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Thomas Michael Keneally, AO (born 7 October 1935) is an Australian
novelist A novelist is an author or writer of novels, though often novelists also write in other genres of both fiction and non-fiction. Some novelists are professional novelists, thus make a living writing novels and other fiction, while others aspire ...
,
playwright A playwright or dramatist is a person who writes plays. Etymology The word "play" is from Middle English pleye, from Old English plæġ, pleġa, plæġa ("play, exercise; sport, game; drama, applause"). The word "wright" is an archaic English ...
,
essayist An essay is, generally, a piece of writing that gives the author's own argument, but the definition is vague, overlapping with those of a letter, a paper, an article, a pamphlet, and a short story. Essays have been sub-classified as formal ...
, and
actor An actor or actress is a person who portrays a character in a performance. The actor performs "in the flesh" in the traditional medium of the theatre or in modern media such as film, radio, and television. The analogous Greek term is (), lit ...
. He is best known for his
non-fiction novel The non-fiction novel is a literary genre which, broadly speaking, depicts real historical figures and actual events woven together with fictitious conversations and uses the storytelling techniques of fiction. The non-fiction novel is an otherw ...
''
Schindler's Ark ''Schindler's Ark'' is a historical novel published in 1982 by the Australian novelist Thomas Keneally. The United States edition of the book was titled ''Schindler's List;'' it was later reissued in Commonwealth countries under that name as we ...
'', the story of
Oskar Schindler Oskar Schindler (; 28 April 1908 – 9 October 1974) was a German industrialist, humanitarian and a member of the Nazi Party who is credited with saving the lives of 1,200 Jews during the Holocaust by employing them in his enamelware and ...
's rescue of Jews during
the Holocaust The Holocaust, also known as the Shoah, was the genocide of European Jews during World War II. Between 1941 and 1945, Nazi Germany and its collaborators systematically murdered some six million Jews across German-occupied Europ ...
, which won the
Booker Prize The Booker Prize, formerly known as the Booker Prize for Fiction (1969–2001) and the Man Booker Prize (2002–2019), is a literary prize awarded each year for the best novel written in English and published in the United Kingdom or Ireland. ...
in 1982. The book would later be adapted into
Steven Spielberg Steven Allan Spielberg (; born December 18, 1946) is an American director, writer, and producer. A major figure of the New Hollywood era and pioneer of the modern blockbuster, he is the most commercially successful director of all time. Sp ...
's 1993 film ''
Schindler's List ''Schindler's List'' is a 1993 American epic historical drama film directed and produced by Steven Spielberg and written by Steven Zaillian. It is based on the 1982 novel ''Schindler's Ark'' by Australian novelist Thomas Keneally. The film f ...
'', which won the
Academy Award for Best Picture The Academy Award for Best Picture is one of the Academy Awards presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) since the awards debuted in 1929. This award goes to the producers of the film and is the only categ ...
.


