David Ireland (author)


David Neil Ireland is an Australian novelist.

Biography

David Ireland was born in Lakemba in New South Wales in 1927.
Before taking up full-time writing in 1973, he undertook the classic writer's apprenticeship by working in a variety of jobs, ranging from greenskeeper to an extended period in an oil refinery.
This latter job inspired his second novel, The Unknown Industrial Prisoner, which brought him recognition in the early 1970s. It is still considered by many critics to be one of the best and most original Australian novels of the period.
He won the Miles Franklin Award three times. He is one of only four Australian writers to win the Award more than twice; the others are Thea Astley and Tim Winton, and Peter Carey.

Honours and awards

He was appointed a Member of the Order of Australia in the Queen's Birthday Honours of June 1981.

Novels