The Chant of Jimmy Blacksmith
Author Biography
Thomas Keneally was born in Sydney in 1935. He completed his schooling at various schools on the New South Wales north coast before commencing theological studies for the Catholic priesthood. He abandoned this vocation in 1960 and turned to clerical work and teaching before publishing his first novel in 1964. Keneally has been short-listed for the Booker Prize on four occasions: in 1972 for The Chant of Jimmy Blacksmith, Gossip from the Forest in 1975, and Confederates in 1979, before winning the prize in 1982 with Schindler’s Ark. Thomas Keneally was awarded the Order of Australia in 1983 for his services to Australian Literature. He lives in Sydney.
