1987 in Australian literature

• Glenda Adams won the 1987 Miles Franklin Award for Dancing on Coral

• Rosemary Dobson AO, for "service to literature, particularly in the field of poetry"[2]
• David Malouf AO, for "service to literature"[3]
• Peter Cowan (writer) AM, for "service to Australian literature"[4]
• Ruth Park AM, for "service to literature"[5]
• Rica Erickson AM, for "service to the arts, particularly as an author and illustrator[6]

A list, ordered by date of death (and, if the date is either unspecified or repeated, ordered alphabetically by surname) of deaths in 1987 of Australian literary figures, authors of written works or literature-related individuals follows, including year of birth.

• 3 March — Cyril Pearl, Australian journalist, editor, author, social historian, wit and television personality (born 1904)
• 18 April — Kenneth Cook, Australian journalist, television documentary maker and novelist (born 1929)
• 8 May — Marjorie Barnard, Australia novelist and short story writer, critic, historian and librarian (born 1897)
• 24 May — R. D. Fitzgerald, poet (born 1902)
• 3 July — Grace Perry, poet, playwright, and founder and editor of the South Head Press (born 1927)
• 17 December — Lucy Walker (writer), romance novelist (born 1907)

• 1987 in Australia
• 1987 in literature
• 1987 in poetry
• List of years in literature
• List of years in Australian literature