Early life

Both Keneally's parents (Edmund Thomas Keneally and Elsie Margaret Coyle) were born to
Irish Irish may refer to: Common meanings * Someone or something of, from, or related to: ** Ireland, an island situated off the north-western coast of continental Europe ***Éire, Irish language name for the isle ** Northern Ireland, a constituent unit ...
fathers in the timber and dairy town of
Kempsey, New South Wales Kempsey is a town in the Mid North Coast region of New South Wales, Australia and is the council seat for Kempsey Shire. It is located roughly 16.5 kilometres inland from the coast of the Pacific Ocean, on the Macleay Valley Way near where the ...
, and, though born in
Sydney Sydney ( ) is the capital city of the state of New South Wales, and the most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Located on Australia's east coast, the metropolis surrounds Sydney Harbour and extends about towards the Blue Mounta ...
, his early years were also spent in Kempsey. His father, Edmund Thomas Keneally, flew for the
Royal Australian Air Force "Through Adversity to the Stars" , colours = , colours_label = , march = , mascot = , anniversaries = RAAF Anniversary Commemoration ...
in
World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the World War II by country, vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great power ...
, then returned to work in a small business in Sydney. By 1942, the family had moved to 7 Loftus Crescent, Homebush, a suburb in the
inner west The Inner West of Sydney is an area directly west of the Sydney central business district, New South Wales, Australia. The suburbs that make up the Inner West are predominantly located along the southern shore of Port Jackson (Parramatta River ...
of Sydney and Keneally was enrolled at Christian Brothers St Patrick's College,
Strathfield Strathfield is a suburb in the Inner West of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. It is located 12 kilometres west of the Sydney central business district and is the administrative centre of the Municipality of Strathfield. A smal ...
. Shortly after, his brother John was born. Keneally studied Honours English for his
Leaving Certificate A secondary school leaving qualification is a document signifying that the holder has fulfilled any secondary education requirements of their locality, often including the passage of a final qualification examination. For each leaving certifica ...
in 1952, under Brother James Athanasius McGlade, and won a Commonwealth scholarship. Keneally then entered
St Patrick's Seminary St Patrick's Seminary, Manly is a heritage-listed former residence of the Archbishop of Sydney and Roman Catholic Church seminary at 151 Darley Road, Manly, Northern Beaches Council, New South Wales, Australia. The property was also known as ...
, Manly, to train as a
Catholic priest The priesthood is the office of the ministers of religion, who have been commissioned (" ordained") with the Holy orders of the Catholic Church. Technically, bishops are a priestly order as well; however, in layman's terms ''priest'' refers onl ...
. Although he was ordained as a deacon while at the seminary, after six years there he left in a state of depression and without being ordained to the priesthood. He worked as a Sydney schoolteacher before his success as a novelist and was a lecturer at the
University of New England University of New England may refer to: * University of New England (Australia), in New South Wales, with about 18,000 students * University of New England (United States), in Biddeford, Maine, with about 3,000 students See also *New England Colle ...
(1968–70). Keneally was known as "Mick" until 1964 but began using the name Thomas when he started publishing, after advice from his publisher to use his real first name.


