This is just lovely! Graeme Kinross-Smith is one of those names reasonably well known in Australia's literary scene but perhaps unknown outside of it. He worked as a poet, novelist, non-fiction writer, and academic for decades, and I believe still (or until quite recently) has been teaching on the subject of literature.

This book, published in 1980, profiles over 50 notable Australian writers. Each author is given a generous spread with a biography, excerpt from a key work, and a combination of historical pictures and photographs taken by Kinross-Smith, who travelled around the country to visit the towns, cities, and outback posts that gave birth to our most influential figures.

As Kinross-Smith notes in the introduction, he could not include everyone, so I left aside my cudgel for this review. The writers he does include are each and every one important. Literary greats like Christopher Brennan, Christina Stead, and Patrick White. Key figures in the development of the Australian consciousness, such as Adam Lindsay Gordon, Miles Franklin, and Vance Palmer. Figures remembered now for their lives as much as (if not more than) their literature, like Louis Esson, Katharine Susannah Pritchard, and Norman Lindsay. Each novelist is approached on their own terms, and always with the understanding of how their work emerged from, reacted to, suffered from, or was inspired by their relationship to this country. There are occasional moments where the prose suffers, to be honest, but the sheer love of Australia's literary heritage suffuses every page. Some of the entries, such as that of Frank Dalby Davison, seem to reveal Kinross-Smith's personal connection to some of the writers and their work, which makes it all the more special.

Kinross-Smith is old enough to be my grandfather, and this book was published 40 years ago. Those two generations separating us make a great deal of difference, largely in a positive way. Aside from the handful of 18th and 19th century figures at the start of the book, most of the authors lived until at least Kinross-Smith's parents time; the latter half of them were still highly memorable figures, several of them living and actively writing, when this book came out. All have now left us. To me, figures like Martin Boyd, Dal Stivens, and Kylie Tennant, seem like parts of Australian history; here they are seen on their terms, as authors publishing and winning awards if not "right now" at least within living memory.

Some of the writers herein run the risk of being forgotten, which is always a shame, but I would stress that sometimes this is necessary. Not every writer who makes an impact can be retained by a broad section of the culture 100 years later. Not even every good writer will do so. Many works take their strength from being a part of the zeitgeist, that "something in the air", or from how they grow from or react to others. Others will become yellowed with age simply by virtue of their political beliefs, their social context, or talent focused on a type of work that no longer appeals. This is not always a bad thing; indeed, it is progress. Not every writer chronicled in this book is "great", whatever that word may mean to you.

Yet this is part of what makes Australia's Writers such a rich contribution to the tapestry of our national literature. Every one of these authors played a part, made an impact, had a story to tell. They remain to be found here, and in such a charming way. ( )