Thomas Shapcott

Thomas William Shapcott (born 21 March 1935) is an Australian poet, novelist, playwright, editor, librettist, short story writer and teacher.

Biography

Thomas William Shapcott was born in Ipswich, Queensland, and attended the Ipswich Grammar School with his twin brother, who was born on the previous day (20 March 1935). (The writer is left-handed, but his twin is right-handed.) He left school at 15 to work in his father's accountancy business, but completed an accountancy degree in 1961. In 1967 he graduated in arts from the University of Queensland.

His first artistic impulse was to be a composer. By age 19, he had written a number of works, but he turned away from music when he discovered a string quartet he had written unconsciously plagiarised a chamber work by Ernest Bloch. He then worked as a tax accountant, a profession that he pursued for 27 years.

He was director of the Australia Council's Literature Board for seven years, and executive director of the National Book Council (1992–97). He was professor of creative writing at the University of Adelaide.

He has written 15 collections of poetry and 6 novels.

Thomas Shapcott was appointed an Officer (AO) of the Order of Australia in 1989. Spirit Wrestlers (2004)

Short story collections Limestone and Lemon Wine: Stories (1988) What You Own: Stories (1991) Gatherers and Hunters: Stories (2011)

Young adult Holiday of the Ikon (1984) Flood Children (1981)

Non-fiction Writers Interviews with the Camera (1989) Biting the Bullet: A Literary memoir (1990) Twins in the Family: Interviews with Australian Twins (2001)

Awards

Grace Leven Prize for Poetry, 1961: winner for "Time on Fire". Myer Award for Australian Poetry, 1967: winner for A taste of salt water C.J. Dennis Memorial Poetry Competition, Open Section, 1976: commended for The five senses Canada-Australia Literary Award, 1978 Officer of the Order of Australia, 1989, for his services to Literature Golden Wreath of the Struga Poetry Evenings laureate, 1990 Wesley Michel Wright Prize for Poetry, 1996 New South Wales Premier's Literary Awards, Special Discretionary Award, 1996 Patrick White Award, 2000 Harold White Fellowships, 2005. Note: to examine the papers of Ray Mathew Honorary Doctorate of Literature from Macquarie University