In this workshop, Writing the Book Only You Can Write, participants were introduced to a unique and accessible approach to writing their personal story. 

In this workshop, Writing the Book Only You Can Write, participants were introduced to a unique and accessible approach to writing their personal story. 

In this opening talk, Sita Sargeant was joined by Santilla Chingaipe, Jacinta Mackay, and Harini Rangarajan: three women who between them show what becomes possible when you go looking for the version of Australia that never made it into the textbooks.

Personal papers of Patrick White, plus letters from White to other Australian writers acquired as part of their papers. Also papers of White's biographer David Marr and those of the artist and theatre designer Desmond Digby who had a long friendship with White.

Discover the Whelan Collection, a remarkable archive of Australian literature with over 1,000 autographed books, manuscripts, and letters from 1892 to 1967. Collected by bibliophile Philip Whelan, it offers a rare glimpse into Australia’s rich storytelling heritage and vibrant literary culture.

Get some winter book recommendations to suit all reading moods.

This digital module will introduce you to stories from Australian history that centre women who behaved badly, or were seen that way.

Vivien Johnson, Charlotte Phillipus and Samantha Disbray
This landmark publication documents the full story behind the extraordinary literary movement at Papunya.

Module
This Digital Classroom module invites students and teachers to explore the Papunya readers. Aligned with the Australian Curriculum: HASS, English and The Arts and the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Histories and Cultures cross-curriculum priority, this resource encourages students to learn about Country, language, storytelling and the purposes stories serve.

A vast repository of over 4,000 books, primarily in Chinese, covering history, culture, politics, and religion. Collected between 1950 and 2000, it includes rare texts from Taiwan and China, reflecting the richness of Chinese scholarship. 

Around 500 titles by minor and obscure British poets of the 19th century, most having been published during the reign of Queen Victoria – some earlier imprints extending back to 1801.

Learn about the research of 2024 National Library Scholar Zoe Smith and what she found during her time at the Library.