Nicholas Hasluck

Nicholas Paul Hasluck (born 17 October 1942) is an Australian novelist, poet, short story writer, and former judge.

Early life Nicholas Hasluck was born in Canberra. His father, Sir Paul Hasluck was a minister in the Federal Government under Robert Menzies, and was later appointed Governor-General of Australia. Nicholas went to school at Scotch College, Perth, and Canberra Grammar School, before studying law at University of Western Australia (1963) and Oxford (1966).

Legal career After completing his studies, Hasluck worked briefly in Fleet Street in London as an editorial assistant before returning to Australia in 1967 to work as a solicitor, initially in partnership with Robert Holmes à Court. He was a partner in the law firm Keall Brinsden from 1971 to 1984. While working as a barrister from 1985 to 2000 he was appointed Queen's Counsel in 1988 and served as part-time President of the Equal Opportunity Tribunal (WA). He was deputy chair of the Australia Council from 1978 to 1982 and was made a Member of the Order of Australia (AM). He served as Chair of the Literature Board from 1998 to 2001 and as Chair of the Art Gallery of Western Australia from 2014 to 2018.

On 1 May 2000, Hasluck was appointed a judge on the Supreme Court of Western Australia, which is the highest ranking court in the State of Western Australia. He retired as a judge on 5 May 2010.

Writing career Hasluck started writing at school, producing poetry and essays for the school magazine and was first professionally published in 1964 with a poem appearing in Westerly literary magazine.

Hasluck's books fall into two categories, which he describes as "moral thriller genre and satire", with the thriller interesting him the most. He cites the American writers William Faulkner, Saul Bellow, Norman Mailer and Gore Vidal as his main literary influences.

In 2006, Hasluck became Chairperson of the Commonwealth Writers' Prize. He completed his term in 2011.

Awards

1984 - winner The Age Book of the Year Award Imaginative Writing Prize and Book of the Year The Bellarmine Jug 1987 - shortlisted Miles Franklin Award for Truant State 1991 - shortlisted Miles Franklin Award for The Country Without Music 1991 - joint winner Western Australian Premier's Book Awards for The Country Without Music 1999 - shortlisted Western Australian Premier's Book Awards for Our Man K