Thomas Shapcott

Thomas William Shapcott AO (born 21 March 1935) is an Australian poet, novelist, playwright, editor, librettist, short story writer and teacher.

Life
Thomas William Shapcott was born in Ipswich, Queensland, and attended the Ipswich Grammar School with his twin brother, who was born on the previous day (20 March 1935). (The writer is left-handed, but his twin is right-handed.) He left school at 15 to work in his father's accountancy business, but completed an accountancy degree in 1961. In 1967 he graduated in arts from the University of Queensland.

His first artistic impulse was to be a composer. By age 19, he had written a number of works, but he turned away from music when he discovered a string quartet he had written unconsciously plagiarised a chamber work by Ernest Bloch. He then worked as a tax accountant, a profession that he pursued for 27 years.

He was director of the Australia Council's Literature Board for seven years, and Executive Director of the National Book Council (1992–97). He was Professor of Creative Writing at Adelaide University.

He has written 15 collections of poetry and 6 novels.

Recognition
Thomas Shapcott was appointed an Officer (AO) of the Order of Australia in 1989.

Awards

 * Grace Leven Poetry Prize, 1961: winner for "Time on Fire".
 * Myer Award for Australian Poetry, 1967: winner for A taste of salt water
 * C.J. Dennis Memorial Poetry Competition, Open Section, 1976: commended for The five senses
 * Canada-Australia Literary Award, 1978
 * Order of Australia, 1989, for his services to Literature
 * Golden Wreath of the Struga Poetry Evenings laureate, 1990
 * Wesley Michel Wright Prize for Poetry, 1996
 * New South Wales Premier's Literary Awards, Special Discretionary Award, 1996
 * Patrick White Award, 2000
 * Harold White Fellowships, 2005. Note: to examine the papers of Ray Mathew
 * Honorary Doctorate of Literature from Macquarie University

Poetry
Poetry (collections)
 * Time on Fire
 * The Mankind Thing
 * Shabbytown
 * Calendar
 * In the Beginning
 * Chekhov's Mongoose
 * Spirit Wrestlers

Novels

 * White Stag of Exile
 * Mona's Gift