About
Patrick White was an Australian writer born in London to Australian parents. He studied at Cambridge and served as an intelligence officer during World War II. Settling permanently in Australia in 1948, he published twelve novels, plays, short story collections, and poetry. He received the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1973, becoming the first and only Australian to do so. His work explores existential and spiritual themes, often set against the Australian landscape. He also established the Patrick White Award to support under-recognized Australian writers.
* 1912-05-28 — † 1990-09-28
Major works
- The Tree of Man (1955)novel
- Voss (1957)novel
- Riders in the Chariot (1961)novel
- The Eye of the Storm (1973)novel
- The Twyborn Affair (1979)novel
Key milestones
- 1973Awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature, the first and only Australian to receive it.
- 1973Named Australian of the Year.
- 1981Publishes his autobiography Flaws in the Glass, openly addressing his homosexuality.
Themes
Spirituality and search for meaningIsolation and alienationAustralian landscapeIdentity and sexualityDuality of human nature
Sources: beta.nobelprize.org · nma.gov.au · australianoftheyear.org.au
