As Valentine’s Day draws near, UQ senior lecturer Toni Johnson-Woods is keeping the flames burning as she delves deep into some of Australia’s most titillating 1950s’ romance fiction.
The UQ academic, from the School of English, Media Studies and Art History, has been invited to talk about her research at the inaugural Australian Romance Readers Convention 2009 in Melbourne next weekend (February 20 and 21).
Dr Johnson-Woods is one of two Queensland academics asked to attend the event to discuss genres and trends within Australian Romance Fiction, alongside romance readers, authors and publishers.
Her research has uncovered some interesting trends from the era such as: many romance novels were fewer than 100 pages; they were sold in railway stations and not book stores; women didn’t seem to have the collector’s drive that men had; many were read on the way to work and discarded; and it is unknown how many were published and who wrote them, because companies died as quickly as they grew.
“Romance is the most neglected of all popular fiction genres. To date, academic research has tended to focus on readership and largely American romances – my focus is post World War II Australian romances,” Dr Johnson-Woods said.
“I concentrated on this era because it was an exciting time for the Australian popular fiction industry.
“Overseas books were banned and so local companies suddenly found themselves with a golden publishing opportunity.”
Dr Johnson-Woods' research into this era in Australian publishing history is part of her Australian Research Council (ARC) grant, Australia’s Forgotten Culture.
In the past two years, she has uncovered hundreds of penny romances written for Australians by Australians.
Dr Johnson-Woods said romances were veritable social documents that provided us with snapshots of the courtship rituals and morals of the time.
“Australian stories are different from those overseas – they are more pragmatic and actually less romantic and of course the sun-kissed heroine always beats the English rose,” she said.
“The post World War II ones are particularly engaging because they chart the integration of women in the workforce.
“Career girl stories are one sub genre, the other popular one is outback romances.
“Girls at work always fell in love and left work. The plot sometimes hinted that after marriage they would work for their husbands until children came along.”
Dr Johnson-Woods said female romances were largely about relationships and tended to be about the home, the private sphere, and family issues.
“It is this concentration on the quotidian which sets them apart from male romances,” she said.
“Male romances are largely about adventure, exploration, property – the typical male romance is the western – which is my next genre for examination.”
Preliminary results were published in the National Library Pulp book, Pulp: a collector’s book of Australian pulp fiction covers.
For more information on the event go to: www.australianromancereaders.com.au
Media: Dr Johnson-Woods (07 3365 2799, 0402 422 112 or t.johnsonwoods@uq.edu.au) or Eliza Plant at UQ Communications (07 3365 2619)
