- Thomas W. Shapcott
Thomas Shapcott, AO (born
21 March 1935 ) is anAustralia npoet ,novelist , playwright, editor, librettist, short story writer and teacher.Biography
Thomas Shapcott was born in
Ipswich, Queensland , and attended theIpswich 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 theUniversity of Queensland . ["Australian Poets and their Works", by W. Wilde, Oxford University Press, 1996]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 . [Jason Steger, "Best wishes from Patrick White: $20,000 prize for a man of letters", "Sydney Morning Herald ", 11 November 2000, p.5] 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 atAdelaide University . ["The Age ", Easter Edition 25-26 March 2005, "Review", p. 16]He has written 15 collections of poetry and 6 novels.
elected List of works
Poetry (collections)
*"Time on Fire"
*"The Mankind Thing"
*"Shabbytown"
*"Calendar"
*"In the Beginning"
*"Chekhov's Mongoose"
*"Spirit Wrestlers"Novels
*"White Stag of Exile"
*"Mona's Gift"Awards
*
Grace Leven Poetry Prize, 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
*Order of Australia , 1989, for his services to Literature
*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 ofRay Mathew
*Honorary Doctorate of Literature fromMacquarie University References
External links
* [http://www.brisbanewritersfestival.com.au/2004/content/standard_c1.asp?name=ShapcottT Brisbane Writers Festival Site]
* [http://www.lib.adfa.edu.au/speccoll/finding_aids/shapcott_thomas.html Academy Library - Thomas W. Shapcott]Persondata
NAME=Shapcott, Thomas
ALTERNATIVE NAMES=
SHORT DESCRIPTION=Australia npoet
DATE OF BIRTH=1935
PLACE OF BIRTH=Ipswich, Queensland ,Australia
DATE OF DEATH=
PLACE OF DEATH=
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