John Blight was born in Unley, South Australia in 1913. His family moved to Queensland soon after. He was educated at Brisbane State High School. He subsequently gained qualifications as an accountant and worked in the timber industry. He was married to Beverley Madelaine D'Arcy-Irvine in 1942. They had two daughters. Blight's first published poems appeared in the Bulletin in 1939 and his first book The Old Pianist appeared in 1945. In 1968 he moved to Brisbane where he became a full-time writer in 1973 with the support of a fellowship from the Literature Board. -- excerpted from AustLit