   thomas michael ("mick") keneally, ao (born 7 october 1935) is an australian novelist, playwright and author of non-fiction. he is best known for writing schindler's ark, the booker prize-winning novel of 1982 which was inspired by the efforts of poldek pfefferberg, a holocaust survivor. the book would later be adapted to steven spielberg's schindler's list, which won the academy award for best picture. == life and career == born in sydney, keneally was educated at st patrick's college, strathfield. subsequently, a writing prize there has been named after him. he entered st patrick's seminary, manly to train as a catholic priest. although he was ordained as a deacon while at the seminary he left without being ordained to the priesthood. he worked as a sydney schoolteacher before his success as a novelist and was a lecturer at the university of new england (1968â70). he has also written screenplays, memoirs and non-fiction books. keneally was known as "mick" until 1964 but began using the name thomas when he started publishing, after advice from his publisher to use what was really his first name."tom keneally, interviewed by peter thompson", talking heads, abc-tv, 30 july 2007. accessed: 2007-10-11 he is most famous for his schindler's ark (1982) (later republished as schindler's list), which won the booker prize and is the basis of the film schindler's list. many of his novels are reworkings of historical material, although modern in their psychology and style. keneally has also acted in a handful of films. he had a small role in the chant of jimmie blacksmith (based on his novel) 
1935_births 20th-century_Australian_novelists 21st-century_Australian_novelists Australian_Living_Treasures Australian_Roman_Catholics Australian_memoirists Australian_novelists Australian_people_of_Irish_descent Australian_republicans Australian_travel_writers Fellows_of_the_Royal_Society_of_Literature Living_people Man_Booker_Prize_winners Miles_Franklin_Award_winners Officers_of_the_Order_of_Australia People_educated_at_St_Patrick\'s_College,_Strathfield Roman_Catholic_writers Writers_from_Sydney