PATRICK WHITE wrote a line of praise for the cover of David Foster's first work of fiction, North South West, in 1973 and later said: ''One reason why I like Foster's novels is that he isn't afraid of sour milk and what's repulsive in life.''
White would be ambiguously pleased that Foster, 66, has won the Patrick White Literary Award, the honour he set up - also in 1973 - with his Nobel prize money for authors who have made a significant, but inadequately recognised, contribution to Australian literature.
Foster, who can be almost as grouchy as his late patron, accepted the $18,000 award in Sydney yesterday, saying White had intended it ''as a kind of literary loser's compo''. (Sadly for Foster, the economic slump has reduced the prize money from $25,000 in previous years.)
He took a swipe at another, unnamed writer - clearly J.M. Coetzee - for putting ''his hand up for every prize, including - can you believe it? - the Randwick Council Literature Award'', despite having a Nobel and two Booker prizes, worth a total of $1.5 million.
By contrast, he said, White - ''a class act'' - stopped entering his work for prizes in 1967 to allow needier writers to win.
Foster has published 15 novels, as well as nonfiction, poetry, essays, radio plays and scientific papers. A drummer, motorbiker and grandfather of 17, he has a doctorate in inorganic chemistry, and a black belt in taekwondo. He has supported his writing as a postman, truck driver, prawn fisherman, labourer and farmer.
Full piece at SMH.
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