Michelle de Kretser, born in 1957 in Colombo, Sri lanka, immigrated to Australia at the age of 14. Educated at Methodist College in Colombo and Elwood College in Melbourne, she later attended the University of Melbourne. De Kretser began her literary career after a sabbatical from her job at Lonely Planet, publishing her debut novel, “The Rose Grower,” in 1999. Subsequent works, including “The Hamilton Case” (2003) and “The Lost Dog” (2007), earned her acclaim and numerous awards. Her novel “Questions of Travel” (2012) garnered critical praise and won several prestigious awards. In 2017, her book “The Life to Come” further solidified her status as a prominent Australian novelist, winning both the Miles Franklin Award and the Christina Stead Prize for Fiction, marking her third win, matching Peter Carey’s record. Some of her Awards,
- 2004 – Encore Prize for The Hamilton Case
- 2004 – Commonwealth Writers’ Prize, South-East Asia and the Pacific for The Hamilton Case
- 2005 – Tasmania Pacific Award for The Hamilton Case
- 2007 – Liberatur Award for The Hamilton Case
- 2008 – New South Wales Premier’s Literary Awards – Christina Stead Prize for fiction and Book of the Year for The Lost Dog
- 2008 – ALS Gold Medal for The Lost Dog
- 2013 – Miles Franklin Award for Questions of Travel
- 2013 – ALS Gold Medal for Questions of Travel
- 2013 – Prime Minister’s Literary Awards Fiction Prize for Questions of Travel
- 2013 – Western Australian Premier’s Book Awards Fiction Prize and Premier’s Prize for Questions of Travel
- 2013 – ALS Gold Medal for Questions of Travel
- 2013 – Prime Minister’s Literary Awards Fiction Prize for Questions of Travel
- 2013 – Western Australian Premier’s Book Awards Fiction Prize and Premier’s Prize for Questions of Travel
- 2014 – New South Wales Premier’s Literary Awards – Christina Stead Prize for fiction and Book of the Year for Questions of Travel
- 2018 – Miles Franklin Award for The Life to Come
- 2019 – New South Wales Premier’s Literary Awards – Christina Stead Prize for fiction for The Life to Come
- 2023 – Folio Prize for fiction for Scary Monsters
