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Nicholas Hasluck Nicholas Hasluck i(A32097 works by)
Born: Established: 1942 Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, ;
Gender: Male
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BiographyHistory

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.

Most Referenced Works

Awards for Works

y separately published work icon Our Man K Ringwood : Penguin , 1999 Z218561 1999 single work novel
1999 shortlisted Western Australian Premier's Book Awards — Fiction
y separately published work icon The Country Without Music Ringwood : Viking , 1990 Z459804 1990 single work novel

'"The bone flute she wore at her neck.

'"He touched the crescent-shaped curio. 'You are Ilois,' he siad. It was the first time she had ever heard him use the word. 'You are Ilois.'

'"The islands once known as the strangest penal colonies on earth are now seething with discontent; and Jacqueline Villiers, caught at the centre of the turmoil, is torn between her uncle's determiation to stay in power and the attraction of her Ilios friends.

'"Who was the adminstrator's neice? And what was the significance of the bone flute?

'"In his compelling new novel, Nicholas Hasluck reveals how half-truths and deceptions can lead to a country bedevilled by its past - a country without music."' (Publication summary)
1991 joint winner Western Australian Premier's Book Awards — Fiction
1991 shortlisted Miles Franklin Literary Award
y separately published work icon Truant State Ringwood : Penguin , 1987 Z380154 1987 single work novel mystery romance After the Great War, the Traverne family relocates to Fremantle, in Western Australia, from England to "escape from all the squabbling, the class divisions," to start a new a life of hard, clean work, where ideals can be upheld. The head of the family next door is Romney Guy, a charming swindler who "knows everyone, everything. And if it hasn't happened yet he makes it happen." One man among many lured by Guy's plans is Dr. Henry Traverne, who eventually undergoes a change of fortune and is disillusioned. The story is told by Henry's son Jack, who witnesses the machinations of Romney Guy, and who becomes embroiled in the politics of Western Australian during the Depression (when "the days were like the hooves of a passing legion, like time itself, grinding people down, gradually erasing their features . . . until there was nothing left but dust and memories") and in a secessionist movement. Hasluck, an Australian, has a keen eye for detail, and his descriptive passages of large crowds and riots are especially well wrought. This is a story rich in character sympathetic and offensive all crafted into finely balanced prose, although the romance between Jack and Diana Guy, Romney's daughter, is weakly rendered.
1987 shortlisted Miles Franklin Literary Award
VIEW ALL AWARDS

Known archival holdings

Descriptive list available (8 p.). Restriced until Hasluck's death. National Library of Australia (ACT)
Last amended 10 Dec 2014 15:37:27
See Also
Freshwater Bay Press
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