He'd get by. And perhaps he would find out how he could live and what he could do. Fifty years later, Peter Porter is back in Australia for another of his regular visits. He's got concerts to do in Melbourne and Canberra, a daughter to visit in Melbourne, a book of his talks to launch in Sydney, an honorary doctorate to pick up in Brisbane, and he might look into his family history. He's gratified by all the attention, but he's not staying.
Nobody says that any more.
Two years ago, Australia House in London hosted a big party for Porter to mark his 70th birthday and to celebrate the release of his 800-page Collected Poems. Porter might not have quite the same household name as fellow expats Greer, Hughes, Humphries or his old mate Clive James. But he's the kind of poet who is popular with both old and young colleagues, and he can draw extraordinary accolades. The man who never went to university and claims to be the opposite of a scholar writes with huge cultural authority and can take much of the credit for introducing Australian talents such as Peter Carey to the English reader. He loves to talk.