Career

Keneally's first story was published in '' The Bulletin'' magazine in 1962 under the pseudonym Bernard Coyle. By February 2014, he had written over 50 books, including 30 novels. He is particularly famed for his ''
Schindler's Ark ''Schindler's Ark'' is a historical novel published in 1982 by the Australian novelist Thomas Keneally. The United States edition of the book was titled ''Schindler's List;'' it was later reissued in Commonwealth countries under that name as we ...
'' (1982) (later republished as ''Schindler's List''), the first novel by an Australian to win the Booker Prize and is the basis of the film ''
Schindler's List ''Schindler's List'' is a 1993 American epic historical drama film directed and produced by Steven Spielberg and written by Steven Zaillian. It is based on the 1982 novel ''Schindler's Ark'' by Australian novelist Thomas Keneally. The film f ...
''. He had already been shortlisted for the Booker three times prior to that: 1972 for ''The Chant of Jimmie Blacksmith'', 1975 for ''Gossip from the Forest'', and 1979 for ''Confederates''. Many of his novels are reworkings of historical material, although modern in their psychology and style. Premièred at London's
Royal Court Theatre The Royal Court Theatre, at different times known as the Court Theatre, the New Chelsea Theatre, and the Belgravia Theatre, is a non-commercial West End theatre in Sloane Square, in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, London, England ...
, the play ''Our Country's Good'' by
Timberlake Wertenbaker Timberlake Wertenbaker is a British-based playwright, screenplay writer, and translator who has written plays for the Royal Court, the Royal Shakespeare Company and others. She has been described in ''The Washington Post'' as "the doyenne of po ...
is based on Keneally's book ''
The Playmaker ''The Playmaker'' is a novel based in Australia written by the Australian author Thomas Keneally. In 1789 in Sydney Cove, the remotest penal colony of the British Empire, a group of convicts and one of their captors unite to stage a play. Gove ...
''. In it, convicts deported from Britain to the Empire's penal colony of Australia perform George Farquhar's Restoration comedy ''The Recruiting Officer'' set in the English town of Shrewsbury. Artistic Director
Max Stafford-Clark Maxwell Robert Guthrie Stewart "Max" Stafford-Clark (born 17 March 1941) is a British theatre director. Life and career Stafford-Clark was born in Cambridge, England. the son of David Stafford-Clark, a physician, and Dorothy Crossley (née Old ...
wrote about his experiences of staging the plays in repertoire in his book ''Letters to George''. Keneally has also acted in a handful of films. He had a small role in
Fred Schepisi Frederic Alan Schepisi ( ; Kael, Pauline (1984). '' Taking It All In''. New York: Holt, Rinehart and Winston. p. 55. born 26 December 1939) is an Australian film director, producer and screenwriter. His credits include '' The Chant of Jimmie ...
's ''
The Chant of Jimmie Blacksmith ''The Chant of Jimmie Blacksmith'' is a 1972 Booker Prize-nominated Australian novel by Thomas Keneally, and a 1978 Australian film of the same name directed by Fred Schepisi. The novel is based on the life of bushranger Jimmy Governor, the su ...
'' (1978) (based on his own novel) and played Father Marshall in the award-winning film '' The Devil's Playground'' (1976), also by Schepisi. Keneally was a member of the Literature Board of the
Australia Council The Australia Council for the Arts, commonly known as the Australia Council, is the country's official arts council, serving as an arts funding and advisory body for the Government of Australia. The council was announced in 1967 as the Austr ...
from 1985 to 1988 and President of the National Book Council from 1985 to 1989. Keneally was a visiting professor at the
University of California, Irvine The University of California, Irvine (UCI or UC Irvine) is a public land-grant research university in Irvine, California. One of the ten campuses of the University of California system, UCI offers 87 undergraduate degrees and 129 graduate and p ...
(UCI) where he taught the graduate fiction workshop for one quarter in 1985. From 1991 to 1995, he was a visiting professor in the writing program at UCI. In 2006, Peter Pierce, Professor of Australian Literature, James Cook University, wrote: The Tom Keneally Centre opened in August 2011 at the
Sydney Mechanics' School of Arts The Sydney Mechanics' School of Arts (SMSA) is the longest running School of Arts (also known as a " Mechanics' Institute") and the oldest continuous lending library in Australia. Founded in 1833, the school counted many of the colony's educat ...
, housing Keneally's books and memorabilia. The site is used for book launches, readings and writing classes. Keneally is an ambassador of the Asylum Seekers Centre, a
not-for-profit A nonprofit organization (NPO) or non-profit organisation, also known as a non-business entity, not-for-profit organization, or nonprofit institution, is a legal entity organized and operated for a collective, public or social benefit, in co ...
that provides personal and practical support to people seeking
asylum in Australia Asylum in Australia has been granted to many refugees since 1945, when half a million Europeans displaced by World War II were given asylum. Since then, there have been periodic waves of asylum seekers from South East Asia and the Middle East ...
.


