David Astle
Encyclopedia
David Astle is a Melbourne
-based writer of non-fiction, fiction and plays. He also cohosts the SBS show, Letters and Numbers
, as the dictionary expert, in company with Richard Morecroft
and Lily Serna
.
His cryptic crosswords appearing under the name DA in The Age and Sydney Morning Herald have developed a large following which includes musician Holly Throsby
and actor Geoffrey Rush
. Rush called him "the Sergeant Pepper of cryptic crosswords." In 2011, his portrait called DA was shortlisted for the Archibald Prize, painted by artist Amanda Marburg.
His latest book is Puzzled: Secrets and Clues from a Life Lost in Words, a blend of memoir, wordplay history and solver’s manual. He won third prize in the 1990 The Age Short Story Award
and his first novel, Marzipan Plan, was shortlisted for the Miles Franklin Award
. In 2001 he won the James Joyce Suspended Sentence Award for short fiction. In 2008 his play Cowboy Humour will be part of the Short & Sweet play festival, which has previously featured Astle's plays including The Gentleman Had An Axe in 2007 and The Mercy Kitchen.
He has taught journalism at RMIT University
and in 2004 was awarded a DSC Teaching Award for best sessional teacher.
Melbourne
Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...
-based writer of non-fiction, fiction and plays. He also cohosts the SBS show, Letters and Numbers
Letters and Numbers
Letters and Numbers is an Australian game show, currently airing weeknights at 6pm on SBS One. It is hosted by Richard Morecroft, and co-hosted by David Astle and Lily Serna. It is based on the French format Des chiffres et des lettres, and the UK version of the show, Countdown...
, as the dictionary expert, in company with Richard Morecroft
Richard Morecroft
Richard Morecroft is an Australian television presenter and former host of the ABC News Sydney bulletin. He is currently host of the quiz-show Letters and Numbers.-Early life:...
and Lily Serna
Lily Serna
Lily Serna is an Australian mathematician, best known for co-presenting the SBS game show Letters and Numbers.-Career:Serna attended Cheltenham Girls' High School and graduated from the University of Technology, Sydney with a Bachelor of Mathematics and Finance and a Bachelor of International...
.
His cryptic crosswords appearing under the name DA in The Age and Sydney Morning Herald have developed a large following which includes musician Holly Throsby
Holly Throsby
Holly Throsby is a songwriter, vocalist, guitarist and pianist from Sydney, Australia. Throsby was nominated for an Australian Recording Industry Association 'Best Female Artist' Award in 2006 for Under the Town and in the same category in 2008 for A Loud Call.- Career :Holly Throsby was raised...
and actor Geoffrey Rush
Geoffrey Rush
Geoffrey Roy Rush is an Australian actor and film producer. He is one of the few people who has won the "Triple Crown of Acting": an Academy Award, a Tony Award and an Emmy Award. He has won one Academy Award for acting , three British Academy Film Awards , two Golden Globe Awards and four Screen...
. Rush called him "the Sergeant Pepper of cryptic crosswords." In 2011, his portrait called DA was shortlisted for the Archibald Prize, painted by artist Amanda Marburg.
His latest book is Puzzled: Secrets and Clues from a Life Lost in Words, a blend of memoir, wordplay history and solver’s manual. He won third prize in the 1990 The Age Short Story Award
The Age Short Story Award
The Age Short Story Award is a competition that is run in conjunction with International PEN, the international writers' association. It was established in 1979. From 1979 to 1984 it was run in conjunction with Tabloid Story and was known as The Age-Tabloid Story Awards. The inaugural award was won...
and his first novel, Marzipan Plan, was shortlisted for the Miles Franklin Award
Miles Franklin Award
The Miles Franklin Literary Award is an annual literary prize for the best Australian ‘published novel or play portraying Australian life in any of its phases’. The award was set up according to the will of Miles Franklin , who is best known for writing the Australian classic My Brilliant Career ...
. In 2001 he won the James Joyce Suspended Sentence Award for short fiction. In 2008 his play Cowboy Humour will be part of the Short & Sweet play festival, which has previously featured Astle's plays including The Gentleman Had An Axe in 2007 and The Mercy Kitchen.
He has taught journalism at RMIT University
RMIT University
RMIT University is an Australian public university located in Melbourne, Victoria. It has two branches, referred to as RMIT University in Australia and RMIT International University in Vietnam....
and in 2004 was awarded a DSC Teaching Award for best sessional teacher.
Non-fiction
- Puzzled: Secrets and Clues From a Life Lost in Words (Allen & Unwin, 2010) 9781742372785
- Cassowary Crossing (Penguin Books, 2005) ISBN 0-14-300169-8; (re-jacketed as Offbeat Australia (Penguin Books, 2007) ISBN 9780143007425)
- One Down, One Missing (Hardie Grant Books, 2003) 9781740661416
External links
- Official site
- Hacronyms, an article by David Astle
- The DA Trippers, a blog that pays homage to DA cryptics
- Alias DA, an essay that originally appeared in MeanjinMeanjinMeanjin is an Australian literary journal. The name - pronounced Mee-AN-jin - is derived from an Aboriginal word for the land where the city Brisbane is located.It was founded in December 1940, in Brisbane, by Clem Christesen...
about how Astle sees words and the world - Astle's profile on Letters and Numbers website
- David Astle Re-works Words a Wheeler Centre video
- David Astle on ABC's The Conversation Hour