) 10 Things I Hate About You

b) Brokeback Mountain

c) The Dark Knight

8. Where was the “Capote” filmed?

a) Toronto, Canada

b) Winnipeg, Canada

c) Sydney, Australia

Ex.2 Match the descriptions with the names of artists.

A. His work had on the earliest phase of romanticism in the literature of the United States.

B. He was a proponent of democracy based on the Patriarchal agrarian views of the puritans

C. The writer was interested in human behavior in extreme situations and borderline States of the psyche, mental pain and fear became the object of his deep artistic research.

D. He was an example of self-made man, and perfectly expresses the ideology of American individualism.

E. His work went through almost complete oblivion.

F. He is the founder of realism in us literature, a national genius who became a legendary figure during his lifetime

G. He was convicted of embezzlement and sentenced to prison, during which he began writing stories and publishing them under the pseudonym.

H. He is an author who has fulfilled the reader's dream of heroism and romance.

I. His main novel, "American tragedy", was published at a time of rapid economic prosperity in the United States.

1. O. Henry

2. Mark Twain

3. Theodore Dreiser

4. Jack London

5. Herman Melville

6. James F. Cooper

7. Washington Irving

8. W. Whitman

9. Edgar Allan Poe

Ex.3 List the famous American films mentioned above. Which ones did you watch? Did you like them? Why yes / why not?

Ex.4 Choose the right answer.

Since the beginning of the … century, some forms of American popular music have gained a near-global audience.

A. 20th

B. 19th

C. 18th

Much of modern popular music has roots in the emergence in the late 19th century of African American blues and the growth of gospel music in the …

A. 1930s

B. 1920s

C. 1940s

With musical centers such as … Nashville, Austin, Washington D.C., Los Angeles, and smaller cities such as Asbury Park, New Jersey, Milwaukee, Cleveland, Asheville, North Carolina, Oakland, the Research Triangle, Boulder, Colorado, Madison, Wisconsin, and Burlington, Vermont have all have produced and contributed to the many distinctive styles of music from the country.

A. Boston, Philadelphia, Seattle, Portland, New York, San Francisco, New Orleans, Detroit, Houston, Minneapolis, Chicago, Miami, Atlanta, San Juan

B. Boston, Houston, Minneapolis, Chicago, Miami, Atlanta, San Juan

C. Boston, Philadelphia, Chicago, Miami, Atlanta, San Juan

Ex.5 Choose the right answer.

In the 50s, … appeared in England.

A. jazz

B. rock and roll

C. classical music

In the …, there are no less well-known genres that have become very popular all over the world. For example, punk (Sex Pistols), folk — rock (Pentangle), ska (Madness) and others.

A. 70s

B. 80s

C. 90s

There are genres such as techno, trip — hop, house, and modern youth, who are fond of these styles, gets the name …

A. "rave"

B. "rage"

C. "rampage"

Ex.6 Heterogeneity of definitions is fixed in the names that are usually given to different periods of English literature. List these periods.

Ex.7 " Slumdog Millionaire"," Only lovers will survive"," Resident evil"," Room with a view"," The Adventures of Paddington","Jane Eyre". Have you ever watched these film? Do you like it?

Ex.8 Canadian film industry and literature. Let’s find out how much do you remember after reading about Canadian movies and books. Answer the following questions. Most questions have the hints in the brackets. Add your points and see the result below.

1) Name Canadian city where the movie “Titanic” was filmed (7 letters) –

1 point

2) How many movies in the “Twilight saga” were shot in various locales around Vancouver and the Lower Mainland? – 1 point

3) The novel “The Handmaid’s Tale” won the Arthur C. Clarke Award, 2985 Governor General’s Award and was chosen the finalist for Booker prize. Who was the author of this novel? (a woman) – 3 points

4) What is the name of popular Netflix television series (2017) based on the novel written by Canadian author? What is the name of the book? (contains the name of the main character) – 2 points

5) Name the writer who is known for his command over the fiction novels particularly the mystery genre and is famous for his international bestselling book “Generation X: Tales for an accelerated culture” – 3 points

6) Who was the author of the quote: “All mothers think their children are oaks, but the world never lacks for cabbages”? – 3 points

7) What is the name of adventure drama film (2012) based on Yann Martel's 2001 novel of the same name? (you may recognize it by the boy, the tiger and the ocean) – 1 point

8) Put the missing word in the name of international bestseller written by Heather O’Neill: “Lullabies for little …” (connected with crime) – 1 point

9) The novel “All my puny sorrows” by Miriam Toews is inspired by true life events leading up to the tragedy. What kind of tragedy it was? (connected with her family) – 2 points

10) Name the writer who was the founder of Writers trust of Canada which encourages Canada’s writing community (woman) – 3 points

The results:

• 0-3 points

You know that you do not remember much about the names of these people, books and movies, right? But it is not that important if you enjoyed the paragraph and the test! We are here not for marks, but for trying to get more knowledge about Canadian movies and books. At least now you know that “Titanic” was filmed in Canada so you can test your friends: check how many of them may know that!

• 4-12 points

That’s a good result! You probably don’t remember many things from the paragraph, but you obviously payed attention to some of them and that’s a good job.

• 13-20 points

You have a great memory if you were answering everything by yourself. It’s obvious that now you know more about some facts connected with Canadian film industry and literature. Keep it up!

ANSWERS

MODULE 2.

I. True or False.

1. False

2. True

3. True

4. False

5. True

6. True

7. True

8. False

9. False