Personal life

Keneally married Judy Martin, then a nurse, in 1965, and they had two daughters, Margaret and Janet. Keneally was the founding chairman (1991–93) of the
Australian Republic Movement The Australian Republic Movement (ARM) is a non-party-partisan organisation campaigning for Australia to become a republic. ARM and its supporters have promoted various models of a republic including parliamentary republic and it is, again, revi ...
and published a book on the subject ''Our Republic'' in 1993. Several of his Republican essays appear on the website of the movement. He is also a keen supporter of
rugby league Rugby league football, commonly known as just rugby league and sometimes football, footy, rugby or league, is a full-contact sport played by two teams of thirteen players on a rectangular field measuring 68 metres (75 yards) wide and 112 ...
football, in particular the
Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles The Manly Warringah Sea Eagles are an Australian professional rugby league club based in Sydney's Northern Beaches. The team colours are maroon and white, while their namesake and logo is the sea eagle. They compete in Australia's premier rugb ...
club of the
NRL The National Rugby League (NRL) is an Australasian rugby league club competition which contains clubs from New South Wales, Queensland, Victoria, the Australian Capital Territory and New Zealand. The NRL formed in 1998 as a joint partnership ...
. In 2004, he gave the sixth annual
Tom Brock Lecture The Tom Brock Lecture is an annual scholarly lecture organised by the Australian Society for Sports History at the bequest of Australian sports historian Tom Brock. The topic of the lecture is the history of rugby league football. It has been give ...
. He made an appearance in the 2007 rugby league drama film ''
The Final Winter ''The Final Winter'' is an Australian drama film released in 2007. It was directed by Brian Andrews and Jane Forrest and produced by Anthony Coffee, and Michelle Russell, while independently produced it is being distributed by Paramount Pictu ...
''. In March 2009, the
Prime Minister of Australia The prime minister of Australia is the head of government of the Commonwealth of Australia. The prime minister heads the executive branch of the federal government of Australia and is also accountable to federal parliament under the princip ...
,
Kevin Rudd Kevin Michael Rudd (born 21 September 1957) is an Australian former politician and diplomat who served as the 26th prime minister of Australia from 2007 to 2010 and again from June 2013 to September 2013, holding office as the leader of the ...
, gave an autographed copy of Keneally's biography ''Lincoln'' to President
Barack Obama Barack Hussein Obama II ( ; born August 4, 1961) is an American politician who served as the 44th president of the United States from 2009 to 2017. A member of the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party, Obama was the first Af ...
as a state gift. Keneally's nephew
Ben Ben is frequently used as a shortened version of the given names Benjamin, Benedict, Bennett or Benson, and is also a given name in its own right. Ben (in he, בֶּן, ''son of'') forms part of Hebrew surnames, e.g. Abraham ben Abraham ( h ...
is married to the former senior
Australian Labor Party The Australian Labor Party (ALP), also simply known as Labor, is the major centre-left political party in Australia, one of two major parties in Australian politics, along with the centre-right Liberal Party of Australia. The party forms t ...
Senator A senate is a deliberative assembly, often the upper house or chamber of a bicameral legislature. The name comes from the ancient Roman Senate (Latin: ''Senatus''), so-called as an assembly of the senior (Latin: ''senex'' meaning "the el ...
,
Kristina Keneally Kristina Marie Kerscher Keneally (born 19 December 1968) is an American-born Australian politician who was a Labor Senator for New South Wales from February 2018 until April 2022, when she resigned to unsuccessfully contest the House of Repre ...
. She is also a former
Premier of New South Wales The premier of New South Wales is the head of government in the state of New South Wales, Australia. The Government of New South Wales follows the Westminster Parliamentary System, with a Parliament of New South Wales acting as the legislatur ...
and
Sky News Australia Sky News Australia is an Australian news channel owned by News Corp Australia. Originally launched on 19 February 1996, it broadcasts rolling news coverage throughout the day, while its prime time lineup is dedicated to opinion-based programs f ...
newscaster.


''Schindler's Ark''

