AustLit database of Australian Literature

State Library of Queensland now provides State-wide access to the AustLit database for all Queensland Independent, RLQ, Indigenous Knowledge Centre and State Library members.

About AustLit
AustLit is an authoritative database about Australian literature and storytelling, with biographical and bibliographical information, full text, exhibitions and rich online content.

The database is brought to you by The University of Queensland in collaboration with many academic, library, and research organisations. AustLit supports research into, and the teaching of, Australian literary, narrative, and print cultures and the expansion of knowledge about the place of story in Australian culture in the past and present.

Scope
AustLit contains more than 1 million records on more than 170,000 writers and organisations involved with the creation of over 920,000 works in English, LOTE and in translation. You can find novels, stories, poems, films and TV, children’s and YA, biography, criticism reviews, literary history and more.

There are more than 87,000 full text items made up of full text published, hosted, or digitised by AustLit, or of bibliographical records with links to external sites that make full text available.

AustLit is an excellent resource for teachers and students, at primary and secondary schools, or universities and TAFE.

BlackWords
AustLit includes BlackWords - the most comprehensive record of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander publications available with writing, storytelling, biographical material, film and much more.

Records include published, unpublished books, stories, plays, poems, and secondary works associated with First Nations Australian writers and storytellers, works in English, translations, and in Australian languages.

There are over 1500 children's works including picture books, children's fiction, poetry, autobiography, short stories, and drama. Teachers can use BlackWords to help embed Indigenous perspectives in their teaching practices and expand students’ understanding of Australia's history and their knowledge of the rich and diverse cultural heritage of Australia's First Nations peoples.

BlackWords also provides access to curated lists of writing from Australia and the Torres Strait Islands.

Cultural Heritage tool

The Cultural Heritage search returns works by writer’s heritage with the option to limit to types of works. A great way to find local authors.

Further details

The database is an indispensable part of every researcher’s, teacher’s and reader’s toolkit. Let library members know that AustLit is available now. If you have technical questions or require an AustLit MARC record for your catalogue please contact eresources@slq.qld.gov.au.