Cirrus@Austlit

'In this brief paper I want to argue for the inclusion of classic works of Australian literature in a national curriculum. But I also want to suggest that canonical works are more complex objects than has sometimes been assumed in recent public debates. The canonical Australian works I know are ‘Australian’ enough, but they are also ambivalent and even conflicted about the nation and nationalism. And finally, I’ll say something about the different kinds of course design that characterise the teaching of Australian literature in schools and universities. This will lead me to argue for some degree of prescription in the curriculum (p.97).