Keneally wrote the
Booker Prize The Booker Prize, formerly known as the Booker Prize for Fiction (1969–2001) and the Man Booker Prize (2002–2019), is a literary prize awarded each year for the best novel written in English and published in the United Kingdom or Ireland. ...
-winning novel in 1982, inspired by the efforts of
Poldek Pfefferberg Leopold "Poldek" Pfefferberg (March 20, 1913 – March 9, 2001), also known as Leopold Page,Holocaust survivor Holocaust survivors are people who survived the Holocaust, defined as the persecution and attempted annihilation of the Jews by Nazi Germany and its allies before and during World War II in Europe and North Africa. There is no universally accep ...
. In 1980, Keneally met Pfefferberg in the latter's shop, and learning that he was a novelist, Pfefferberg showed him his extensive files on
Oskar Schindler Oskar Schindler (; 28 April 1908 – 9 October 1974) was a German industrialist, humanitarian and a member of the Nazi Party who is credited with saving the lives of 1,200 Jews during the Holocaust by employing them in his enamelware and ...
, including the original list itself. Keneally was interested, and Pfefferberg became an advisor for the book, accompanying Keneally to Poland where they visited Kraków and the sites associated with the Schindler story. Keneally dedicated ''Schindler's Ark'' to Pfefferberg: "who by zeal and persistence caused this book to be written." He said in an interview in 2007 that what attracted him to Oskar Schindler was that "it was the fact that you couldn't say where opportunism ended and altruism began. And I like the subversive fact that the spirit breatheth where it will. That is, that good will emerge from the most unlikely places". The book was later made into the movie ''
Schindler's List ''Schindler's List'' is a 1993 American epic historical drama film directed and produced by Steven Spielberg and written by Steven Zaillian. It is based on the 1982 novel ''Schindler's Ark'' by Australian novelist Thomas Keneally. The film f ...
'' (1993) directed by
Steven Spielberg Steven Allan Spielberg (; born December 18, 1946) is an American director, writer, and producer. A major figure of the New Hollywood era and pioneer of the modern blockbuster, he is the most commercially successful director of all time. Sp ...
, earning his first Best Director
Oscar Oscar, OSCAR, or The Oscar may refer to: People * Oscar (given name), an Irish- and English-language name also used in other languages; the article includes the names Oskar, Oskari, Oszkár, Óscar, and other forms. * Oscar (Irish mythology) ...
. Keneally's meeting with Pfefferberg and their research tours are detailed in ''Searching for Schindler: A Memoir'' (2007). Some of the Pfefferberg documents that inspired Keneally are now housed in the
State Library of New South Wales The State Library of New South Wales, part of which is known as the Mitchell Library, is a large heritage-listed special collections, reference and research library open to the public and is one of the oldest libraries in Australia. Establis ...
in Sydney. In 1996 the State Library purchased this material from a private collector.


Honours

In 1983, 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 Go ...
(AO). He is an Australian Living Treasure. Keneally has stated that he was once offered the title of
Commander of the Order of the British Empire The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry, rewarding contributions to the arts and sciences, work with charitable and welfare organisations, and public service outside the civil service. It was established ...
, and that he refused it. "I said I pitied any empire of which I was a commander". Keneally has been awarded honorary doctorates including one from the National University of Ireland.


