Patrick White

Patrick White was an Australian novelist and Nobel laureate who was widely regarded as one of the major English-language novelists of the 20th century. He was born in London to wealthy Australian parents who were visiting family. He spent his childhood in Australia and England, where he attended boarding schools. He studied modern languages at King's College, Cambridge, where he began writing poetry and fiction. He also developed an interest in theatre and opera. He travelled extensively in Europe and the Middle East in the 1930s and served in the Royal Air Force during World War II. He met his lifelong partner Manoly Lascaris, a Greek army officer, in Cairo in 1941. After the war, they settled in Australia, where White devoted himself to writing novels. He published 12 novels, three short-story collections, and eight plays from 1935 to 1987. His novels are known for their complex and experimental style, their psychological and moral exploration of the human condition, and their depiction of the Australian landscape and society. Some of his most acclaimed novels are Voss (1957), The Vivisector (1970), The Eye of the Storm (1973), and A Fringe of Leaves (1976). He also wrote autobiographical works, such as Flaws in the Glass (1981) and Memoirs of Many in One (1986). ¹² He was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1973, becoming the first and only Australian to receive the honour. The Swedish Academy praised him for an epic and psychological narrative art which has introduced a new continent into literature. He also won several other awards, such as the Miles Franklin Award (twice), the Australian Literature Society Gold Medal (three times), and the Australian of the Year Award (1973). He was also offered a knighthood and the Order of Australia, but he declined both honours. He was a supporter of various causes, such as Aboriginal rights, environmental protection, anti-nuclear movement, and animal welfare. He donated much of his wealth to various charities and cultural institutions. ¹² He died of asthma on 30 September 1990 at his home in Sydney. He was 78 years old. His death saddened the literary world and his fans around the world. He was remembered as a brilliant, visionary, and influential writer who enriched Australian literature and culture. ¹²