David Neil Ireland AM (born 24 August 1927) is an Australian novelist.

Biography

David Ireland was born in Lakemba

Lakemba, New South Wales

Lakemba is a suburb in south-western Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Lakemba is located 15 kilometres south-west of the Sydney central business district, in the local government area of the City of Canterbury....

 in New South Wales in 1927.

Before taking up full-time writing in 1973 he undertook the classic writer's apprenticeship by working in a variety of jobs ranging from greenkeeper to an extended period in an oil refinery.

This latter job provided the inspiration for his second (and best-known) novel, The Unknown Industrial Prisoner

The Unknown Industrial Prisoner

The Unknown Industrial Prisoner is a Miles Franklin Award winning novel by Australian author David Ireland.-References:...

, which brought him recognition in the early 1970s and which is still considered by many critics to be one of best and most original Australian novels of the period.

He is one of only 4 Australian writers to win the Miles Franklin Award more than twice (the others being Thea Astley

Thea Astley

Thea Astley was an Australian novelist and short story writer. She was a prolific writer who was published for over 40 years from 1958. At the time of her death, she had won more Miles Franklin Awards, Australia's major literary award, than any other writer...

 with 4, Peter Carey 3, and Tim Winton

Tim Winton

Timothy John "Tim" Winton , is an Australian novelist and short story writer.-Life:Winton was born in Perth, Western Australia, but moved at a young age to the regional city of Albany....

 4).

Honours and Awards

Australian Literature Society Gold Medal	Archimedes and the Seagle, 1985
The Age Book of the Year The Age Book of the Year The Age Book of the Year Awards are annual literary awards presented by Melbourne's The Age newspaper. The awards were first presented in 1974. Since 1998 they have been presented as part of the Melbourne Writers Festival...  Award Book of the Year	A Woman of the Future, 1980, joint winner
Miles Franklin Award Miles Franklin Award The Miles Franklin Literary Award is an annual literary prize for the best Australian ‘published novel or play portraying Australian life in any of its phases’. The award was set up according to the will of Miles Franklin , who is best known for writing the Australian classic My Brilliant Career ...	A Woman of the Future, 1979
	The Glass Canoe, 1976
	The Unknown Industrial Prisoner, 1971
The Advertiser Literary Competition	The Chantic Bird, 1966

He was appointed a Member of the Order of Australia

Order of Australia

The Order of Australia is an order of chivalry established on 14 February 1975 by Elizabeth II, Queen of Australia, "for the purpose of according recognition to Australian citizens and other persons for achievement or for meritorious service"...

 in the Queen's Birthday Honours of June 1981.

Novels

• The Chantic Bird (1968)
• The Unknown Industrial Prisoner
  The Unknown Industrial Prisoner
  The Unknown Industrial Prisoner is a Miles Franklin Award winning novel by Australian author David Ireland.-References:...
  
   (1971)
• The Flesheaters (1972)
• Burn (1974)
• The Glass Canoe
  The Glass Canoe
  The Glass Canoe is a Miles Franklin Award winning novel by Australian author David Ireland.It is about a man who spends his life at the pub, seeing the world through his beer glass - a glass canoe.-References:...
  
   (1976)
• A Woman of the Future
  A Woman of the Future
  A Woman of the Future is a Miles Franklin Award winning novel by Australian author David Ireland.-References:*...
  
  (1979)
• City of Women (1981)
• Archimedes and the Seagle (1984)
• Bloodfather (1987)
• The Chosen (1997)

External links

• Ron Blaber 'The Populist Imaginary in David Ireland's The Unknown Industrial Prisoner and The Chosen JASAL 5 (2006)