Bibliography


Novels

* * '' The Fear'' (1965), rewritten in (1989) as ''By the Line'' * ''
Bring Larks and Heroes ''Bring Larks and Heroes'' is a 1967 novel by Australian author Thomas Keneally which won the Miles Franklin Award in 1967. Plot summary The novel is set in an unidentified Penal colony in the South Pacific, which bears a superficial resemblan ...
'' (1967), winner of 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 (1879–1 ...
, set in an unidentified British
penal colony A penal colony or exile colony is a settlement used to exile prisoners and separate them from the general population by placing them in a remote location, often an island or distant colonial territory. Although the term can be used to refer to ...
* ''
Three Cheers for the Paraclete ''Three Cheers for the Paraclete'' (1968) is a novel by the Australian author Thomas Keneally. It won the Miles Franklin Award in 1968. Story outline After studying overseas for some years a young priest, James Maitland, returns to Australia to ...
'' (1968), winner of 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 (1879–1 ...
, comic novel of a doubting priest * '' The Survivor'' (1969), a survivor looks back on a disastrous
Antarctic The Antarctic ( or , American English also or ; commonly ) is a polar region around Earth's South Pole, opposite the Arctic region around the North Pole. The Antarctic comprises the continent of Antarctica, the Kerguelen Plateau and othe ...
expedition * '' A Dutiful Daughter'' (1971), Keneally's personal favourite * ''
The Chant of Jimmie Blacksmith ''The Chant of Jimmie Blacksmith'' is a 1972 Booker Prize-nominated Australian novel by Thomas Keneally, and a 1978 Australian film of the same name directed by Fred Schepisi. The novel is based on the life of bushranger Jimmy Governor, the su ...
'' (1972), also filmed. Written through the eyes of an exploited Aboriginal man who explodes in rage. Based on an actual incident. Keneally has said he would not now presume to write in the voice of an Aboriginal person, but would have written the story as seen by a white character. * '' Blood Red, Sister Rose'' (1974), a novel based loosely on the life of
Joan of Arc Joan of Arc (french: link=yes, Jeanne d'Arc, translit= �an daʁk} ; 1412 – 30 May 1431) is a patron saint of France, honored as a defender of the French nation for her role in the siege of Orléans and her insistence on the coronat ...
* ''
Moses the Lawgiver ''Moses the Lawgiver'' is a 6-hour Italian/British television miniseries filmed in 1973/74 and starring Burt Lancaster as Moses. It was an ITC/RAI co-production filmed in Rome and on location in Israel and Morocco. Many of the writers, cast a ...
'' (1975) * '' Gossip from the Forest'' (1975), tells of the negotiation of the armistice that ended
World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was List of wars and anthropogenic disasters by death toll, one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, ...
* '' Season in Purgatory'' (1976), love among
Tito Tito may refer to: People Mononyms *Josip Broz Tito (1892–1980), commonly known mononymously as Tito, Yugoslav communist revolutionary and statesman *Roberto Arias (1918–1989), aka Tito, Panamanian international lawyer, diplomat, and journal ...
's partisans in
World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the World War II by country, vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great power ...
* ''Ned Kelly and the City of the Bees'' (1978), a book for
children A child ( : children) is a human being between the stages of birth and puberty, or between the developmental period of infancy and puberty. The legal definition of ''child'' generally refers to a minor, otherwise known as a person younger ...
* ''A Victim of the Aurora'' (1978), a
detective story Detective fiction is a subgenre of crime fiction and mystery fiction in which an investigator or a detective—whether professional, amateur or retired—investigates a crime, often murder. The detective genre began around the same time as specu ...
set on an
Antarctic The Antarctic ( or , American English also or ; commonly ) is a polar region around Earth's South Pole, opposite the Arctic region around the North Pole. The Antarctic comprises the continent of Antarctica, the Kerguelen Plateau and othe ...
expedition * ''Passenger'' (1979) * '' Confederates'' (1979), based on
Stonewall Jackson Thomas Jonathan "Stonewall" Jackson (January 21, 1824 – May 10, 1863) was a Confederate general during the American Civil War, considered one of the best-known Confederate commanders, after Robert E. Lee. He played a prominent role in nearl ...
