Martin Johnston (12 November 1947 – 21 June 1990) was an Australian poet and novelist.

Martin Johnston was born in Sydney on 12 November 1947, son of the writers George Johnston and Charmian Clift. His early childhood was spent in London and Sydney. In 1954 the family moved to Greece. They returned to England in 1960 and Australia in 1964.[citation needed]

He was educated at North Sydney Boys High School and Sydney University.[1][2]

In the mid-to-late 1970s he lived and travelled with Australian writer, Nadia Wheatley. They lived and wrote in Greece from 1975 to 1977, and travelled through Europe before returning to Australia in 1978.[3]

In October 1982 he married Roseanne Bonney, and they lived in Darlinghurst, Sydney.[citation needed]

He died on 21 June 1990.[citation needed]

Works edit

  • shadowmass. (Sydney University Arts Society, 1971) [poems]
  • Ithaka: Modern Greek Poetry in Translation. (Island Press, 1973) [novel]
  • The Sea-Cucumber. (University of Queensland Press, 1978) [poems][4]
  • The Typewriter Considered as a Bee-Trap. (Hale & Iremonger, 1985) [poems][6]
  • Martin Johnston: Selected Poems and Prose. (UQP, 1993)
  • Beautiful Objects: Selected Poems. (Ligature, 2020)[7][8][9]

Notes edit

  1. ^ NSBHS Leaving Certificate 1965
  2. ^ "Johnston, Martin - Poet - Australian Poetry Library". www.poetrylibrary.edu.au. Archived from the original on 22 December 2011.
  3. ^ Tranter (1993)
  4. ^ Johnston, Martin; Johnston, Martin Clift, 1947-1990. [Poems. Selections] (1978), The sea-cucumber, University of Queensland Press, ISBN 978-0-7022-1157-7{{citation}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  5. ^ "An Enetertainment, If not a Novel". The Canberra Times. Vol. 58, no. 17, 709. Australian Capital Territory, Australia. 24 March 1984. p. 24. Retrieved 20 September 2023 – via National Library of Australia.
  6. ^ Johnston, Martin (1984), The typewriter considered as a bee-trap, Hale & Iremonger, ISBN 978-0-86806-098-9
  7. ^ Johnston, Martin; Wheatley, Nadia (compiler) (2020), Beautiful objects, Ligature Pty Limited, ISBN 978-1-925883-26-8
  8. ^ "Beautiful Objects: Selected Poems". Ligature. Retrieved 11 June 2023.
  9. ^ Holland-Batt, Sarah (4 December 2020), Martin Johnston charts a peripatetic childhood in Beautiful Objects, News Limited, retrieved 20 September 2023

References edit

External links edit