Gerald Murnane was born in a northern suburb of Melbourne in 1939. He spent part of his childhood in country districts of Victoria, moved back to the suburbs of Melbourne in 1949, and has never since left. He is the author of seven books of fiction, including Tamarisk Row (his first novel), The Plains, Landscape with Landscape , Inland and Velvet Waters . His most recent book is the collection of essays Invisible Yet Enduring Lilacs. He is a recipient of the Patrick White Literary Award and in 2007 was awarded an Emeritus Fellowship by the Literature Board of the Australia Council.