Australian literature: Short stories
How do you find short stories?
- select the Browse alphabetically tab
- choose subjects from the drop-down list
- Type your keywords in the search bar
Or choose author from the drop-down list, e.g.:
Selected works:
- The Australian short story : an anthology from the 1890s to the 1980s (1986) Laurie Hergenhan (ed.)
- Encounters : modern Australian short stories (2006) Barry Oakley (ed.)
- New Australian Stories 2 (2010) Aviva Tuffield (ed.)
- 10 short stories you must read in 2010 (2010) Maggie Alderson et.al.
Where can you find stories in our online databases?
Find these databases in the National Library's eResources
AustLit provides authoritative information on creative and critical works of Australian literature and on more than 700,000 Australian authors and literary organisations.
In the AustLit database, you can search for an author name in the search box. In the menu on the results page, look under 'Form' and select 'Short stories'. Some may have links to an online version.
Literature Resource Centre has biographies and reviews of major Australian authors and their works. Search for author names, or use 'Australia' and 'short stories' as keywords. The tabs on the results page show different types of work, including literary works, author interviews and criticism
If you are a registered member of the National Library you can access these databases from home.
Case Study
Finding a story in a collection or anthology
Have these short stories by author Alan Marshall been published?
We can use the AustLit database to find stories by Alan Marshall.
1. Type 'Alan Marshall' in the Search box. The first author (in blue) has the most published items, so we can start here by selecting the author's name.
2. Select 'Works by' in the menu, then select 'Short Story' at the right of the page to see a list of 136 stories.
- The Donkey's Hind Legs appears in: These Are My People : Selected Short Stories
- Kisses for a Quid is not listed, however Kisses a Quid a Piece appears in several collections including These Are My People
- A Little Son appears in: These Are My People : Selected Short Stories
AustLit also shows other collections in which Alan Marshall's stories were published. The Donkey's Hind Legs is not in any other collection.
