Max Harris (poet)

Max Harris
Born	Maxwell Henley Harris (1921-04-13) 13 April 1921 Adelaide, South Australia, Australia
Died	13 January 1995(1995-01-13) (aged 73)
Occupation(s)	Poet, literary critic, columnist, commentator, publisher, bookseller
Years active	1940s–1990s
Known for	Founding the literary magazine Angry Penguins; promoting modernist literature in Australia
Notable work	The Angry Penguin (selected poems), The Vegetative Eye (novel)

Maxwell Henley Harris AO (13 April 1921 – 13 January 1995), commonly referred to as Max Harris, was a prominent Australian poet, literary critic, columnist, commentator, publisher, and bookseller.

Early life

Born in Adelaide, South Australia, Harris spent his childhood in Mount Gambier where his father was employed as a travelling salesman. His initial poems were published in the children's section of The Sunday Mail. After earning a scholarship to St Peter's College in Adelaide, he continued to compose poetry throughout his secondary education. By the time he reached university, Harris had established a reputation as both a poet and an intellectual figure. In 1941, he took on the role of editor for two editions of the student publication On Dit.

Angry Penguins

Harris’s enthusiasm for poetry and modernist literature culminated in the founding of the literary magazine Angry Penguins in 1940, alongside D. B. "Sam" Kerr, Paul G. Pfeiffer, and Geoffrey Dutton. The debut issue garnered the interest of John Reed, a Melbourne-based lawyer and arts patron who subsequently collaborated on producing additional issues. With the intention of creating a South Australian branch of the Contemporary Art Society, Harris became involved with the Heide art community fostered by the Reeds. By its second issue, Angry Penguins expanded to include visual arts contributions; Sidney Nolan later joined its editorial board. The journal featured works by artists such as Albert Tucker, Joy Hester, James Gleeson, Arthur Boyd, and John Perceval.

The journal's promotion of surrealism and publication of avant-garde writers like Dylan Thomas and Gabriel García Márquez incited opposition from traditionalist poets. Influenced by critic A. D. Hope, poets Harold Stewart and James McAuley orchestrated a literary hoax under the pseudonym "Ern Malley," submitting deliberately crafted modernist poems to Harris. Convinced of their authenticity, Harris gave these poems prominent publication.

Certain lines from these poems were considered obscene by South Australian law enforcement, resulting in Harris facing charges of obscenity. Together with Reed, Harris investigated the hoax’s background; their ensuing trial attracted global attention. Despite expert testimony supporting their literary merit, Harris was convicted and fined five pounds.

Harris remained convinced of the Ern Malley poems’ artistic value; they continue to be published and analyzed.

Later life

Alongside university colleague Mary Maydwell Martin, Harris managed the Mary Martin Bookshop in Adelaide and produced a monthly newsletter featuring book reviews and literary criticism. Following Martin’s relocation to India, Harris expanded the Mary Martin bookshop network throughout Australia and Hong Kong. He was instrumental in pioneering Australia's remaindered book market by providing quality books at reduced prices. Challenging overseas publishers’ dominance allowed him to ensure affordable access for Australian readers. The chain was eventually sold to Macmillan during the late 1970s.

Harris co-founded and co-edited both the Australian Book Review and Australian Letters, continuing the practice of commissioning artists to illustrate poetry. Along with Geoffrey Dutton and Brian Stonier, he also co-established Sun Books. Although his poetry was primarily published privately, his works regularly appeared in major Australian anthologies.

He served as a long-standing and often provocative columnist for The Australian, with many of his "Browsing" columns later compiled into book form. During this time, he earned the moniker "Australia's Cultural Catalyst." Additionally, he contributed columns to newspapers in Adelaide, actively campaigned against censorship, and was an early proponent of Australian republicanism.

Despite not being a Catholic, Harris was a strong supporter of nun and educator Mary MacKillop, founder of the Josephite order. He described her as "a saint for all Australians" and played a significant role as a lay advocate for her canonisation process. During his illness, Josephite nuns visited him regularly; his ashes are interred between the Mary MacKillop College and Josephite Convent in Adelaide.

The National Library of Australia released a posthumous collection of his writings titled The Angry Penguin. Harris was honored as an Officer of the Order of Australia and recognized by the Adelaide University Alumni Association as the "Father of Modernism in the Australian Arts."

Personal life

Harris was the father to journalist and columnist Samela Harris.

The 2022 documentary Von Loves Her Modernist, directed by Rob George, delves into Harris's marriage and the cultural environment of Adelaide during the 1940s.

Novels

• The Vegetative Eye, Reed & Harris, Melbourne (1943)

Poetry

• The Angry Penguin – Selected poems of Max Harris, National Library of Australia, Canberra (1996)
• A Window at Night, ABR Publications, Adelaide (1967)
• The Circus and Other Poems, Australian Letters, Adelaide (1961) – illustrated by Arthur Boyd
• The Coorong and Other Poems, Mary Martin Bookshop, Adelaide (1955)
• Dramas From the Sky, The Adelaide University Arts Association, Adelaide (1942)
• The Gift of Blood: Poetry, Jindyworobak Club, Adelaide (1940)
• Poetic Gems, Mary Martin Bookshop, Adelaide (1979)

Non-fiction

• The Australian Way with Words, Heinemann, Melbourne (1989)
• Kenneth Slessor, Lansdowne Press, Melbourne (1963)
• Laughter in the Air: Tales from the Qantas Era (1988) – co-authored with Colin Burgess
• The Land that Waited, Lansdowne, Sydney (1971) – co-authored with Alison Forbes

Edited

• Australia's Censorship Crisis, Sun Books, Melbourne (1970) – co-edited with Geoffrey Dutton
• Australian Poetry, Angus & Robertson, Sydney (1967)
• Sir Henry, Bjelke, Don Baby and Friends, Sun Books, Melbourne (1971) – co-edited with Geoffrey Dutton
• The Vital Decade: Ten Years of Australian Art and Letters, Sun Books, Melbourne (1968) – co-edited alongside Geoffrey Dutton

Collected writings

• The Angry Eye, Pergamon Press, Sydney (1973)
• The Best of Max Harris – 21 Years of Browsing, Unwin Paperbacks, Sydney (1986)
• Ockers : essays on the bad old new Australia, Maximus Books, Adelaide (1974)
• The Unknown Great Australian and Other Psychobiographical Portraits, Sun Books, Melbourne (1983)

External links

• "Ern Malley" official site – Max Harris
• Jacket Magazine #17 – The Hoax Issue