Who was Patrick White?
Patrick White was an Australian novelist and playwright who, in 1973, became the first and so far only Australian to win the Nobel Prize in Literature. His novels include Voss and The Tree of Man.
Born in London in 1912 to wealthy Australian parents, White grew up in Sydney and was educated in England. He served in the Royal Air Force as an intelligence officer during the Second World War.
He returned to Australia after the war and lived in Castle Hill and later Centennial Park in Sydney with his partner, Manoly Lascaris.
Major works
Voss, published in 1957, was inspired by explorer Ludwig Leichhardt. Other novels include Riders in the Chariot and The Vivisector.
He used his Nobel prize money to establish the Patrick White Award, given each year to older Australian writers whose work has not received the recognition it deserves.
White was known as a difficult and private man who was often critical of Australian society. His autobiography, Flaws in the Glass, was published in 1981. He died in 1990, and his novels remain studied in universities, though some readers find his dense style challenging. The Eye of the Storm was adapted into a film in 2011.
Did You Know?
White was a vocal supporter of causes such as nuclear disarmament and Aboriginal rights.