Vale Graeme Turner

Cultural studies academic Graeme Turner, author of books including The Shrinking Nation (UQP, 2023), has died.

His most recent publisher, Monash University Publishing, pays tribute:

With great sadness we share that Graeme Turner AO FAHA FQA, Emeritus Professor of Cultural Studies at the University of Queensland, has died. Graeme published thirty books and his work has been translated into eleven languages.

He was president of the Academy of the Humanities, a former Federation Fellow, and the only humanities scholar to have served two successive terms as a member of the Prime Minister’s Science, Engineering and Innovation Council. Graeme had extensive engagement with higher education policy, research assessment and commentary on the sector, including prominent roles with the Australian Research Council, the National Collaborative Research Infrastructure Strategy, and the Learned Academies.

He co-authored the landmark 2014 study of the state of the humanities, creative arts and social sciences disciplines in Australia, Mapping HASS.

Graeme’s AO was awarded in 2019 in recognition of his pioneering work in cultural studies and his contribution to higher education.

Greg Bain, Curator of the In the National Interest series, describes Graeme’s passing as “a huge loss but a giant legacy to humanities scholarship – he was a valued and supportive colleague to so many. He was a warm and genuine soul. A passionate and superb communicator, especially through his books – and a privilege to publish. He will be sorely missed.”

Graeme’s recent book Broken: Universities, Politics and the Public Good [Monash University Publishing, 2025] – in the In the National Interest series – was a bestseller. His energy in bringing the discussion to a wider readership was unflagging – he was an energetic, thoughtful, generous and gracious author and colleague.

Monash University Publishing sends condolences to Graeme’s family, friends and colleagues.

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