The Conversation

'Like volcanoes on the ranges': how Australian bushfire writing has changed with the climate

Author: Grace Moore, Senior lecturer in English, the University of Otago, New Zealand, University of Otago

Bushfire writing has long been a part of Australian literature.

Tales of heroic rescues and bush Christmases describe a time when the fire season was confined only to summer months and Australia’s battler identity was forged in the flames.

While some of these early stories may seem melodramatic to the modern reader, they offer vital...

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