Sunday, November 14, 2010

Literary postman delivers again, winning mentor's bequest

 Susan Wyndham, Literary Editor, Sydney Morning Herald , November 13, 2010
PATRICK WHITE wrote a line of praise for the cover of David Foster's first work of fiction, North South West, in 1973 and later said: ''One reason why I like Foster's novels is that he isn't afraid of sour milk and what's repulsive in life.''


David Foster - photo by Anthony Johnson
White would be ambiguously pleased that Foster, 66, has won the Patrick White Literary Award, the honour he set up - also in 1973 - with his Nobel prize money for authors who have made a significant, but inadequately recognised, contribution to Australian literature.

Foster, who can be almost as grouchy as his late patron, accepted the $18,000 award in Sydney yesterday, saying White had intended it ''as a kind of literary loser's compo''. (Sadly for Foster, the economic slump has reduced the prize money from $25,000 in previous years.)

He took a swipe at another, unnamed writer - clearly J.M. Coetzee - for putting ''his hand up for every prize, including - can you believe it? - the Randwick Council Literature Award'', despite having a Nobel and two Booker prizes, worth a total of $1.5 million.
By contrast, he said, White - ''a class act'' - stopped entering his work for prizes in 1967 to allow needier writers to win.

Foster has published 15 novels, as well as nonfiction, poetry, essays, radio plays and scientific papers. A drummer, motorbiker and grandfather of 17, he has a doctorate in inorganic chemistry, and a black belt in taekwondo. He has supported his writing as a postman, truck driver, prawn fisherman, labourer and farmer.

Full piece at SMH.

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