Michelle de Kretser (born 1957) is an Australian novelist who was born in

Sri Lanka Sri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka, also known historically as Ceylon, is an island country in South Asia. It lies in the Indian Ocean, southwest of the Bay of Bengal, separated from the Indian subcontinent, ...

(then

Ceylon Sri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka, also known historically as Ceylon, is an island country in South Asia. It lies in the Indian Ocean, southwest of the Bay of Bengal, separated from the Indian subcontinent, ...

), and moved to Australia in 1972 when she was 14. Her father was Oswald Leslie De Kretser III, a judge of the Supreme Court of Ceylon.

Education and literary career

De Kretser was educated at Methodist College, Colombo, in Melbourne at Elwood College, and in Paris. She worked as an editor for a travel guides company

Lonely Planet Lonely Planet is a travel guide book publisher. Founded in Australia in 1973, the company has printed over 150 million books. History 20th century Lonely Planet was founded by married couple Maureen Wheeler, Maureen and Tony Wheeler. In 19 ...

, and while on a sabbatical in 1999, wrote and published her first novel, ''The Rose Grower''. Her second novel, '' The Hamilton Case'', was winner of the Tasmania Pacific Prize, the

Encore Award The £15,000 Encore Award for the best second novel was first awarded in 1990. It is sponsored by Lucy Astor, presented by the Royal Society of Literature The Royal Society of Literature (RSL) is a learned society founded in 1820 by King Ge ...

(in the UK) and the

Commonwealth Writers' Prize Commonwealth Foundation has presented a number of prizes since 1987. The main award was called the Commonwealth Writers' Prize and was composed of two prizes: the Best Book Prize (overall and regional) was awarded from 1987 to 2011; the Best First ...

(Southeast Asia and Pacific). Her third novel, '' The Lost Dog'', was published in 2007. It was one of 13 books on the longlist for the 2008

Man Booker Prize The Booker Prize, formerly the Booker Prize for Fiction (1969–2001) and the Man Booker Prize (2002–2019), is a prestigious literary award conferred each year for the best single work of sustained fiction written in the English language, wh ...

. From 1989 to 1992, she was a founding editor of the ''Australian Women's Book Review''. Her fourth novel, '' Questions of Travel'', won several awards, including the 2013

Miles Franklin Award The Miles Franklin Literary Award is an annual literary prize awarded to "a novel which is of the highest literary merit and presents Australian life in any of its phases". The award was set up according to the Will (law), will of Miles Franklin ...

, the 2013

ALS Gold Medal The Australian Literature Society Gold Medal (ALS Gold Medal) is awarded annually by the Association for the Study of Australian Literature for "an outstanding literary work in the preceding calendar year." From 1928 to 1974 it was awarded by the ...

, and the 2013

Prime Minister's Literary Award The Australian Prime Minister's Literary Awards (PMLA) were announced at the end of 2007 by the incoming First Rudd ministry following the 2007 Australian federal election, 2007 election. They are administered by the Minister for the Arts (Aust ...

for Fiction. It was also shortlisted for the 2014

International Dublin Literary Award The International Dublin Literary Award (), established as the International IMPAC Dublin Literary Award in 1996, is presented each year for a novel written or translated into English. It promotes excellence in world literature and is solely ...

. Her 2017 novel, ''The Life to Come'', was shortlisted for the 2018 Stella Prize, and won both the Miles Franklin Award and the Christina Stead Prize for Fiction. This is the third time Michelle de Kretser has won this prize and equals Peter Carey's record of wins. Her novel '' Theory & Practice'' (2024) starts as one novel but is interrupted by another. As a whole, the novel asks what is the real relationship between theory and practice. One of its central themes is how heroes of fiction and theory often let us down. For instance, Virginia Woolf is held up as a hero to the protagonist, but Woolf's antisemitism and her racism becomes impossible for the narrator to ignore. She "writes back" to Woolf. The theme of women not living up to feminist values in real life - in practice - is explored through the narrator's relationship with Kit, who is already in a relationship with Olivia. Or the narrator's rejection of her own mother.

Awards

*2004 –

, South-East Asia and the Pacific for ''The Hamilton Case'' *2004 –

for ''The Hamilton Case'' *2005 – Tasmania Pacific Award for ''The Hamilton Case'' *2007 – Liberatur Award for ''The Hamilton Case'' *2008 –

for ''The Lost Dog'' *2008 –

New South Wales Premier's Literary Awards The New South Wales Premier's Literary Awards, also known as the NSW Premier's Literary Awards, were first awarded in 1979. They are among the richest literary awards in Australia. Notable prizes include the Christina Stead Prize for Fiction, th ...

– Christina Stead Prize for Fiction and Book of the Year for ''The Lost Dog'' *2013 –

for ''Questions of Travel'' *2013 –

Prime Minister's Literary Awards The Australian Prime Minister's Literary Awards (PMLA) were announced at the end of 2007 by the incoming First Rudd ministry following the 2007 election. They are administered by the Minister for the Arts.Western Australian Premier's Book Awards The Western Australian Premier's Book Awards is an annual book award provided by the Government of Western Australia, and managed by the State Library of Western Australia. History and format Annual literary awards were inaugurated by the Wes ...

Fiction Prize and Premier's Prize for ''Questions of Travel'' *2014 –

– Christina Stead Prize for Fiction and Book of the Year for ''Questions of Travel'' *2018 –

for ''The Life to Come'' *2019 –

– Christina Stead Prize for Fiction for ''The Life to Come'' *2023 –

Rathbones Folio Prize The Writers' Prize, previously known as the Rathbones Folio Prize, the Folio Prize and The Literature Prize, is a literary award that was sponsored by the London-based publisher Folio Society, The Folio Society for its first two years, 2014–2 ...

for Fiction for ''Scary Monsters'' *2025 – Stella Prize for '' Theory & Practice''

Works

Novels

* ''The Rose Grower'' (1999) * '' The Hamilton Case'' (2003) * '' The Lost Dog'' (2007) * '' Questions of Travel'' (2012) * ''Springtime'' (2014) * '' The Life to Come'' (2017) * ''Scary Monsters'' (2021) * '' Theory & Practice'' (2024)

Non-fiction

* ''On Shirley Hazzard'' (2019)

References

External links

Interview
* obias Carroll
"Ghost Stories and Urban Disquiet: Talking 'Springtime' with Michelle De Kretser"
Interview, ''Vol. 1 Brooklyn'', 14 April 2016.
Man Booker longlist announced
{{DEFAULTSORT:De Kretser, Michelle 1957 births Living people 20th-century Australian novelists 20th-century Australian women writers 21st-century Australian novelists 21st-century Australian women writers Academic staff of the University of Melbourne ALS Gold Medal winners Alumni of Methodist College, Colombo Australian women novelists Burgher people Miles Franklin Award winners Sri Lankan emigrants to Australia University of Melbourne alumni