KELLEHER, Victor (Michael Kitchener)

(1939-)

   Australian lecturer in English and now full-time writer. Born in London, VK spent 20 years in Africa before emigrating to New Zealand (1973) and then Australia (1976). VK's major theme in the sf and FANTASY (he makes no sharp distinction between the two genres) for adolescents for which he is best known is the tension between cyclic/seasonal time and linear time. His sf includes The Green Piper (1984), Taronga (1986) and The Makers (1987); his fantasy includes Master of the Grove (1982) -Australian Children's Book of the Year - Baily's Bones (1988), The Red King (1989), Brother Night (1990),Del-Del (1991), To the Dark Tower (1992), and also his early novels Forbidden Paths of Thual (1979) and The Hunting of Shadroth (1981). Papio (1984) is an adventure story. His post- HOLOCAUST novel for adults, The Beast of Heaven (1985), won a Ditmar AWARD for best Australian sf. He has written four non-sf books for adults.

   JW

   See also: AUSTRALIA; CHILDREN'S SF.