This article presents a list of the historical events and publications of Australian literature during 1939.
For an overview of world literature see 1939 in literature.
See also: 1938 in Australian literature, 1939 in Australia, 1940 in Australian literature.
The Queenslander ceases publication after the last edition on February 22 1939. The magazine was first published on February 3 1866 by Thomas Blacket Stephens in Brisbane and published serialised novels, poems and short stories by many Australian writers.
Erle Cox – Fool's Harvest
Miles Franklin and Dymphna Cusack – Pioneers on Parade
Arthur Gask – The Vengeance of Larose
Michael Innes – Stop Press
Will Lawson – In Ben Boyd's Day
Jack Lindsay – Lost Birthright
Myra Morris – Dark Tumult
Henry Handel Richardson – The Young Cosima
Alice Grant Rosman – William's Room
Nevil Shute – What Happened to the Corbetts (aka Ordeal)
Kylie Tennant – Foveaux
E. V. Timms – Dark Interlude
Arthur Upfield – The Mystery of Swordfish Reef
Patrick White – Happy Valley
Katharine Susannah Prichard
"The Flight"
"Painted Finches"
Dal Stivens – "Solemn Mass"
Mary Grant Bruce – Son of Billabong
Dorothy Wall – The Complete Adventures of Blinky Bill
Mary Gilmore – Battlefields
A. D. Hope – "Australia"
Hugh McCrae – Poems
Furnley Maurice – "Whenever I Have..."
Kenneth Slessor
"Five Bells"
Five Bells : XX Poems
"South Country"
Brian Vrepont – "The Miracle"
Sumner Locke Elliott
The Cow Jumped Over the Moon
Interval
A list, ordered by date of birth (and, if the date is either unspecified or repeated, ordered alphabetically by surname) of births in 1939 of Australian literary figures, authors of written works or literature-related individuals follows, including year of death.
4 January – J. S. Harry, poet (died 2015)
29 January – Germaine Greer, theorist, academic and journalist
25 February – Gerald Murnane, novelist
12 July – Phillip Adams, broadcaster and journalist
22 August – Peter Steele, poet (died 2012)
6 September – Barbara Hanrahan, writer (died 1991)
7 October – Clive James, poet, novelist and critic
30 December – Glenda Adams, novelist (died 2007)
Unknown date
John Baxter, novelist and biographer
Victor Kelleher, novelist
A list, ordered by date of death (and, if the date is either unspecified or repeated, ordered alphabetically by surname) of deaths in 1939 of Australian literary figures, authors of written works or literature-related individuals follows, including year of birth.
3 May – Hilary Lofting, novelist, travel writer, journalist and editor (born 1881)
19 December – Edward Sorenson, poet (born 1869)