Nicholas Paul Hasluck is the son of Paul and Alexandra Hasluck (q.v.). Studying law, he graduated from the University of Western Australia in 1963, and from Oxford University in 1966. He worked briefly in Fleet Street as an editorial assistant, but returned in 1967 to Australia, working as a barrister in Western Australia. He was deputy chair of the Australia Council from 1978-1982 and chair of the Literature Board from 1999 to 2002.
In addition to his often satirical fiction about Australian society and history, Hasluck has also written drama, radio scripts, poetry and literary criticism.