Morris West
| Morris West AO | |
|---|---|
| Born | Morris Langlo West 26 April 1916 St Kilda, Victoria |
| Died | 9 October 1999 (aged 83) Clareville, New South Wales |
| Pen name | Michael East, Julian Morris |
| Occupation | Writer |
| Nationality | Australian |
| Period | 20th century |
| Genre | Literary fiction |
| Notable works | The Shoes of the Fisherman, The Devil's Advocate |
| Notable awards | James Tait Black Memorial prize 1959 |
Morris Langlo West AO (26 April 1916 – 9 October 1999) was an Australian novelist and playwright, best known for his novels The Devil's Advocate (1959), The Shoes of the Fisherman (1963) and The Clowns of God (1981). His books were published in 27 languages and sold more than 60 million copies worldwide. Each new book he wrote after he became an established writer sold more than one million copies.
West's works were often focused on international politics and the role of the Roman Catholic Church in international affairs. One of his best known works, The Shoes of the Fisherman (1963), described the election and career of a Slav as Pope, 15 years before the historic election of Karol Wojtyła as Pope John Paul II. The sequel, The Clowns of God, described a successor Pope, who resigned the papacy to live in seclusion.
West was born in St Kilda, Victoria and attended the Christian Brothers College, St Kilda. At the age of fourteen, he entered the Christian Brothers seminary "as a kind of refuge" from a difficult childhood. He graduated from the University of Melbourne in 1937 and worked as a teacher in New South Wales and Tasmania. He spent 12 years in a residence of the Christian Brothers order, taking annual vows, but left in 1941 without taking final vows. That same year, he married and enlisted in the Royal Australian Air Force. He was seconded from the RAAF to work for Billy Hughes, former Australian prime minister, for a time. After becoming well known for producing radio serials, he left Australia in 1955 to write and lived in Austria, Italy, England and the United States, finally returning to Australia in 1980. During this time he had a stint as the Vatican correspondent for the Daily Mail. His son, C. Chris O'Hanlon, said that he spent his first 12 birthdays in 12 different countries.
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