A generous mind and a towering talent: David Malouf remembered

Some writers leave their mark on the page; others leave it on the people around them. David Malouf did both.

In the days following his death at 92 on Wednesday, the Brisbane-born novelist, poet and essayist has been remembered not only as a defining literary voice, but as a generous mentor and a guiding presence for generations of Australian writers.

“With him gone, it’s like a whole cosmos has gone out,” writer Nam Le said. “He was a giant of letters, one by whom the culture lives, and he was a generous and gracious man.”

Malouf’s novels – from his debut Johnno (1975) to his final work of fiction Ransom (2009), including Fly Away Peter, The Great World and Remembering Babylon – helped reimagine modern Australian literature. He brought an inward, lyrical sensibility to stories of place, history and identity. His work often focused on men, tracing their inner lives with quiet intensity.

Poetry was at the heart of Malouf’s creative life, but he also wrote essays and memoirs, including 12 Edmondstone Street (1985), as well as opera libretti and plays.

“He was sometimes described as Patrick White’s heir which was unfair to both but suggests his achievement,” novelist Richard Flanagan said.

“He was a leading part of that great generation of writers that invented contemporary Australian literature in the late 20th century, following in the footsteps of Peter Carey and Tom Keneally in taking Australian writing to the world.”

Delia Falconer, a novelist and a senior lecturer in writing at the University of Technology, Sydney, said Malouf’s work – particularly his reimagining of Roman poet Ovid’s final years in his novel An Imaginary Life (1978) – was transformative for her and ranked among the finest in the world.

“At a time dominated by Australian realism, David’s writing showed that fiction could be deeply scholarly and intensely alive – and that Australian writers could write confidently about the European cultural legacy by taking a postcolonial perspective out into the world,” she said.

Despite his many achievements – the Miles Franklin Award, a Booker nomination, the International Dublin Literary Award, France’s Prix Femina Etranger and rumours of a Nobel Prize – it was his kindness that defined him to many.

His agent, Jane Novak, said Malouf had no interest in being “the showy great man of literature”, instead working quietly behind the scenes to nurture other writers. He was a dedicated supporter of Opera Australia, Adelaide Writers’ Week and the Indigenous Literacy Foundation.

“I think everyone is going to talk about the work and his awards but the thing I will remember is his generosity to other writers. He taught a lot of writers and mentored a lot of writers and continued to right up until now,” she said.

Kate Grenville, a former student of Malouf’s at the University of Sydney who went on to her own distinguished literary career, said he was a sympathetic and encouraging presence in many lives.

“He was one of the towering writers of my formative years,” Grenville said. “He was a thoroughly good man. A thoroughly decent human being.”

For people who care about literature, across the globe, his death occasions a moment of pause; for sorrow, yes, but also for gratitude.

Christos Tsiolkas

His longtime publisher at Penguin Random House, Meredith Curnow, said Malouf had remained active until recently, still working and walking 7000 steps a day. He died peacefully in a Gold Coast hospital after being diagnosed with a “short, aggressive illness”.

Curnow described him as the “gentlest of men and the best of friends to so many”. He handwrote his work and would edit it in person at the publisher’s office with a poet’s precision. Curnow said he was a much-loved presence there – talking, laughing and discussing what he had been reading and seeing, and sharing stories about his family.

“He was so interested in authors and always wanted to talk about authors and their work. One of his first questions was, what are you reading? He never stopped supporting younger writers,” she said.

In his final decades, Malouf focused on non-fiction and poetry, with his final publication a new edition of An Open Book, his poetry collection, released with new material in 2025. His family plan to hold a memorial later in the year.

Fellow author Christos Tsiolkas said Malouf’s writing would continue to shape readers and writers alike, long after his death.

“I think that Malouf is one of the great writers, period,” Tsiolkas said. “And like all great writers, his books will continue to inspire, will continue to live. For people who care about literature, across the globe, his death occasions a moment of pause; for sorrow, yes, but also for gratitude.”

The Booklist is a weekly newsletter for book lovers from Jason Steger. Get it delivered every Friday.