Cirrus@Austlit

David Brooks was educated in Canberra and graduated from the Australian National University in 1974. He then studied overseas for several years until returning in 1981 to teach at the Royal Military College at Duntroon. In that year, he completed his Ph.D. (on Ezra Pound's early Cantos) from the University of Toronto.

In 1982 he moved to Perth to teach for three years at the University of Western Australia. He returned to the ANU in 1986 as a lecturer and in 1991 took a position at the University of Sydney, becoming a senior lecturer there in 1992.

Since his days as a student, Brooks has retained active involvement with poetry publications such as New poetry and Poetry Australia, Westerly and Southerly as an editor, reviewer, adviser and/or contributor. He has also been a reader for publishers and has contributed regular literary columns and reviews to newspapers and journals. Brooks was the co-founder of Open Door Press.

David Brooks has maintained close links with a number of leading literary contemporaries and has been involved with committees organising many literary events including the Sydney Festival Writers' Week. He has served on the Board of Directors of the Eleanor Dark Foundation, was the Chair of the NSW Literature Awards in 1993, and participated on the management committee of the NSW Writers Centre.

With Slovenian poet Bert Pribac (q.v.) Brooks translated poetry by Slovenian poet Srecko Kosovel (1904-1926), published as The Golden Boat : Selected Poems of Srecko Kosovel (2008).

Brooks has travelled and lectured extensively overseas - including in Canada, the United States, the United Kingdom, France and China. His papers are held by the National Library of Australia. (MS8075)