's army * ''The Cut-Rate Kingdom'' (1980), Australia at war in 1942 * ''
Schindler's Ark ''Schindler's Ark'' is a historical novel published in 1982 by the Australian novelist Thomas Keneally. The United States edition of the book was titled ''Schindler's List;'' it was later reissued in Commonwealth countries under that name as we ...
'' (1982), winner of the
Booker Prize The Booker Prize, formerly known as the Booker Prize for Fiction (1969–2001) and the Man Booker Prize (2002–2019), is a literary prize awarded each year for the best novel written in English and published in the United Kingdom or Ireland. ...
, later released and filmed as ''
Schindler's List ''Schindler's List'' is a 1993 American epic historical drama film directed and produced by Steven Spielberg and written by Steven Zaillian. It is based on the 1982 novel ''Schindler's Ark'' by Australian novelist Thomas Keneally. The film f ...
'' * ''A Family Madness'' (1985) * ''
The Playmaker ''The Playmaker'' is a novel based in Australia written by the Australian author Thomas Keneally. In 1789 in Sydney Cove, the remotest penal colony of the British Empire, a group of convicts and one of their captors unite to stage a play. Gove ...
'' (1987), prisoners perform a play in Australia in the 18th Century * ''Act of Grace'' (1985), (under the pseudonym William Coyle) Published as Firestorm in the US * ''By the Line'' (1989), working-class families face
World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the World War II by country, vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great power ...
in Sydney * ''Towards Asmara'' (1989), the conflict in
Eritrea Eritrea ( ; ti, ኤርትራ, Ertra, ; ar, إرتريا, ʾIritriyā), officially the State of Eritrea, is a country in the Horn of Africa region of Eastern Africa, with its capital and largest city at Asmara. It is bordered by Ethiopi ...
* ''Flying Hero Class'' (1991),
Palestinians Palestinians ( ar, الفلسطينيون, ; he, פָלַסְטִינִים, ) or Palestinian people ( ar, الشعب الفلسطيني, label=none, ), also referred to as Palestinian Arabs ( ar, الفلسطينيين العرب, label=non ...
hijack an aeroplane carrying an Aboriginal folk dance troupe * ''Chief of Staff'' (1991), (under the pseudonym William Coyle) * ''Woman of the Inner Sea'' (1993), Keneally retells a story once told him by a young woman that haunted his imagination * ''Jacko: The Great Intruder'' (1993), madness and television * ''A River Town'' (1995) * ''Bettany's Book'' (2000) * ''
An Angel in Australia ''An Angel in Australia'' is a 2002 novel by Thomas Keneally. Set in Australia during World War II, it follows the life of a young Catholic priest, Father Frank Darragh, in 1940s Sydney. Publication history *An Angel in Australia, 2002, Australi ...
'' (2000), also published as ''Office of Innocence'' * '' The Tyrant's Novel'' (2003), an Australian immigration detainee tells his story * ''
The Widow and Her Hero ''The Widow and Her Hero'' is a novel by the Australian author Thomas Keneally set in Australia during World War II. Notes * Dedication: "To the Coverdales - Alex, Rory, Craig, Margaret. With the Author's love." Awards and nominations * Miles ...
'' (2007), the effect of war on those left behind * ''
The People's Train ''The People's Train'' is a 2009 novel by Australian novelist Tom Keneally. Plot summary The novel is a fictionalised account of the Australian life of Fyodor Sergeyev, given in the book as Artem Samsurov, a Russian émigré to Australia who w ...
'' (2009), a dissident escapes from Russia to Australia in 1911, only to return to fight in the revolution * ''
The Daughters of Mars ''The Daughters of Mars'' is a 2012 novel by Australian novelist Tom Keneally. Plot summary Sally and Naomi Durance are two nurses from country New South Wales who are shipped to Egypt during World War I end up on the Red Cross hospital ship ...
'' (2012), two Australian sisters struggle to nurse soldiers horrifically wounded in World War I * ''Shame and the Captives'' (2014), , recounts the escape of Japanese prisoners of war in New South Wales during WWII * ''Napoleon's Last Island'' (2015) * ''Crimes of the Father'' (2016) * ''Two Old Men Dying'' (2018) * ''The Book of Science and Antiquities'' (2019) * ''The Dickens Boy'' (2020) ;The Monsarrat series, co-authored with Meg Keneally * ''The Soldier’s Curse'' (2016) * ''The Unmourned'' (2017) * ''The Power Game'' (2018) * ''The Ink Stain'' (2019)


