Penny McWatter's husband, Keith, attended university with David Malouf. Though their paths seldom crossed in later years, they became life long friends, occasionally corresponding about Queensland and its unusual social and political environment.

David Malouf AO, internationally renowned Australian author, was born in South Brisbane in on 20 March 1934 and is of Lebanese Maronite Catholic, Portuguese Sephardic Jewish and English heritage. He was educated at Brisbane Grammar School and graduated from the University of Queensland in 1955 with a Bachelor of Arts. After graduation, he lived in Europe for nearly ten years (1959 – 1968) and worked as a teacher in London and Birkenhead. He returned to Australia in 1968 and lectured in English at Sydney University from 1968 to 1977. In 1991 he was made Doctor of Letters honoris causa by the University of Queensland, having previously been given an honorary degree of Doctor of Letters by the University of Sydney in 1988. He has spent much of his career as a professional writer splitting his time between Australia and Italy.
His novels include Johnno (1975), An imaginary life (1978), Remembering Babylon (1993) and Ransom (2009). He has also written several volumes of award-winning poetry and short stories as well as regularly contributing to the national and international press.