Discussion of my Conversation article on the Australian gothic

    Press/Media: Press / Media

    Description

    The gothic developed as a European architectural phenomenon in 12th-century France, where awe-inspiring cathedrals reflected a world drenched in religious piety and superstition.

    Its veneration was revisited in 18th-century English literature, when writers sought to inspire a comparable sense of wonder by setting scenes in ruined abbeys, haunted castlesand spectacular natural landscapes.

    Books like Horace Walpole’s Castle of Otranto (1764), Ann Radcliffe’s Mysteries of Udolpho (1794) and Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein (1818) appealed to a wide readership, but were dismissed as superficial sensationalism by the literary establishment.

    The Australian gothic is unique from its northern counterparts. Instead of grand churches and castles, Australian writers dramatised remote towns, evoking a deep sense of malevolence operating beneath the veneer of ordinary life.

    Period21 Feb 2020

    Media contributions

    1

    Media contributions

    • TitleDiscussion of the Oz Gothic on Perth's ABC radio
      Degree of recognitionNational
      Media name/outletABC Perth Radio
      Media typeRadio
      Duration/Length/Size10 minutes
      Country/TerritoryAustralia
      Date21/02/20
      Producer/AuthorPeter Barr
      PersonsSuzie Gibson

    Keywords

    • Oz Gothic