Fifty years after the event, here is the first full account of an audacious publishing decision that - with the help of booksellers and readers around the country - forced the end of literary censorship in Australia.
Patrick Mullins is a Canberra-based writer and academic who has a PhD from the University of Canberra. Tiberius with a Telephone, his first book, won the 2020 NSW Premier's Non-Fiction Award and the 2020 National Biography Award. He is also the author of The Trials of Portnoy- how Penguin brought down Australia's censorship system.
"An illuminating tale about book censorship in
Australia...Publishers and bookstores are the heroes in
this...entertaining account of a 'hard-won' battle."
--Kirkus Reviews "Anyone interested in Australian history, politics
and books generally will find much food for thought in this
entertaining, well-researched and carefully written history."
--Julia Taylor, Books+Publishing "The finely detailed story of the
legal fight in Australia against the censorship of Philip Roth's
Portnoy's Complaint."
--Sean O'Beirne, The Monthly "Mullins's compelling account of these
last days of the old censorship regime skilfully draws on a rich
range of sources, including interviews with many of the key figures
involved. He gives an insight not just into how the system operated
and the politics involved, but also into a significant cultural
moment in Australia."
--Amanda Laugesen, Inside Story "Mullins has applied his skills in
thorough research, forensic examination of evidence and a light wit
to the numerous trials in different States which, in 1970-71,
determined whether sales of Portnoy's Complaint should be permitted
in Australia."
--Mark Thomas, The Canberra Times "[A] literary detective story
with a difference."
--Craig Munro, The Australian "'[A] wonderful account of how a
group of brave publishers, booksellers and academics brought down
Australia's ridiculous censorship regime."
--Barry Reynolds, Herald Sun "The Trials of Portnoy, tells the true
story of how Portnoy's Complaint was declared illegal throughout
the Commonwealth, and how, eventually, it became a book we were
allowed to own and read...The real treat of The Trials of Portnoy
though, is to see how many people were willing to stand up in court
and make the always difficult argument for literature."
--Sean O'Beirne, The Monthly "The Trials of Portnoy is full of the
juice and drama and hilarity of the courtroom...Patrick Mullins has
written an utterly diverting account of a bit of ancient Australian
literary history...superb."
--Peter Craven, The Saturday Paper "Patrick Mullins' latest effort
provides the most detailed account yet of this embarrassing moment
in our inglorious history."
--Chris Dite, Readings ""With The Trials of Portnoy, Mullins has
further established himself as a first-rate historical storyteller
and considerably strengthened our understanding of the history of
censorship in Australia."
--Nathan Hollier, Australian Historical Studies "Mullins draws on
his skills as an academic and writer to give an extraordinary
rundown on these trials...[The Trials of Portnoy] could well become
the ultimate academic guide to the changes to censorship in
Australia."
--Fiona Myers, The Weekly Times Praise for Tiberius with a
Telephone "This is, as others have remarked, biography at its best:
diligently researched, with detail nowhere else examined, and a
demonstration of fine judgement concerning the crucial interplay
between personal disposition, role demands, and historical
context."
--James Walter, Australian Book Review "A welcome addition to prime
ministerial biography...An engaging and informative read."
--Troy Bramston, The Australian "This is the most detailed
investigation and explanation of what happened...Completing a
biography of this scope is an enormous undertaking, and Patrick
Mullins does it with considerable skill...Mullins conveys the
turmoil, the atmosphere of crisis, the bickering and the
bloodletting that marked this extraordinary period of Australian
political history."
--David Solomon, Inside Story
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