Barry Kingham Oakley, born on 24 February 1931 in Melbourne, is an Australian writer and playwright. He was educated at Christian Brothers College, St Kilda, and the University of Melbourne. He worked as a teacher, lecturer and a copywriter throughout the 1950s and 1960s. During this time he had short stories appear in prominent literary journals. He published his debut novel, )A wild ass of a man, in 1967. He also gained recognition for his dramatic works, particularly for his satirical and comic portrayals of Melbourne life. His plays were first staged at Melbourne's La Mama Theatre and he collaborated with numerous notable figures from the Australian Performing Group. In 1970, he won the Captain Cook Bicentenary Literary Award for his novel, Let's hear it for Prendergast (1971). From 1988 to 1997 he worked as a literary editor of The Australian. He also held residencies at various universities. He now resides in the Blue Mountains with his wife.