A slim volume bought at a garage sale on Magnetic Island is a l985 special issue by Australian Literary Studies (ALS) , which deals with war in Australian literature, filled with informative, illuminating essays and a wealth of research details .
It grew out of a 1984 conference in Berne ,Switzerland, on War : Australia's Literary Response , organised by the English Department , University of Berne , attended by Laurie Hergenhan , of the English Department of Queensland University .
Founder and editor of ALS for many years , Hergenhan wrote that papers presented at the conference were of a high standard and drew attention to the neglect by critics of Australian war literature , a concept which could not be limited to combat action but which embraces civilian life.
The articles cover from Sudan to Saigon ; Perceptions of the Enemy; War Poetry; War Correspondents ;The Boer War : Paterson,Abbott,Brennan,Miles Franklin and Morant; Some Australian Women's Literary Responses to the Great War; Australian War Fiction of the l950s; War in Post-l960s: Johnson,Stow, McDonald ,Malouf and Les Murray ; Prisoner of War Writers .
Checklists cover Australian literature of WWl,the Vietnam War,significant historical books and articles , prose of WWll.
There is a back page advertisement for the war diaries of journalist and poet , Kenneth Slessor , who served with Australian forces in Britain ,Greece, the Middle East and Papua New Guinea, the subject of a past post in Little Darwin .
Author Xavier Herbert , who spent time in the Northern Territory ,also the subject of LIttle Darwin coverage , is mentioned in connection with his novel Soldiers' Women. Hergenhan helped Herbert when he was struggling finish the award winning novel Poor Fellow My Country .
