In 1882 David Angus arrived in Australia and established a bookshop. he hired Scot Robertson, marking the beginning of what was soon known as Angus & Robertson. From these beginnings as a second hand bookseller, the company soon branched into publishing, publishing names including Banjo Paterson, C.J. Dennis and May Gibbs. Over a century later, the proud A&R tradition is being continued by Harper Collins, under whose umbrella the Angus & Robertson publishing brand now falls, with the launch of A&R Australian Classics, bringing back to life titles from across the A&R history.
The first twelve titles were released in March, and include:
The Battlers, by Kylie Tennant
Capricornia, by Xavier Herbert
The Cattle King, by Ion L. Indriess
The Chant of Jimmie Blacksmith, by Thomas Keneally
The Timeless Land, by Eleanor Dark
The Sundowners, by Jon Cleary
The Pea-Pickers, by Eve Langley
My Love Must Wait, by Ernestine Hill
My Brother Jack, by George Johnston
My Brilliant Career & My Career Goes Bung, by Miles Franklin
Coonardoo, by Katharine Susannah Pritchard
Come in Spinner, by Dymphna Cusack & Florence James
This is a wonderful opportunity to rediscover old favourites and to explore titles which are part of the rich heritage of Australian literature, at a reasonable price (the RRP is $14.99). Each title includes a biographical note about the author, as well as introductions or notes from authors.
Publisher blurbs and downloadable teaching guides for each title are available here.