14 July 2008
Spurious and bogus Botany Bay literature
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Bogus stories about imaginary voyages to the Antipodes were popular in Britain in the 18th century.
And the most popular story from this time was A Voyage to New South Wales -- later just Voyage -- and its author was celebrity convict George Barrington, an elegantly dressed pickpocket who moved in exalted circles and who was sentenced to transportation to Australia in 1790.
Charles Dickens, Walter Scott and Edgar Allan Poe had heard of him, but he didn't actually write a word of these popular accounts of coming to Australia.
Nathan Garvey has been following the trail of where these bogus stories came from.
Guests
Nathan Garvey
C.H.Currey Memorial Fellow at the State Library of New South Wales. His book A Deceptious Mask: A Publishing History of the George Barrington Books is due for publication later in 2008.
Further Information
The Centre for the Book and Melbourne Bibliographical Circle event
Nathan Garvey talks about the George Barrington bogus literature genre at the Melbourne Bibliographical Circle Event, 31 July 2008, State Library of Victoria.
Presenter
Ramona Koval
Producer
Sarah L'Estrange
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