Morris West was born in Australia in 1916, but lived for extended periods in Italy, Austria, England, and the USA. West started writing novels in the 1950s. He is the author of thirty novels and has sold more than sixty million copies of his books worldwide in over twenty-seven languages. West helped to found the Australian Society of Authors, was chairman of the National Book Council, chairman of the National Library of Australia and a fellow of the World Academy of Art and Science. He was made member of the order of Australia (MBE) in 1985 and officer of the order of Australia (AO) in 1997. West also wrote screenplays, radio dramas, plays and was also an artist. He died in 1999. |
