1981 in Australian literature

• Peter Carey won the 1981 Miles Franklin Award for Bliss

A list, ordered by date of birth (and, if the date is either unspecified or repeated, ordered alphabetically by surname) of births in 1981 of Australian literary figures, authors of written works or literature-related individuals follows, including year of death.

• 7 April — Lili Wilkinson, author of young adult fiction

Unknown date

• Alice Pung, novelist and memoir writer, editor and lawyer

A list, ordered by date of death (and, if the date is either unspecified or repeated, ordered alphabetically by surname) of deaths in 1981 of Australian literary figures, authors of written works or literature-related individuals follows, including year of birth.

• 14 January — John O'Grady, writer, best known as Nino Culotta, author of They're a Weird Mob (born 1907)[3]
• 29 March — Clive Sansom, poet and playwright (born 1910)[4]
• 19 April — Louis Kaye, novelist and short story writer (born 1901)[5]
• 29 April — Leonard Mann, poet and novelist (born 1895)[6]
• 29 August — Wal Stone, book publisher, collector and supporter of Australian literature (born 1910)[7]
• 19 October — Dymphna Cusack, novelist and playwright (born 1902)[8]

Unknown date

• Ada Verdun Howell, author and poet (born 1902)

• 1981 in Australia
• 1981 in literature
• 1981 in poetry
• List of years in literature
• List of years in Australian literature