Thomas Keneally

Oskar Schindler's story went relatively unknown for several decades before Keneally wrote it. It was only after emigrating to America that Leopold Pfefferberg (one of the Schindlerjuden) began talking to any author he could find about publishing the story. All were unreceptive. Thomas Keneally only happened to meet Pfefferberg by chance, and upon learning that he was a Holocaust survivor, immediately agreed to write their story.

Keneally's home in Sydney's Northern Beaches has its own trophy room. In it, hangs pictures, plaques and signed shirts of his beloved Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles rugby league team. He remarked, "Now, these people really are involved in serious magic. Forget the Booker Prize (which he won in 1982 for his book, Schindler's Ark). If Cliffy Lyons (Sea Eagles legend) comes up to me and says, you know, 'G'day, Tom, mate. Writing much these days?' Well, that's enough for me. I'm a happy man."