Ian Moffitt
Encyclopedia
Ian Moffitt was an Australian journalist and novelist best known for his best-selling novel The Retreat Of Radiance.
He headed News Limited
bureau in New York in the early 1960s and was an outstanding feature writer for The Australian newspaper in the late 1960s and 1970s before becoming a full-time novelist in 1981.
on the north coast of New South Wales
, Ian Moffitt worked for The Sun as a copy boy and became a cadet early in 1945.
In 1949, during the Chinese Civil War
, he joined the staff of the South China Morning Post
and it was his experience in Hong Kong and China that inspired The Retreat Of Radiance. First published in 1982 by William Collins, The Retreat Of Radiance was four months on the bestseller list, six weeks at number one.
He then became a reporter, sub-editor, feature writer and foreign correspondent for Australian newspapers and magazines, including The Daily Mirror (Australia)
, The Sydney Morning Herald
, The Australian
and The Bulletin
.
His other novels were The Colour Man (published in the US as Presence Of Evil), Blue Angels, Death Adder Dreaming and Gilt Edge. He also wrote a collection of short stories, The Electric Jungle.
, was the lead vocalist, guitarist and songwriter with Australian band Matt Finish
, one of Australia's most popular live bands from the late seventies until the mid-nineties. Matt died in 2003. Sophie is a dancer, choreographer and contemporary dance teacher, whose production company ‘Bounce Productions’, is involved with corporate events in Australia, Asia, America and New Zealand.
Ian's first marriage ended in divorce and he then married Margaret O'Sullivan, a journalist, literary agent, author of several cookbooks and co-author (with Candace Lewis) of Three of the Best - The Modern Woman's Guide to Everything (ABC Books, 2008).
Ian Moffitt died on 1 November 2000.
He headed News Limited
News Limited
News Limited is one of Australia's largest diversified media companies. The publicly listed company's interests span newspaper and magazine publishing, Internet, Pay TV, National Rugby League, market research, DVD and film distribution, and film and television production trading assets.News Limited...
bureau in New York in the early 1960s and was an outstanding feature writer for The Australian newspaper in the late 1960s and 1970s before becoming a full-time novelist in 1981.
History
Born in Sydney on 31 July 1926 and growing up in TareeTaree, New South Wales
Taree is a city on the Mid North Coast, New South Wales, Australia. Taree and nearby Cundletown were settled in 1831 by William Wynter. Since then Taree has grown to a population of around 20,000 people and is the centre of a significant agricultural district. It is 16 km from the sea coast,...
on the north coast of New South Wales
New South Wales
New South Wales is a state of :Australia, located in the east of the country. It is bordered by Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to the north, south and west respectively. To the east, the state is bordered by the Tasman Sea, which forms part of the Pacific Ocean. New South Wales...
, Ian Moffitt worked for The Sun as a copy boy and became a cadet early in 1945.
In 1949, during the Chinese Civil War
Chinese Civil War
The Chinese Civil War was a civil war fought between the Kuomintang , the governing party of the Republic of China, and the Communist Party of China , for the control of China which eventually led to China's division into two Chinas, Republic of China and People's Republic of...
, he joined the staff of the South China Morning Post
South China Morning Post
The South China Morning Post , together with its Sunday edition, the Sunday Morning Post, is an English-language Hong Kong newspaper, published by the SCMP Group with a circulation of 104,000....
and it was his experience in Hong Kong and China that inspired The Retreat Of Radiance. First published in 1982 by William Collins, The Retreat Of Radiance was four months on the bestseller list, six weeks at number one.
He then became a reporter, sub-editor, feature writer and foreign correspondent for Australian newspapers and magazines, including The Daily Mirror (Australia)
The Daily Mirror (Australia)
The Daily Mirror was an afternoon paper established by Ezra Norton in Sydney, Australia in 1941, gaining a licence from the Minister for Trade and Customs, Eric Harrison, despite wartime paper rationing. In October 1958, Norton and his partners sold his newspapers to the Fairfax group, which...
, The Sydney Morning Herald
The Sydney Morning Herald
The Sydney Morning Herald is a daily broadsheet newspaper published by Fairfax Media in Sydney, Australia. Founded in 1831 as the Sydney Herald, the SMH is the oldest continuously published newspaper in Australia. The newspaper is published six days a week. The newspaper's Sunday counterpart, The...
, The Australian
The Australian
The Australian is a broadsheet newspaper published in Australia from Monday to Saturday each week since 14 July 1964. The editor in chief is Chris Mitchell, the editor is Clive Mathieson and the 'editor-at-large' is Paul Kelly....
and The Bulletin
The Bulletin
The Bulletin was an Australian weekly magazine that was published in Sydney from 1880 until January 2008. It was influential in Australian culture and politics from about 1890 until World War I, the period when it was identified with the "Bulletin school" of Australian literature. Its influence...
.
His other novels were The Colour Man (published in the US as Presence Of Evil), Blue Angels, Death Adder Dreaming and Gilt Edge. He also wrote a collection of short stories, The Electric Jungle.
Personal
Moffitt married Elizabeth Saunders and had five children: Matthew, Annabel, Dominic, Frances and Sophie. Their eldest son, MattMatt Moffitt
Matt Moffitt was an Australian singer-songwriter/guitarist, best known as the vocalist with rock band Matt Finish. From the late seventies until the mid-nineties, Matt Finish was one of Australia's most popular live bands....
, was the lead vocalist, guitarist and songwriter with Australian band Matt Finish
Matt Finish
Matt Finish are an Australian rock band formed by singer-songwriter/guitarist Matt Moffitt and drummer/composer/producer John Prior in mid 1979....
, one of Australia's most popular live bands from the late seventies until the mid-nineties. Matt died in 2003. Sophie is a dancer, choreographer and contemporary dance teacher, whose production company ‘Bounce Productions’, is involved with corporate events in Australia, Asia, America and New Zealand.
Ian's first marriage ended in divorce and he then married Margaret O'Sullivan, a journalist, literary agent, author of several cookbooks and co-author (with Candace Lewis) of Three of the Best - The Modern Woman's Guide to Everything (ABC Books, 2008).
Ian Moffitt died on 1 November 2000.
Novels
- The Retreat Of Radiance: A Novel of Revenge (1982)
- The Colour Man (published in the US as Presence Of Evil) (1983)
- "Dead Lines" (1985)
- Blue Angels (1987)
- Death Adder Dreaming (1988)
- Gilt Edge (1991)
Non-fiction
- The U-Jack Society: An Experience of Being Australian (1972)
- The Australian Outback (The World's Wild Places) (1981)
- Great Budgie Batsmen & Bowlers (1983)