David Martin
David Martin, originally born Ludwig Detsinyi in 1915 in Budapest, Hungary, was a diverse author whose life experiences shaped his literary contributions. He became a communist at seventeen, traveled across Europe, and participated in the Spanish Civil War as a first aid orderly. After moving to London and working for the BBC and the Daily Express, he married Elizabeth Richenda Powell and later relocated to Australia, where he became the Australia correspondent for The Hindu. Throughout his career, Martin wrote multiple novels, plays, and poetry, with a significant focus on children's literature beginning in the 1970s. His notable works often addressed social issues and the experiences of marginalized groups, such as Indigenous Australians and immigrant communities. Among his acclaimed books are "Hughie," which highlights injustices faced by Aborigines, and "The Cabby's Daughter," a historical novel set in a gold-mining town. Martin's contributions earned him several accolades, including a membership in the Order of Australia and the Patrick White Award. He passed away in Australia in 1997, leaving behind a legacy of diverse and socially conscious literature.
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David Martin
- Born: December 22, 1915
- Birthplace: Budapest, Hungary
- Died: July 1, 1997
- Place of death: Australia
Biography
David Martin was a remarkably diverse author and a citizen of the world. He was born Ludwig Detsinyi in 1915 in Budapest, Hungary, and grew up and was educated in Germany. He became a communist at the age of seventeen and later worked for a time in the Netherlands before immigrating to Palestine. From 1937 through 1938, during the Spanish Civil War, he served as a first aid orderly in the International Brigade. He later wrote a book about that experience entitled My Strange Friend (1991).
After his war experience, he moved to London, where he worked for the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) and the Daily Express from 1938 through 1947. He married his wife Elizabeth Richenda Powell in 1941, and the couple had one son. After World War II, he worked as a foreign correspondent in India until 1949, when he moved to Australia and served as the Australia correspondent for The Hindu newspaper from 1949 through 1969.
Although Martin had written two adult novels, a play, and two volumes of poetry before moving to Australia, he turned more of his attention to writing in the 1950’s. Most of his output in that decade was devoted to poetry, with his most well-known work being the satirical poem Rob the Robber, His Life and Vindication (1954), written under the pseudonym Spinifex. In the 1960’s, Martin published four adult novels.
With the publication in 1971 of Hughie, illustrated by Ron Brooks, Martin turned his attention almost exclusively to books for children and young adults, with the exception of two travel books on Australia. Hughie explores the injustices done to the Aborigines in Australia, the first in a number of books dealing with outsiders in Australian culture. These books include The Chinese Boy, about the plight of Chinese gold miners in New South Wales; The Man in the Red Turban, about Indian street merchants in Australia during the 1930s; and the Peppino series, recounting the trials and tribulations of an immigrant Italian boy in Australia. One of Martin’s best children’s books is The Cabby’s Daughter, a historical novel set in a gold-mining town in Australia in 1902.
Martin received numerous awards for his work, including four senior fellowships from the Australian Council, a membership in the Order of Australia (1988), the Patrick White Award (1991), and the Emeretus Award (1996). He died in Australia on July 1, 1997.