Gender and Prestige in Literature: Contemporary Australian Book Culture

Gender and Prestige in Literature: Contemporary Australian Book Culture explores the relationship between gender, power, reputation, and book publishings consecratory institutions in the Australian literary field from 1965-2015. It analyzes the ways in which these institutions exist in an increasingly cooperative and generative relationship in the contemporary publishing industry, acknowledging that progress towards equality is unstable and non-linear.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 239 pages
Publication date: 11 July 2021
Publisher: Springer Nature Switzerland AG

Gender and Prestige in Literature: Contemporary Australian Book Culture delves into the intricate interplay between gender, power, reputation, and book publishing consecrated institutions within the Australian literary landscape from 1965 to 2015. Through a comprehensive analysis of book reviews, literary festivals, and literary prizes, this scholarly work unravels the ways in which these institutions coexist in a dynamic and mutually beneficial relationship within the contemporary publishing industry, a system aimed at curtailing transformative changes. Adopting an intersectional approach, this research recognizes that a multitude of factors, in addition to gender, shape the reception of an author or a title within the literary field. It further reveals that progress toward gender equality remains unsteady and nonlinear. By seamlessly integrating quantitative data analysis with in-depth interviews from authors, editors, critics, publishers, and prize judges, Alexandra Dane meticulously charts the circulation of prestige within the Australian publishing realm, addressing critical questions surrounding gender, identity, literary reputation, literary value, and the enduring challenges that have plagued the field for decades.

Weight: 341g
Dimension: 210 x 148 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9783030491444
Edition number: 1st ed. 2020