THOMAS KEANEALLY

THOMAS KENEALLY - AUTHOR OF THE BOOK

SCHINDLER'S ARK (SCHINDLER'S LIST)

One of the most successful modern Australian writers Thomas Keneally was born on October 7, 1935 in New South Wales, Australia. He studied theology for the Catholic priesthood. In 1959 he dropped his studies disappointed with a church hierarchy that he says "refused to change with the times" (Norris 131) He liked to write since he was very young and he was inspired by Sir Walter Scott. He worked as a schoolteacher and clerk and taught drama at the University of New England, Australia (the late 1960's). He taught at New York University 1988-1990. He was a visiting professor at University of California in Irvine, Cal., and has been a distinguished professor there since 1991 (teaches graduate writing courses). When choosing students for his writing programs he is looking for "the person who can write about ordinary events but in way that gives them the reek of the unexpected, the utterly individual" (Erikkson, Fensch 46).

After Keneally published his third novel Bring Larks and Heroes (1967) he started to receive attention. Soon Keneally pursued a remarkable career as full-time and commercially prosperous writer, with striking success in Australia and overseas. In 1972 he published another successful book The Chant of Jimmie Blacksmith, a story about the plight of Australia's aborigines. Keneally won Booker Prize for his book Schindler's Ark (1982) (Middlemiss)

Keneally has traveled extensively and spent many years living abroad. His experiences are reflected in the variety of historical and geographical settings of his books. In 1987, he traveled to Eritrea (under protection of the Eritrean Liberation Front) which inspired him to write a book on the Ethiopian-Eritrean war, Toward Asmara (1988). He also wrote a book about Joan of Arc Blood Red, Sister Rose (1974), about Yugoslavian partisan during WWII Season of Purgatory (1977), and about the Civil War from a southern perspective Confederates (1980). His most recent nonfiction work is a book The Great Shame: A Triumph of the Irish in the English-Speaking World (1998). It is more than 700 pages about an epic history of the Irish Diaspora. It documents the modern Irish history in all aspects and includes the story of Irish immigrants to Australia (Landy 207).

Thomas Keneally is also involved in politics in his native country. In 1991 he helped to start the Australian Republican Movement, and he served as its chairman until 1993. This organization leads a growing movement in Australia to break ties to the British monarchy. "Ethnically, we're no longer British," he says, referring to the large numbers of immigrants from China, Vietnam, and other places to Australia since the end of British Empire (Norris 104). He lives in Sydney, Australia with his wife Judy.

Thomas Keneally Biography

Interview with Thomas Keneally

Thomas Keneally - author of the book Schindler's Ark [Schindler's List]
URL of this page is http://www.cocc.edu/wr316ca/janv/TermprojKeneally.htm

This page was last updated: 10-07-2003

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