Christopher John Koch AO (16 July 1932 – 23 September 2013) was an Australian novelist, known for his 1978 novel '' The Year of Living Dangerously'', which was adapted into an award-winning film. He twice won the

Miles Franklin Award The Miles Franklin Literary Award is an annual literary prize awarded to "a novel which is of the highest literary merit and presents Australian life in any of its phases". The award was set up according to the will of Miles Franklin (1879–195 ...

(for ''

The Doubleman ''The Doubleman'' (1985) is a novel by Australian author Christopher Koch. It won the Miles Franklin Award in 1985. References
1985 Australian novels Miles Franklin Award-winning works Novels set in Tasmania Novels set in Sydney Chatto ...

'' in 1985, and for '' Highways to a War'' in 1996). In 1995, he was made an

Officer of the Order of Australia The Order of Australia is an honour that recognises Australian citizens and other persons for outstanding achievement and service. It was established on 14 February 1975 by Elizabeth II, Queen of Australia, on the advice of the Australian Gove ...

for his contribution to Australian literature, and was awarded an honorary Doctor of Letters from his alma mater, the University of Tasmania, in 1990.

Early life and education

Koch was born in Hobart, Tasmania, in 1932. He was educated at Clemes College, St Virgil's College,

Hobart High School Hobart High School is a coeducational secondary school with academy status, situated in the village of Loddon, near Norwich in Norfolk, England. It typically has around 850 pupils. The school previously had specialist science college status ...

and at the University of Tasmania.Koch, Christopher
''AustLit''. Koch's admission to the university was controversial, with the professorial board refusing to admit him as he had not matriculated with a mathematics subject—however this refusal was overridden by the chancellor, John Morris, who was then accused of excessive intervention. After graduating with a Bachelor of Arts with Honours in 1954, Koch joined the Australian Broadcasting Commission (ABC) as a cadet journalist. He left Hobart to travel in south Asia and Europe, and ended up in London where he worked for several years. He returned to Australia to avoid national service in the British Army.

Career

While working in London as a waiter and a teacher, Koch began working on his first novel, ''

The Boys in the Island ''Boys in the Island'' is a 1989 Australian film based on the 1958 novel by Chris Koch. Plot In the 1950s teenage Frank dreams of leaving Tasmania for Melbourne. Production At one stage Gillian Armstrong had wanted to film the book and approache ...

'', which he left with his agent when he returned to Australia.Christopher Koch: The Year of Living Dangerously author opened our eyes to Indonesia
'' The Sydney Morning Herald'', 24 September 2013. Koch's first published works were several poems published in ''

The Bulletin Bulletin or The Bulletin may refer to: Periodicals (newspapers, magazines, journals) * Bulletin (online newspaper), a Swedish online newspaper * ''The Bulletin'' (Australian periodical), an Australian magazine (1880–2008) ** Bulletin Debate, ...

'' and the literary journal '' Southerly''. While back at the ABC as a radio producer, ''The Boys in the Island'' was published in the UK. The positive reviews encouraged Koch to eventually take up writing full-time in 1972.The voice of generations: Christopher Koch dies of cancer
''The Age'', 23 September 2013. In the early 1960s, Koch was awarded a writing fellowship to

Stanford University Stanford University, officially Leland Stanford Junior University, is a private research university in Stanford, California. The campus occupies , among the largest in the United States, and enrolls over 17,000 students. Stanford is consider ...

, where he taught literature and was associated with Ken Kesey (author of ''

One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest may refer to: * ''One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest'' (novel), a 1962 novel by Ken Kesey * ''One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest'' (play), a 1963 stage adaptation of the novel starring Kirk Douglas * ''One Flew Over the ...

''). His novel '' The Year of Living Dangerously'', set in

Jakarta Jakarta (; , bew, Jakarte), officially the Special Capital Region of Jakarta ( id, Daerah Khusus Ibukota Jakarta) is the capital and largest city of Indonesia. Lying on the northwest coast of Java, the world's most populous island, Jakarta ...

during the fall of the

Sukarno Sukarno). (; born Koesno Sosrodihardjo, ; 6 June 1901 – 21 June 1970) was an Indonesian statesman, orator, revolutionary, and nationalist who was the first president of Indonesia, serving from 1945 to 1967. Sukarno was the leader of ...

regime, was made into a

film A film also called a movie, motion picture, moving picture, picture, photoplay or (slang) flick is a work of visual art that simulates experiences and otherwise communicates ideas, stories, perceptions, feelings, beauty, or atmosphere ...

directed by Peter Weir and starring Sigourney Weaver, Mel Gibson and Linda Hunt. The book was loosely inspired by his brother's (Philip Koch) experience as an Australian journalist in Indonesia during that period. Koch himself had worked for two months in Jakarta in 1968 as an adviser to UNESCO.

Death

Koch died at his home in Hobart on 23 September 2013, aged 81. He had been diagnosed with cancer twelve months earlier.

Personal life

Koch married his first wife, Irene Vilnois, in 1959. Their son,

Gareth Koch Gareth Koch (born 6 April 1962) is an Australian classical guitarist and recording artist of German/ Anglo-Irish/ Lithuanian heritage. Biography Gareth Koch was born in Milan to novelist Christopher Koch and Irene Vilnonis, a Conservatorium-t ...

(born 1962), is a classical guitarist. He married his second wife, Robin Whyte-Butler, in the late 1990s, and she lived with him in Sydney and Tasmania,At home with Christopher Koch
''The Sydney Morning Herald'', 30 September 2012. and was with him when he died in 2013.

Awards and honours

Published works

* ''

'' (1958, revised ed, Angus & Robertson, 1974) * ''Across the Sea Wall'' (Heinemann, 1965) * '' The Year of Living Dangerously'' (Nelson, 1978) * ''

'' (Chatto and Windus, 1985) * ''Crossing the Gap: a novelist's essays'' (Hogarth Press, 1993) * '' Highways to a War'' (Heinemann, 1995) * '' Out of Ireland'' (Doubleday, 1999) * ''The Many-Coloured Land: A Return to Ireland'' (Picador, 2002) * ''The Memory Room'' (2007) * ''Lost Voices'' (2012)

References

External links

*
Christopher Koch at Random House Australia
{{DEFAULTSORT:Koch, Christopher 1932 births 2013 deaths Miles Franklin Award winners Officers of the Order of Australia Recipients of the Order of the Cross of Terra Mariana, 5th Class Australian people of English descent Australian people of German descent University of Tasmania alumni Writers from Hobart 20th-century Australian novelists 21st-century Australian novelists Deaths from cancer in Tasmania Articles containing video clips Australian male novelists People educated at St Virgil's College