George Johnston (novelist) facts for kids

George Henry Johnston (born July 20, 1912 – died July 22, 1970) was an important Australian writer. He worked as a journalist and a war correspondent. He is most famous for his novel My Brother Jack. George Johnston was also married to the writer Charmian Clift. They often worked together on writing projects.

George Johnston: A Life in Words

George Henry Johnston was born in Melbourne, Australia. He grew up in a place called Elsternwick. After finishing school, he started learning to be a lithographer. This job involves making prints.

Early Career as a Journalist

Later, George became a journalist for a newspaper in Melbourne called Argus. He became well-known for his reports during World War II. He was a war correspondent, which means he reported from the war zones.

After the war, he moved to London with his second wife, Charmian Clift. He worked there as a European correspondent, reporting on news from Europe.

Becoming a Full-Time Writer

In 1954, George Johnston decided to stop working as a journalist. He moved with Charmian Clift to a beautiful Greek island called Hydra. There, he started writing books full-time. He joined a group of international artists and writers on the island. Famous people like the poet Leonard Cohen were part of this group.

While living in Greece, George became ill with tuberculosis. This is a serious lung disease. He returned to live in Sydney, Australia, in 1964.

His Most Famous Books

George Johnston is best known for a series of three novels. These books are partly about his own life. They are:

• My Brother Jack
• Clean Straw for Nothing
• A Cartload of Clay

He had four children. He even used parts of their names to create a pen name, Shane Martin. Under this name, he wrote five detective novels.

Awards and Recognition

In 1970, George Johnston was given a special award. He was made an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) for his great contributions to literature. He passed away later that year at the age of 58 due to his illness.

George Johnston's life story is still inspiring. An upcoming TV show called So Long, Marianne will even feature him. The actor Noah Taylor will play him in the series.

Awards George Johnston Won

George Johnston received several important awards for his writing:

• Miles Franklin Award for My Brother Jack in 1964. This is one of Australia's most important literary awards.
• Miles Franklin Award for Clean Straw for Nothing in 1969. He won this award a second time.
• The Sydney Morning Herald Literary Competition for High Valley in 1948.