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Timothy John Winton

ティム・ウィントン

Timothy John Winton

Profile

Gender
Male
Born
1960-08-04 （Subiaco, Western Australia, Australia）
Nationality
Australian
Languages
English
Residence History
Grew up in Karrinyup, Perth area → Moved to Albany (from age 12) → Lived in Italy → Lived in France → Lived in Ireland → Lived in Greece → Western Australia (current residence)

Career

Occupations
Novelist, Short story writer, Non-fiction writer, Children's author
Active Years
1982-
Affiliations
Australian Marine Conservation Society (patron), Stop the Toad Foundation (patron), Native Australian Animals Trust (patron), Australian Society of Authors (associated)
Memberships
Australian Society of Authors (associated)
Influenced By
Australian landscape and place
Influenced
Contemporary Australian writers and younger authors inspired by coastal/place-based writing
Nominations
Booker Prize shortlist 1995 (The Riders), Booker Prize shortlist 2002 (Dirt Music)

Education

Western Australian Institute of Technology (now Curtin University)
Country: Australia
Wrote his first novel An Open Swimmer while at university; won The Australian/Vogel Literary Award in 1981 which launched his career.

Awards

The Australian/Vogel Literary Award
1981
Work: An Open Swimmer
Organization: The Australian/Vogel
Result: Winner
Miles Franklin Award
1984
Work: Shallows
Organization: Miles Franklin Award
Result: Winner
Miles Franklin Award
1992
Work: Cloudstreet
Organization: Miles Franklin Award
Result: Winner
Miles Franklin Award
2002
Work: Dirt Music
Organization: Miles Franklin Award
Result: Winner
Miles Franklin Award
2009
Work: Breath
Organization: Miles Franklin Award
Result: Winner
Booker Prize (shortlist)
1995
Work: The Riders
Organization: Booker Prize
Result: Shortlisted
Booker Prize (shortlist)
2002
Work: Dirt Music
Organization: Booker Prize
Result: Shortlisted
Voss Literary Prize
2019
Work: The Shepherd's Hut
Organization: Voss Literary Prize
Result: Winner
Officer of the Order of Australia (AO)
2023
Organization: Order of Australia
Result: Appointed
ABIA Lloyd O'Neil Award
2023
Organization: Australian Book Industry Awards
Result: Winner
Centenary Medal
2001
Organization: Australian Government
Result: Awarded

Awards & Nominations

Works

Major Works

Cloudstreet

1991 Novel (family epic)

An epic novel about two working-class families sharing a house in mid-20th century Perth; regarded as one of Australia's best-loved novels.

familycommunitysense of placeredemption
Adaptations
  • [TV (miniseries)] Cloudstreet (TV miniseries) (2011)
  • [Stage (opera/theatre)] Cloudstreet (stage/opera) (2016)

Dirt Music

2001 Novel

A story of love, loss and journey across Western Australia's coast and hinterland, with strong musical resonances.

lovelossnaturemigration/journey
Adaptations
  • [Film] Dirt Music / Gregor Jordan (2019)

Breath

2008 Novel

A coming-of-age novel about a country boy drawn to surfing and risk; explores masculinity and the lure of danger.

coming-of-agemasculinityriskthe sea
Adaptations
  • [Film] Breath / Simon Baker (2017)

Shallows

1984 Novel

A novel about a young couple and the upheavals in their lives; an early signature work that won the Miles Franklin Award.

familyrelationshipsregional life

Blueback

1997 Children's book / Novel

A tale of a boy and a fish that celebrates the sea and advocates for marine conservation.

environmental conservationthe seagrowing up
Adaptations
  • [Film] Blueback / Robert Connolly (2023)

The Bugalugs Bum Thief

1991 Children's book

A humorous children's story popular in Australian school libraries.

humourchildren's literature
Adaptations
  • [Stage (puppet theatre)] Bugalugs Bum Thief (stage)

Bibliography

  • An Open Swimmer (1982)
  • Shallows (1984)
  • That Eye, the Sky (1986)
  • In the Winter Dark (1988)
  • Lockie Leonard series (1990–1997)
  • Cloudstreet (1991)
  • The Riders (1994)
  • Blueback (1997)
  • Dirt Music (2001)
  • Breath (2008)
  • Eyrie (2013)
  • The Shepherd's Hut (2018)
  • Juice (2024)
  • Short story collections and non-fiction (various)

Adaptations

  • Cloudstreet (TV miniseries, stage, opera)
  • Breath (film, 2017)
  • Dirt Music (film, 2019)
  • Blueback (film, 2023)
  • The Turning (film, 2013)

Translations of Works

  • Works published in 18 languages

Style & Themes

Literary Style
Strong immersion in landscape and placeWarm, lyrical yet emotionally direct proseRealist style flavored with Australian vernacular
Recurring Motifs
the sea and coastlinefamily and communityenvironmental conservationquestions of masculinity

Legacy

One of Australia's leading literary figures; four-time Miles Franklin winner, frequently adapted for screen and stage, and prominent in environmental advocacy.

Academic Societies

  • Australian Society of Authors (associated)

In Popular Culture

  • Cloudstreet TV adaptation and stage/opera adaptations
  • Film adaptations of Breath, Dirt Music, Blueback

Quotes

  • "The place comes first. If the place isn't interesting to me then I can't feel it. I can't feel any people in it. I can't feel what the people are on about or likely to get up to."
    Source: Interview (cited: Jason Steger / various profiles) (2008)

Trivia

  • Four-time winner of the Miles Franklin Award (1984, 1992, 2002, 2009).
  • Named an Australian Living Treasure by the National Trust in 1997.
  • A species of fish from Western Australia was named after him in 2016.
  • Keeps a low public profile and rarely speaks publicly.