Peter Mathers facts for kids

Peter Mathers was an author and playwright. He was born in England in 1931 but later became an Australian citizen. He passed away in Melbourne, Australia, in 2004.

When Peter was a child, his family moved from England to Australia. He went to school in Sydney and later studied farming at Sydney Technical College. Before he became a full-time writer, he had many different jobs, like working on farms and in offices.

In 1961, Peter got married and lived in France for a while. His two daughters were born in London. From 1964, he worked as a researcher in Britain and other parts of Europe. He started writing in the early 1960s. In 1967, he received a special writing grant, called a fellowship, in the United States. He then returned to Australia in 1968.

Peter Mathers' Writing Career

Peter Mathers is known for his unique writing style and stories.

His First Novels

In 1966, Peter finished his first novel, Trap. This book was very creative and often funny. It told the story of Jack Trap, an Aboriginal person living in a city. At that time, Australian society was divided by the White Australia Policy, which made it hard for non-European people. The novel explored Jack's adventures and his family's history. Trap was a big success and won the Miles Franklin Literary Award, which is a major prize for Australian writers.

His second novel, The Wort Papers, came out in 1972. This book took readers on a journey across Australia, from the Kimberley region to dairy farms in northern New South Wales. This novel further showed his talent for new writing styles and for using humor to criticize society.

Other Works

Besides novels, Peter Mathers also wrote many other things. He wrote plays for the radio and published many short stories in magazines, journals, and newspapers. Later, he focused more on writing plays for the stage. Some of his plays include Pelaco Hill, Bats, The Mountain King, and The Real McCoy. Some of his short stories were put together in a collection called A Change For the Better.

Peter Mathers lived in Melbourne for many years before he passed away in 2004.