Grunge lit

Grunge lit is an Australian literary genre usually applied to fictional or semi-autobiographical writing concerned with young people living in suburban or inner-city surroundings. It was typically written by "new, young authors" who examined "gritty, dirty, real existences", where life revolves around a nihilistic pursuit of vices such as sex, drugs and alcohol. It has been described as both a sub-set of Dirty realism and an offshoot of Generation X literature. The genre was first coined in 1995 to capitalise on the success of Andrew McGahan's first novel Praise which had been released in 1991 and became popular with sub-30-year-old readers, a previously under-investigated demographic. Since its invention the term "grunge lit" has been retrospectively applied to novels written as early as 1977.

The majority of grunge lit works place their subjects within an urban or suburban environment where they explore the relationship between the body and the soul. The novels typically depict an "inner cit[y]" "...world of disintegrating futures where the only relief from...boredom was through a nihilistic pursuit of sex, violence, drugs and alcohol". Often the central characters are disfranchised, lacking drive and determination beyond the desire to satisfy their basic needs. The authors use a confessional style of narration and autobiographical elements to achieve an intimacy with the reader. Although arousing views on publication, the majority of grunge lit books received little critical attention. "In grunge fiction, Ian Syson argues, “depressed and frightened young Australian men” express “their alienation through excessive alcohol consumption, acts of brutality, sexual conquests and active contempt for authority”".

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