In this subject we look at two different periods of Australian women's textual production: the 1890's, a period in which some of the most enduring myths of what it means to be Austtralian were established in literature; and the last decade of the 20th Century, a time of great resurgence for women's literature. We begin with some classic writings of several, late 19th Century women and then move almost a century forward, reading the literary texts (and some screen adaptations by Australian women directors) of a selection of contemporary women in the context of a femal tradition of fiction-making in Australia. This subject will focus especially on representation of women's social and sexual identities, and will engage with some of the main debates within contemporary feminist literary crticism and film theory.

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