Australasian Book Society

The Australasian Book Society was a cooperative publishing society in Australia, between 1952 and 1981.[1] Founded in Melbourne by activist George Seelaf,[2] the society was funded by member subscriptions, and each member would receive four books annually.[3]

The society was founded through the initiative of author Frank Hardy following the success of his book Power Without Glory.[4]

According to the University of Queensland's Fryer Library, the Australasian Book Society was known to have had strong links with both communist and trade union activists.[3] Some sources claim that the society was founded by the Communist Party of Australia.[5][6]

References

  1. ^ "Overview: Australasian Book Society". Oxford Reference. Oxford University Press.
  2. ^ "George Seelaf Biography". AustLit. 17 May 2006. Retrieved 29 May 2024.
  3. ^ a b "Australasian Book Society". The University of Queensland. Retrieved 29 May 2024.
  4. ^ McLaren, John (1996). Writing in Hope and Fear: Literature as Politics in Postwar Australia. Cambridge University Press. p. 35. ISBN 9780521567565.
  5. ^ Sparrow, Jeff (2022-11-01). "How the parallel lives of two influential editors shaped Australia's literary culture". The Conversation. Retrieved 2024-05-29.
  6. ^ "The Lost World of Australian Communism". jacobin.com. Retrieved 2024-05-29.