David Martin

David Martin (22 December 1915 – 1 July 1997), born Lajos or Ludwig Detsinyi, into a Jewish family in Hungary (then part of Austria-Hungary), was an Australian novelist, poet, playwright, journalist, editor, literary reviewer and lecturer. He also used the names Louis Adam and Louis Destiny, adopting the name David Martin after moving to England.

Biography Martin was born in Budapest, but educated in Germany. He left Germany in 1934, spending time in the Netherlands, Hungary and Palestine. In 1937 he travelled to Spain. where he served as a volunteer in the medical service of the International Brigade of the Spanish Republican Army during the Spanish Civil War.

In 1938 Martin joined his father in London, working in his clothing factory, before moving to Glasgow in 1941 where he worked as a correspondent with the Daily Express. In 1941, Martin married Elizabeth Richenda Powell, great-granddaughter of the Quaker Elizabeth Fry. They had one son, Jan. Martin returned to London, working for the BBC until 1944. From 1945 to 1947 he was literary editor of Reynold's News. In 1948 he travelled to India as British correspondent for the Daily Express. He also won the Patrick White Award in 1991 and was given an Emeritus Award by the Literature Fund of the Australia Council in 1996. David Martin died in Beechworth, Victoria, on 1 July 1997.

One of his grandchildren, Toby Martin, is the guitarist and frontman of the rock band Youth Group.