Non-fiction

* ''Outback'' (1983) * ''Australia: Beyond the Dreamtime'' (1987) * ''The Place Where Souls are Born: A Journey to the Southwest'' (1992) * ''Now and in Time to Be: Ireland and the Irish'' (1992) * ''Memoirs from a Young Republic'' (1993) * ''The Utility Player: The Des Hasler Story'' (1993) Rugby league footballer
Des Hasler Desmond John Hasler (born 16 February 1961) is an Australian professional rugby league coach, and a former professional rugby league footballer who played as and . He initially played for the Penrith Panthers, and then spent most of his playi ...
* ''Our Republic'' (1995) * ''Homebush Boy: A Memoir'' (1995), autobiography * ''The Great Shame'' (1998) * * ''American Scoundrel: The Life of the Notorious Civil War General Dan Sickles'' (2002), biography of
Daniel Sickles Daniel Edgar Sickles (October 20, 1819May 3, 1914) was an American politician, soldier, and diplomat. Born to a wealthy family in New York City, Sickles was involved in a number of scandals, most notably the 1859 homicide of his wife's lover, U. ...
* ''Lincoln'' (2003), biography of
Abraham Lincoln Abraham Lincoln ( ; February 12, 1809 – April 15, 1865) was an American lawyer, politician, and statesman who served as the 16th president of the United States from 1861 until his assassination in 1865. Lincoln led the nation throu ...
* '' The Commonwealth of Thieves: The Story of the Founding of Australia'' (2005) * ''Searching for Schindler: A Memoir'' (2007) * ''Australians: Origins to Eureka'' (2009) * ''Three Famines: Starvation and Politics'' (2011) * ''Australians: Eureka to the Diggers'' (2011) * ''Australians: Flappers to Vietnam'' (2014) * ''Australians: A Short History'' (2016) * ''A Bloody Good Rant: My Passions, Memories and Demons'' (2022)


Plays

* ''Halloran's Little Boat'' (1968) * ''Childermas'' (1968) * ''An Awful Rose'' (1972) * ''Bullie's House'' (1981) * ''Either Or'' (2007)


Screenplays

* ''The Survivor'' (1972) * ''Silver City'' (1984) * ''
The Fremantle Conspiracy ''The Fremantle Conspiracy'' is a 1992 Australian mini series based on the 1876 escape by some Fenians from Fremantle Gaol.Ed. Scott Murray, ''Australia on the Small Screen 1970-1995'', Oxford Uni Press, 1996 p198 Cast * Nikki Coghill - Hanna * ...
'' (1988)


Notes


References


Australian Biography website, including video interviews (and transcripts)


Further reading

*


External links


Tom Keneally at Random House Australia


of Thomas Keneally
Tom Keneally Centre
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Australian Republic Movement
web site. Search for "Keneally".

Thomas Keneally recalls his voyages to Antarctica
1983, 1989, 1991, 1993 RealAudio interviews with Thomas Keneally at Wired for Books.org
by Don Swaim
Radio interview with Michael Silverblatt
* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Keneally, Thomas 1935 births 20th-century Australian dramatists and playwrights 20th-century Australian educators 20th-century Australian historians 20th-century Australian male writers 20th-century Australian non-fiction writers 20th-century Australian novelists 20th-century Australian screenwriters 20th-century Australian short story writers 20th-century biographers 20th-century essayists 20th-century memoirists 21st-century Australian dramatists and playwrights 21st-century Australian educators 21st-century Australian historians 21st-century Australian male writers 21st-century Australian non-fiction writers 21st-century Australian novelists 21st-century Australian screenwriters 21st-century Australian short story writers 21st-century biographers 21st-century essayists 21st-century memoirists Australian autobiographers Australian biographers Australian children's writers Australian essayists Australian fantasy writers Australian historical novelists Australian human rights activists Australian indigenous rights activists Australian male dramatists and playwrights Australian male film actors Australian male non-fiction writers Australian male novelists Australian male screenwriters Australian memoirists Australian mystery writers Australian people of Irish descent Australian republicans Australian Roman Catholics Australian schoolteachers Australian social commentators Australian thriller writers Australian travel writers Booker Prize winners Cultural critics Fellows of the Royal Society of Literature Granta people Literacy and society theorists Living people Logie Award winners Miles Franklin Award winners Officers of the Order of Australia People educated at St Patrick's College, Strathfield People from Manly, New South Wales Psychological fiction writers Roman Catholic writers Social critics Surrealist writers University of Queensland faculty University of Sydney faculty Writers about activism and social change Writers from Sydney Writers of historical fiction set in antiquity Writers of historical fiction set in the early modern period Writers of historical fiction set in the Middle Ages Writers of historical fiction set in the modern age