Alan Gold

Alan David Gold (1945 – June 2024) was an Australian novelist, columnist, and human rights activist.

Life and career Born in Leicester, United Kingdom, Alan Gold began his working life on British provincial newspapers such as the Leicester Mercury before becoming a freelance correspondent in the United Kingdom and Europe. He and his wife Eva moved to Australia in 1970.

He wrote more than thirty books which were published and translated internationally. His novels dealt with a wide range of subjects, most often associated with modern and ancient history and politics and Judaism.

He was a regular literary critic for The Australian and also an opinion columnist for The Spectator Australia. In June 2000, he was the New South Wales Human Rights Orator, as well as the B'nai B'rith Human Rights Orator in Sydney and Melbourne. He was a visiting guest lecturer in literature at major Australian universities and a regular lecturer and speaker on matters of literature, racism, and human rights.

He was a past President of the Anti-Defamation Unit of B'nai B'rith, was a member of think tanks the Sydney Institute and the Centre for Independent Studies, and a board member of the international writers' centre, Varuna, the Vice President of the human rights program Courage to Care, and the literary co-ordinator of the New South Wales University Shalom College's Festival, Limmud Oz. He was a visiting scholar to the Melbourne Limmud Oz.

He was married with three children and lived in Sydney, Australia.

Gold died after a long illness in June 2024. His funeral was held at Rookwood Cemetery on 19 June 2024.