Patrick White

Patrick White (May 28, 1912 – September 30, 1990) was an Australian author. His writings make great use of the stream of consciousness technique. His first book, "The Ploughman and Other Poems", was published in 1935, and he went on to write 27 novels and eight plays. He received the 1973 Nobel Prize for Literature - the only Australian to be so honoured.

The growth of White's writing career

After the war, he returned to Australia once again, buying an old house in Castle Hill, in the semi-rural outskirts of Sydney. The war had largely cured his problems in dealing with other people. Here, White settled down with Manoli Lascaris, the officer he had met during the war. They lived there for 18 years, selling flowers, vegetables, milk and cream. During these years, he started to make a reputation for himself as a writer, publishing The Aunt's Story and The Tree of Man, which was published in the United States in 1955 and shortly after in England. The Tree of Man was released to rave reviews in the US, but, in what was to become a typical pattern, was panned by Australian critics. White had doubts about whether to continue writing, after his books were largely ignored in Australia (three of them having been called ?un-Australian? by critics), but decided to keep going. His first breakthrough in Australia came when his next novel, Voss, won the inaugural Miles Franklin Literary Award.

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In 1961, White published Riders in the Chariot. This was to become a bestseller, and won him a second Miles Franklin Award. In 1963, White and Lascaris decided to sell the house at Castle Hill that they had named "Dogwoods". During the 1960s, several of his published works depicted the fictional town of Sarsaparilla; these works include the collection of short stories, The Burnt Ones, and the play, The Season at Sarsaparilla. By now, he had clearly established his reputation as one of the world's great authors. However, he remained an essentially private person, resisting opportunities for interviews and public appearances, although his circle of friends had widened significantly.

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In 1968, White wrote The Vivisector, a character portrait of an artist. Many people drew links to his friend, artist Sidney Nolan, but White always vehemently denied that it was about Nolan. Around this time, he decided that he would not accept any more prizes for his work. He declined both the $10,000 Britannia Award and another Miles Franklin Award. White was approached by Harry M. Miller to work on a screenplay for Voss, but nothing came of it. He became an active opponent of literary censorship and joined a number of other public figures in signing a statement of defiance against Australia?s decision to participate in the Vietnam War.

Related Topics:
Sidney Nolan - Harry M. Miller - Vietnam War

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In 1973, he was rewarded with his Nobel Prize for Literature, "for an epic and psychological narrative art, which has introduced a new continent into literature". White had his friend, painter Sidney Nolan, travel to Stockholm to accept the prize on his behalf. The announcement of the award had immediate effects on his career: his publisher doubled the print run for The Eye of the Storm and gave him a larger advance for his next novel. He used the money from the prize to establish a trust for the Patrick White Award. This annual award is for writers who have been highly creative over a long period, but have not received adequate recognition. White was also made Australian of the Year. In typical fashion, his acceptance speech told Australians to spend the day reflecting on the state of the country.

Related Topics:
Nobel Prize for Literature - Patrick White Award - Australian of the Year

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