Robert Dessaix

Robert Dessaix’s best-known books are his autobiography A Mother’s Disgrace, his novels Night Letters and Corfu, and the travel memoir Twilight of Love, reflecting on the life of the Russian writer Ivan Turgenev. These books have all appeared in translation in a number of languages. His most recent publications include What Days Are For (a meditation on what makes for a good life, even when death is near), The Time of Our Lives (focussing on ageing well) and Chameleon, an older man’s quirky dialogue with his younger self. From 1985 to 1994 he presented the weekly Books and Writing program on ABC Radio National. In 2022 he received the Australia Council Award for Lifetime Achievement in Literature. He lives in Hobart, Tasmania.