Hal Porter letters to Beatrice Davis, 1961-1973

MLMSS 8213

fonds

1961-1973

423628

0.01 metres of textual material (1 folder)

Hal Porter was educated at schools in Bairnsdale, Victoria. He pursued a variety of occupations, primarily journalism, teaching and librarianship, before becoming a full-time writer in the 1960s. His first stories were published in school magazines, and, after writing steadily during the 1920s and 1930s, he arranged for the private publication of fourteen stories in 1942. Unable to participate in World War II because of a severe traffic accident two days before the war began, Porter taught in private schools - including the Hutchins School in Hobart 1946-1947 - and continued writing. In 1949 he worked as a teacher with the Occupation Forces in Japan, providing an experience that would inform his later fiction.

Porter's most admired work is the three volume autobiography that explores his life up to the 1970s. His satirical stance placed him in opposition to the social realists of the 1930s and 1940s, perhaps explaining the cool reception his fiction received. Some critics saw his aggressive conservatism as a veil for his confused sexuality, and revelations in the 1990s threatened to detract from his literary achievement. Nevertheless, Porter's prose and poetry continues to be admired for its controlled use of effects that attempt to capture the complex nature of experience. Colin Roderick discerns in his work the influence of George Moore, Katherine Mansfield, Theophile Gautier, and Baudelaire, among others.

In a repeat of his earlier traffic accident, Porter was hit by a car in July 1983. After fourteen months in a coma, he died in 1984.

Beatrice Davis gained her early editorial experience at the Medical Journal of Australia and commenced work as an editor at Angus & Robertson in early 1937. For thirty-six years she worked with and nurtured many important Australian writers of both fiction and non-fiction; she also played a key role in the development of Australian children's literature. Davis founded Poetry Australia and Coast to Coast: Australian Short Stories; these anthologies showcased emerging and established Australian poets and writers.

In the 1960s Davis established her George Street Studio, which has been described as 'the nearest thing to a Literary Salon in this country' (Marilyn Stacey, cited in L. Poland, 2002). Davis was dismissed from Angus & Robertson by Richard Walsh in 1973 after the 'old firm' had been acquired by Gordon Barton's Tjuringa Securities. From 1973 to 1986 she was an editor for Thomas Nelson.

Friend, mentor and editor to generations of Australian writers Beatrice Davis was a major force in the publishing of Australian literature. She was a judge for the Miles Franklin Award from 1957 until her death, and was made an OAM and an AM in honour of her services to publishing. She was awarded an honorary doctorate of letters by her alma mater, the University of Sydney in 1992. The Beatrice Davis Fellowship, a travelling fellowship for editors was founded in 1991.


Reference:
Author record, Hal Porter, AustLit. www.austlit.edu.au (accessed 23 January, 2012)
Author record, Beatrice Davis, AustLit. www.austlit.edu.au (accessed 23 January, 2012)

Letters from Hal Porter to Beatrice Davis, mainly relating to his books 'The Paper Chase', 'The Right Thing' and 'The Actors'. Also includes another eight letters from Porter to 'John', 'Judy' and 'Tony', 1961-1973

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