David Ireland (author)

David Neil Ireland AM (born 24 August 1927) is an Australian novelist.

Biography

David Ireland was born in Lakemba in New South Wales in 1927.

Before taking up full-time writing in 1973 he undertook the classic writer's apprenticeship by working in a variety of jobs ranging from greenkeeper to an extended period in an oil refinery.

This latter job provided the inspiration for his second (and best-known) novel, The Unknown Industrial Prisoner, which brought him recognition in the early 1970s and which is still considered by many critics to be one of best and most original Australian novels of the period.

He is one of only four Australian writers to win the Miles Franklin Award more than twice (the others being Thea Astley with 4, Peter Carey 3, and Tim Winton 4).

Honours and awards

He was appointed a Member of the Order of Australia in the Queen's Birthday Honours of June 1981.^[1]

Bibliography

Novels

• The Chantic Bird (1968)
• The Unknown Industrial Prisoner (1971)
• The Flesheaters (1972)
• Burn (1974)
• The Glass Canoe (1976)
• A Woman of the Future (1979)
• City of Women (1981)
• Archimedes and the Seagle (1984)
• Bloodfather (1987)
• The Chosen (1997)

Drama

• Image in the Clay (1964)

External links

• Ron Blaber 'The Populist Imaginary in David Ireland's The Unknown Industrial Prisoner and The Chosen' JASAL 5 (2006)
• David Ireland's Australian theatre credits at Ausstage

References