Michelle de Kretser Award-winning author Award-winning author Michelle de Kretser has keenly observed the changes occurring in Australian society since she and her family first emigrated in 1972. In those days, the influence of the recently abolished White Australia Policy could still be seen in the insularity of Australian society. The cultural and ethnic diversity that now forms such an integral part of Australian culture was not evident. As an author, de Kretser has been best positioned, or perhaps best able, to study these changes and their impact on people and culture. Her works, which benefit from the breadth of her reading, reflect the liberties and opportunities that life in Australia has afforded her.