Richard Flanagan named Boisbouvier Founding Chair of Australian Literature

Internationally acclaimed novelist, Richard Flanagan, has been appointed as the Boisbouvier Founding Chair in Australian Literature at the University of Melbourne, the first chair of its kind in Victoria.

Richard Flanagan, who received the Man Booker Prize in 2014, said he was delighted to be the inaugural Chair.

"It is a unique honour unlike any other I know of, carrying with it a larger possibility," Mr. Flanagan said.

"While allowing its holder to continue writing, it is also an invitation to create a greater appreciation of Australian writing and writers - their struggles, their achievements, their necessity - within the University and more generally in Australian society. I hope I can do it some small justice."

The appointment positions the University of Melbourne and the School of Culture and Communication at the forefront of national conversations about the future of Australian literature in higher education, school curricula and the broader community.

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Susannah Woodward

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