Cirrus@Austlit

Fay Zwicky was an accomplished pianist by the age of six, performing individually and with her sisters as the Rosefield Trio. After completing her schooling at Melbourne church schools, she entered the University of Melbourne in 1950, receiving her BA Honours in 1954. She began writing poetry at university, but published little while travelling as a concert pianist between 1955 and 1965. Eventually, she settled in Perth with her Swiss husband and two children. In 1972 she was appointed Lecturer in American and Comparative Literature at the University of Western Australia, remaining there until her retirement in 1987.

Zwicky has edited and published short stories and poems in Australian and international anthologies and journals. She has been writer-in-residence at five Australian universities and at two universities in the USA. From 1977 to 1983 she was an Editorial Advisor for Westerly and from 1978 to 1981 she was a member of the Literature Board of the Australia Council.

Her poetic themes include the politics of relationships, the link between the artist and art, the poet's role in society, the nature of conflict, and the patriarchal domination of women. In her book of collected essays, The Lyre in the Pawnshop, Zwicky considers cultural and individual responsibilities, values and identity as they have been expressed in literature.

Among her awards are the Kenneth Slessor Prize for Poetry, the WA Premier’s Book Award for Poetry (twice) and Non-Fiction, and the Patrick White Award. She was declared a WA Living Treasure in 2004.