Jon Cleary facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Jon Cleary
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| Born | Jon Stephen Cleary 22 November 1917 Erskineville, New South Wales, Australia |
| Died | 19 July 2010 (aged 92) New South Wales, Australia |
| Occupation | Writer |
| Nationality | Australian |
| Genre | Drama, crime fiction |
| Years active | 1942–2007 |
| Notable works | The Sundowners, Scobie Malone series |
| Spouse | Joy Cleary (m. 1946–2003; her death) |
| Children | 2 |
Jon Stephen Cleary (born 22 November 1917 – died 19 July 2010) was a famous Australian writer. He wrote many books, including The Sundowners (1951). This book was about a family in the countryside during the 1920s. He also wrote The High Commissioner (1966), which was the first book in a popular series about a detective named Scobie Malone. Many of Cleary's books were made into movies and TV shows.
Contents
Jon Cleary's Early Life
Growing Up in Sydney
Jon Cleary was born in Erskineville, a suburb of Sydney, Australia. He went to school at Marist Brothers College in Randwick. When he was young, his family faced tough times financially. He remembered his mother telling him, "Don't ever owe anything to anybody." This experience taught him to be careful with money.
Cleary left school at age 14 in 1932 to help his family. He worked many different jobs for eight years. One of his jobs was as an artist. He wrote his first story in 1938, and even though he didn't finish it, he found that he really enjoyed writing.
Serving in the War
In 1940, Jon Cleary joined the Australian army. He served in the Middle East and later in New Guinea. He was discharged from the army in 1945 as a lieutenant.
Jon Cleary's Writing Career
Starting as a Writer
Cleary started writing regularly while he was in the army. He sold his first story in 1940. The next year, he won a £50 prize for a story in a newspaper. An American agent helped him sell his short stories to popular magazines like Cosmopolitan. In 1945, he won a prize for his radio play called Safe Horizon. A collection of his short stories, These Small Glories, was published in 1946.
First Novels
Cleary's first novel was You Can't See 'Round Corners, published in 1947. He started writing it while in the army. After the war, he worked as a journalist in London and New York.
He kept writing short stories and novels. His second novel, The Long Shadow (1949), was a thriller. Just Let Me Be (1950) was set in Coogee, Australia, and was later made into a TV show in Britain.
The Sundowners Success
While living in New York, Cleary wrote his fourth novel, The Sundowners. This book was based on stories his father used to tell. It was published in 1952 and sold three million copies! This success allowed Cleary to become a full-time writer.
After this, Cleary lived in Italy for a year before returning to Australia in 1953.
His fifth novel, The Climate of Courage (1954), was about his experiences in the war. It sold very well. He visited the Kimberley region in Australia, which inspired his novel Justin Bayard (1955). This book was later made into a film called Dust in the Sun (1958).
Becoming an International Writer
Cleary moved back to London. His novels began to be set in many different countries, not just Australia. He traveled a lot to research his books.
He once said that he aimed to be a very skilled writer. He wrote a book about motor racing called The Green Helmet in just twenty days. It became a bestseller in 1957. Cleary also wrote the script for the 1961 movie version.
He helped with scripts for movies like The Siege of Pinchgut (1959) and The Sundowners (1960). But his main focus was always on writing novels. He wrote books set in New Guinea, England, Burma, and other places.
Introducing Scobie Malone
While in London, Cleary had an idea for a book about an Australian detective. This led to The High Commissioner (1966), which introduced the detective Scobie Malone. This book was very popular and was made into a film called Nobody Runs Forever (1968).
Cleary then wrote The Long Pursuit (1967), which was set during World War II.
In 1966, Cleary returned to Australia. He said he was a "professional craftsman" and wanted his work to be judged on its quality. He continued to write many more books.
Living Back in Australia
In the 1970s, Cleary moved back to Sydney permanently. He built a house in Kirribilli, right across from the famous Sydney Opera House. This became his home for the rest of his life. During the 1970s and 1980s, Cleary continued to travel for about two months each year to research his novels.
He wanted to write about the Opera House, so Scobie Malone returned in Helga's Web (1970). Other novels included Mask of the Andes (1971), set in Bolivia, and Man's Estate (1972), about the British upper class.
Scobie Malone returned again in Ransom (1973), which was set in New York. Cleary then wrote other types of thrillers, like Peter's Pence (1974) and The Safe House (1975). He also wrote a movie script for Sidecar Racers (1975).
Cleary had a big success with High Road to China (1977), an adventure story that was later made into a movie in 1982. He wrote many other novels with exciting plots and different settings.
More Scobie Malone Adventures
Later in his career, Jon Cleary continued the Scobie Malone series. These books allowed him to tell Australian stories that were popular with readers all over the world. Malone appeared in many more books, including Dragons at the Party (1987), Now and Then, Amen (1988), and many others, often with titles related to seasons like Dark Summer (1992) and Autumn Maze (1994). He wrote the last Scobie Malone book, Degrees of Connection, in 2004.
His Last Books
After the Scobie Malone series, he published three more novels, all set in Australia: Miss Ambar Regrets (2004), Morning's Gone (2006), and Four-Cornered Circle (2007). After these, he retired from writing.
Jon Cleary's Personal Life
Cleary met his wife, Joy, on a boat trip to England in 1946. They got married just five days after arriving. They had two daughters, Catherine and Jane. Jon Cleary often said he was very lucky in his marriage. He was good friends with other writers like Morris West. He was also a regular churchgoer. Jon Cleary passed away on 19 July 2010, at the age of 92.
Jon Cleary's Legacy
Jon Cleary was one of the most popular Australian authors ever. He was known for his strong storytelling and realistic conversations in his books. He also took great care to research his works.
He once said that the book that influenced him the most was The Power and the Glory by Graham Greene. Cleary admired how Greene could say so much in just a few words.
Awards and Recognition
- 1944 – Won a prize from the Australian Broadcasting Commission for his radio play (Safe Horizon)
- 1950 – Received the Australian Literary Society's Crouch Medal for Best Australian Novel (Just Let Me Be)
- 1975 – Won an Edgar Award from the Mystery Writers of America for Best Novel (Peter's Pence)
- 1996 – Received the Australian Crime Writers Association Lifetime Achievement Award
- 1996 – Won a Ned Kelly Award for his lifelong contribution to crime, mystery, and detective stories
- 2004 – Won a Ned Kelly Award for Best Novel (Degrees of Connection)
