From mid-1900 until mid-1902, Henry Lawson lived in England, pursuing fame and fortune on what he perceived to be a bigger and more esteemed literary stage than the one he struggled to secure a comfortable living from in Australia. Before leaving Australian shores, he published a controversial article in the Bulletin, advising young Australian writers to seek success in England or America (or even Timbuctoo). Failing that, Lawson’s advice to any aspiring Australian writers was that they needed to kill themselves. When Lawson lived in England, he found many things were not as grand as he had imagined. He recorded his impressions of London and English life in a number of works where it is clear that he expected things to be different to the realities he discovered.

Lawson works discussed in the episode:

“Pursuing Literature” in Australia. Originally published in The Bulletin, 21 January 1899.

Grimy Old Babylon. Originally published in The Daily Telegraph, 2 August 1902.

A Voice from the City. Originally published in The Bulletin, 1 October 1903.

Letters to Jack Cornstalk. Originally published in Triangles of Life and Other Stories, October 1913.