P. R. Stephensen, circa 1934

239 words

Percy Reginald Stephensen was born on November 20, 1901. Stephensen was a writer, publisher, and political activist dedicated to the interests of the white race and the Australian nation. Like Jack London, Stephensen was an archetypal man of the racially conscious Left. He began his political career as a Communist but later moved to the nationalistic, anti-Semitic Right. From 1942 to 1945, he was interned without trial for his pro-German and pro-Japanese sympathies.

Early in his career as a publisher, Stephensen championed the works of Nietzsche, D. H. Lawrence, and Aleister Crowley. Later, he worked to promote a distinctly Australian national literature and culture. As a political organizer and propagandist, he worked for an Australia First economic and foreign policy.

Stephensen was a prolific author. He published over thirty books under his own name. He also translated works by Lenin and Nietzsche. On top of that, he wrote nearly seventy books as a ghostwriter for Frank Clune.

To learn more about Stephensen’s life and work, read Kerry Bolton’s biographical essay, “P. R. Stephensen.” See also his profile of Lionel Lindsay, which also discusses Stephensen, who was an acquaintance, as well as the first part of his profile of Norman Lindsay.

I also wish to draw your attention to the following works by Stephensen on this site:

• Australia First Manifesto
• “The Foundations of Culture in Australia: An Essay Towards National Self-Respect” (Excerpts from Part One)
• “A Reasoned Case Against Semitism.”

*  *  *

Counter-Currents has extended special privileges to those who donate $120 or more per year.

• First, donor comments will appear immediately instead of waiting in a moderation queue. (People who abuse this privilege will lose it.)
• Second, donors will have immediate access to all Counter-Currents posts. Non-donors will find that one post a day, five posts a week will be behind a “Paywall” and will be available to the general public after 30 days.
• Third, Paywall members have the ability to edit their comments. 
• Fourth, Paywall members can “commission” a yearly article from Counter-Currents. Just send a question that you’d like to have discussed to [email protected]. (Obviously, the topics must be suitable to Counter-Currents and its broader project, as well as the interests and expertise of our writers.)
• Fifth, Paywall members will have access to the Counter-Currents Telegram group. 

To get full access to all content behind the paywall, sign up here: