Australian National Dictionary
The story of our language is the story of us
The proposed abolition of the Australian National Dictionary Centre represents a significant retreat from the Australian National University’s long-standing commitment to supporting a national public culture. This should alarm all of us, not least the Australian taxpayer who contributes $220 million a year – received by no other Australian university – so that the ANU can conduct significant research ‘supporting the development of Australia’s national unity and identity, including by improving Australia’s understanding of itself and the history and culture of its Indigenous peoples, its Asia-Pacific neighbours, and its place in the international community’.
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This year’s ABR Elizabeth Jolley Short Story Prize attracted 1275 entries. There was a strong representation from Australia though Jolley continues to grow in international stature, with entries coming from thirty-five countries. The Jolley Prize is one of the world’s most lucrative prizes for an unpublished story in English.
... (read more)In this week’s ABR podcast, Amanda Laugesen asks what the word ‘bogan’ says about Australian culture and society. Laugesen, who is Chief Editor of The Australian National Dictionary, explains the history of the word and its derivatives, including boganity. Listen to Amanda Laugesen’s reading ‘On Boganism’, which appears in the November 2022 issue of ABR.
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