A David Malouf Page

by Jörg Heinke
Last update: 25.2.1999

As this Australian writer is the topic of my PhD thesis I have collected heaps of material about him. 
   My thesis will be about the experience of the stranger, the strange, the unknown, the unexperienced in David Malouf's works. I do not start with the author as such but from a sociological, phenomenological and psychological examination of the phenomenon: 'stranger'. If you're interested in it write me a mail (adress see below). 
   The problems I had shall not be yours (except for getting hold of the secondary sources) - that's why I decided to make my knowledge available for the rest of the net. If you came here via web search, write a mail (adress see below) - if you came here because you knew that this was here call me (Germany 0431-8066123). 
   Before the start have a look at my Australia-links page. Ta. I hope you find this page useful. 

Short Biography of David Malouf

Born in 1934 in Brisbane, David Malouf is educated at Brisbane Grammar School and the University of Queensland. His father's family immigrates from the Lebanon in the 1880s and his mother's family comes from London just before the First World War. After completing his degree at the University of Queensland, he teaches at the Departement for English for two years. He lives abroad in Europe from 1959-68 where he workes as a relief teacher in London and later at Birkenhead. After his return to Australia he teaches and lectures English Literature at the University of Sydney from 1968 to 1977. After that he decided to become a full-time writer and moves to Campagnatico in Tuscany, Italy. He stays there most of the time until 1985 when he returns to Australia. 
He has published six volumes of poetry and contributed to an anthology of Australian verse in 1975. But more important than his poetry are his novels and novellas. Moreover he has written an autobiography, 12 Edmonstone Street (`85) and three opera librettos. Among numerous literary prices in Australia and overseas, The Great World wins the Miles Franklin Award in 1990. David Malouf's novel Remembering Babylon was shortlisted for the Booker Price in 1993 and for the same book he receives the inaugural IMPAC literature price in May 1996 (see other Malouf links a the bottom). 
Although born and raised in Australia David Malouf is greatly interested in Europe. Especially the problem of Australia’s position and attitude towards Europe is often found in his novels. For Malouf Australia definitely belongs to the European civilisation and tradition. In defiance of the problems European immigrants had and have in Australia he refers to a translated Europe onto Australian conditions rather than a transplanted Europe. Malouf focuses on Europe are often connected with the subject of war. In FAP, GW, JO and RB war is seen as a moment of defining Australia’s identity by asking questions about the background of Australians who went to war for other countries. This way of emancipation form the old continent always goes parallel with the notion of being at the edge of things. David Malouf often tells his stories not only from the Australian edge and with a look for the centre but also about people who live at the fringes of society, and aim at a secure position inside. The motif of the edge is personified by criminals (CP, CCC), soldiers (GW, CCC, FAP), poor or socially neglected people (HHA, RB, AIL, GW). All of these characters share the notion of movement. Johnno (JO), Gemmy (RG), Ovid (AIL) all have the feeling of not belonging to the place where they momentarily are. The places and themselves somehow do not fit together. Therefore they are permanently moving - physically and/or in mind. They aim at the centre but don’t know where the centre is. In Johnno’s case his failure to find anything which might look like a centre leads to his mysterious death, in Gemmy’s (RB) and Ovid’s (AIL) case their search opens new perspectives for them. The path towards answers in David Malouf’s novels can be characterised by the operation of opposing pairs like Australia vs. Europe, edge vs. centre, nature vs. culture, self vs. other. Especially the last pair is often personified by two - mostly male - characters (Johnno and Dante (JO), Carney and Adair (CCC), Gemmy and Lachlan (RB) ...). Although opposing, David Malouf sees those sets of characters as possibilities of one character. He employs the difference - yet similarities - as a way of expressing change. While one person may remain static the other one develops. Both aspects, difference and familiarity between his characters evoke now possibilities of perception and understanding. As Taylor suggests Malouf can be regarded as a postmodern romantic who re-acts with his writing on a world in which civilisation and technology suppress the naturalness of man. He re-discovers in his work the close link between man and na-ture and puts this into a thoroughly chose shape of words. 
David Malouf can also be described as a post-colonial author. As he looks at Australia not from an outside point of view but from within society. In his writing he points to the problems of indigenous and immigrated people in Australia, shows the limits of traditional languages to fit a new environment and also indicates to the relation between cultural centres and peripheries which is closely combined with a strong sense of being antipodean. Comparing his work with earlier Australian literature one can see that Malouf also uses topics of Australian history in his books (early settlers, 1st and 2nd World War, life in the bush and in the city) but he looks at those events from different angles and reaches a varied view of the world. 

David Malouf's Writings

Novels, novellas

  • Johnno. 1975. *
  • An Imaginary Life.1978.*
  • The Child's play; The Bread of Time to Come: two novellas. 1981.
  • Child's Play; with Eustace; and, The prowler. 1982. 
  • Fly away Peter. 1982.
  • Harland's Half Acre. 1984.*
  • The Great World. 1990.*
  • Remembering Babylon. 1993.*
  • Conversations at Curlow Creek. 1996.*
*also published in German 

Short Story Collections & other Short Stories

  • A Travveler's Tale. In: Meanjin, no.1. 1982. p.52-68.
  • Antipodes. 1985. (Collection of Short Stories)
  • The Empty Lunch-tin. In: Bird, Carmel (ed.): Australian Short Stories. 1991. p.67-73.
  • The Only Speaker of His Tongue- appears in The Oxford Book of Australian Short Stories selected by Michael Wilding

Poems

  • Bicycle and other poems (1970)
  • Relative Freedom : the Tempest (1973)
  • Neighbours in a Thicket : poems (1974)
  • Gesture of a Hand (1975)
  • Poems 1975-76 (1976)
  • First Things Last : poems (1980)
  • Wild Lemons : poems (1980)
  • Selected Poems (1981)
  • Blood Relations (1988)
  • David Malouf : poems 1959-1989 (1992)
  • Selected Poems, 1959-89 (1994)

Drama

  • Blood Relations 1988

Opera libretti

  • Voss 1986
  • Mer de Glace 1991
  • Baa Baa Black Sheep 1993

Autobiography

  • 12 Edmonstone Street 1985

Edited

  • Gesture of a Hand 1975 - an anthology of Australian verse

Links to other David Malouf Pages

  • Review about Nachtwache am Curlow Creek , Die WELT, 25.10.1997
  • There is also a Review by Lucy Hughes-Hallett from The Sunday Times - Internet Edition from the 25.8.1996.
  • Another article in the Internet TIMES about CCC and RB by Helen Dunmore from the 12. September 1996.

For questions but also for inspiration please 
contact me: [email protected] or view my personal home page