Emperors in Lilliput
Clem Christesen of Meanjin and Stephen Murray-Smith of Overland
Jim Davidson
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Member discount
As an MUP member you get 25% off the RRP of all print books.
Member discount
As an MUP member you get 25% off the RRP of all print books.
Member discount
As an MUP member you get 40% off the RRP of all print books.
Member discount
As an MUP member you get 10% off the RRP of all print books.
Member discount
As an MUP member you get 40% off the RRP of all print books.
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- Hardback
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Emperors in Lilliput
Clem Christesen of Meanjin and Stephen Murray-Smith of Overland
Jim Davidson
Clem Christesen and Stephen Murray-Smith were giants of the world of Australian books and writing from the 1940s to 1980s
'Lilliput', in this dual biography, is the world of literary magazines in Australia between the 1940s and the 1980s. Here Clem Christesen and Stephen Murray-Smith, of the journals Meanjin and Overland, were determined, driven visionaries. Both were very human-and occasionally bruised-believers in and workers for a better nation. The book ranges from before the Menzies era and the Cold War, through the Whitlam period and beyond to the challenges of the 1980s. It shows how the editors constantly aimed for a culture more liberal, diverse and developed than the one then prevailing. Their publications may have lacked resources and economic return, but they nonetheless possessed authority, regularly providing stimulation for their readers and for the nation
In finely wrought detail, Jim Davidson-the second editor of Meanjin-traces the commitment of Christesen and Murray-Smith to this ambitious cultural project and how it attracted many of the key writers and thinkers…
'Lilliput', in this dual biography, is the world of literary magazines in Australia between the 1940s and the 1980s. Here Clem Christesen and Stephen Murray-Smith, of the journals Meanjin and Overland, were determined, driven visionaries. Both were very human-and occasionally bruised-believers in and workers for a better nation. The book ranges from before the Menzies era and the Cold War, through the Whitlam period and beyond to the challenges of the 1980s. It shows how the editors constantly aimed for a culture more liberal, diverse and developed than the one then prevailing. Their publications may have lacked resources and economic return, but they nonetheless possessed authority, regularly providing stimulation for their readers and for the nation.
In finely wrought detail, Jim Davidson-the second editor of Meanjin-traces the commitment of Christesen and Murray-Smith to this ambitious cultural project and how it attracted many of the key writers and thinkers of those years. There are pen portraits of many of them, as the reader is taken behind the scenes. Emperors in Lilliput exhibits the enlightened creative spirit animating these journals at their best. It is at once captivating biography and rich social history.
“
A decade in the making, this book shows how to do multi-biography in a manner that illustrates a whole cultural terrain, while never losing sight of the people who made the actual difference. It’s a major work of our cultural history.”
Crikey“
Davidson’s study provides an excavation of a vanished world, an archaeological dig into the miniature kingdoms over which Christesen and Murray-Smith once ruled, both of which rested on a distinctive literary nationalism.”
The Conversation“
A timely antidote to cultural amnesia.”
Australian Book Review“
Emperors in Lilliput is a detailed, colourful and highly entertaining portrait of Australian literary life in the postwar years.”
Inside Story“
In this dazzling tour de force, Jim Davidson unravels the double helix of Australia’s twentieth-century literary DNA. By telling the stories of Clem Christesen and Stephen Murray-Smith together—and of his own experience in the middle of it all—he elevates this elegant portrait of two literary magazines into a deeply rewarding and searching analysis of the making of a national culture. It is incisive, critical and compassionate—a brilliant achievement and a call to arms.”
Tom Griffiths“
Emperors in Lilliput is a truly magnificent scholarly achievement and a great contribution to our cultural history. Witty and eminently readable, it is essential reading for everyone interested in the culture of the little magazine.”
Alex Miller“
Jim Davidson is witty, erudite and razor sharp. The genius of Emperors in Lilliput is that while the book’s focus is tight, and the research impeccable, the sweep of the story Davidson tells is both broad and deep.”
Sophie Cunningham“
With erudition (and candour), Jim Davidson tells the story of two complex, formidable and sometimes exasperating men—Clem Christesen and Stephen Murray-Smith—who, as literary editors and cultural impresarios, helped to redefine the national image and shape a public culture for a post-imperial Australia.”
Frank BongiornoJim Davidson
Jim Davidson edited Meanjin from 1974 to 1982. He knew Christesen and Murray-Smith, and many others associated with them. His own publications range from a scholarly edition of Anthony Trollope's South Africa to histories of tourism and postcards. He is best known as a biographer, his Lyrebird Rising (Louise Hanson-Dyer) and A Three-Cornered Life (WK Hancock) winning multiple awards.
Ebook
Member discount
As an MUP member you get 40% off the RRP of all print books.
Member discount
As an MUP member you get 40% off the RRP of all print books.
Member discount
As an MUP member you get 100% off the RRP of all print books.
Member discount
As an MUP member you get 25% off the RRP of all print books.
Member discount
As an MUP member you get 25% off the RRP of all print books.
Member discount
As an MUP member you get 25% off the RRP of all print books.
Member discount
As an MUP member you get 40% off the RRP of all print books.
Member discount
As an MUP member you get 10% off the RRP of all print books.
Member discount
As an MUP member you get 40% off the RRP of all print books.
Other formats available
- Hardback
$59.99$44.99$59.99$44.99$59.99$44.99$59.99$53.99 $59.99
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