David Ewan Marr FAHA (born 13 July 1947) is an Australian journalist, author, and political and social commentator. He writes about the law, Australian politics, censorship, the media, and the arts. He has written for The Monthly and Guardian Australia. Marr hosts Late Night Live on ABC's Radio National.

Early life and education

David Ewan Marr<!--- dubious source per WP:DOB ---> He attended Sydney Church of England Grammar School in Sydney's Lower North Shore

Career

Marr worked for a time as an articled clerk at the law firm Allen, Allen and Hemsley, and was admitted as a barrister and solicitor before turning to journalism.

He began as a journalist working for The Bulletin magazine and The National Times newspaper in 1972 before being appointed editor in 1980. In 1980 Marr published his first book, Barwick, a biography of Chief Justice Sir Garfield Barwick. It won the NSW Premier's Literary Award for Non-Fiction, but was received poorly by its subject, who accused the author of fabricating quotes. This was followed in 1991 by his biography of Nobel Laureate Patrick White.

Marr was a reporter on the ABC TV program Four Corners (1985, 1990–91), a role in which he won a Walkley Award, and presenter of Radio National's Arts Today program (1994–1996). From 2002 to 2004, he hosted the ABC TV program Media Watch.

In 2002 Marr stated on Media Watch that conservative newspaper columnist Janet Albrechtsen had misquoted a French psychiatrist, , and claimed that she had done this deliberately to make it look as though violence and gang rape were institutionalised elements of the culture of Muslim youths. Albrechtsen did not deny the misquote, but responded by accusing Media Watch of inherent left-wing bias and of deliberately leading a witch-hunt against contrary views. When the Minister for Communications, Senator Helen Coonan, appointed Albrechtsen to the board of the ABC in February 2005, Marr publicly questioned whether she was qualified for such a position in light of what he described as "breaches of proper conduct as a commentator and as a journalist".

In 2008 Marr was named by Same Same as one of the 25 most influential gay and lesbian Australians for his coverage of the Bill Henson case.

Marr has advocated drug-law reform and has written candidly about his life experiences: "I've had a lot of fun on drugs ... I've had a lot of marvellous experiences. I've danced a lot. I've had a great time. I'm not ashamed of it. And I don't see what's wrong with it."

Marr resigned from The Sydney Morning Herald on 13 July 2012, saying "People underestimate what a deeply conventional person I am. I'm turning 65 and that feels like the right time to go." However, in April 2013, Marr joined Guardian Australia.

In 2013 Marr penned the essay (later expanded to a book) The Prince: Faith, Abuse and George Pell about Cardinal Pell's dealing with sexual abuse in the Catholic Church.

In 2020 he appeared in episode 3 of ABC's series Revelation.

He appeared as a semi-regular panellist on the ABC television programs Q&A and Insiders until 2020.

In May 2024 it was announced that Marr would replace Phillip Adams as host of ABC Radio National's Late Night Live after Adams’ last show on 27 June 2024.

Awards and honours

Literary

  • 1985, 1991, and 2004 (jointly), Walkley Awards
  • 2006: Alfred Deakin Prize for an Essay Advancing Public Debate in Victorian Premier's Literary Awards, for "Is the Media Asleep?", from Do Not Disturb: Is the Media Failing Australia?
  • 2009: PEN Keneally Award
  • 2009: Shortlisted, Alfred Deakin Prize for an Essay Advancing Public Debate, for The Henson Case in the Victorian Premier's Awards
  • 2024: Shortlisted, Victorian Premier's Prize for Nonfiction, for Killing for Country: A Family Story
  • 2024: Shortlisted, Prime Minister's Literary Award for Australian History, for Killing for Country: A Family Story
  • 2024: Shortlisted, Australian Political Book of the Year Award, for Killing for Country: A Family Story

Honours

  • 2011: Honorary Doctor of Letters, University of Newcastle
  • 2013: Honorary Doctor of Letters, University of Sydney
  • 2013: Honorary Fellow, Australian Academy of the Humanities

Selected works

Biographies and nonfiction

  • 1980 Barwick, Allen & Unwin,
  • 1984 The Ivanov Trail, Nelson,
  • 1991 Patrick White : A Life, Vintage Classics,
  • 2000 The High Price of Heaven
  • 2004 Dark Victory (with Marian Wilkinson),
  • 2008 The Henson Case, The Text Publishing Company,
  • 2023

Essay collections

  • 2011 Panic, Black Inc,
  • 2018 My Country: Stories, Essays & Speeches, Black Inc, Hardback

Contributions

  • 2000
  • 2007 His Master's Voice: The Corruption of Public Debate Under Howard in the Quarterly Essay, Issue 26,
  • 2010 "Power Trip: The Political Journey of Kevin Rudd", in the Quarterly Essay, Issue 38
  • 2012 Political Animal: The Making of Tony Abbott, in the Quarterly Essay, Issue 47,
  • 2013 The Prince: Faith, Abuse and George Pell, in the Quarterly Essay, Issue 51,
  • 2015 Faction Man: Bill Shorten's Path to Power, in the Quarterly Essay, Issue 59.
  • 2017 The White Queen: One Nation and the Politics of Race, in the Quarterly Essay, Issue 65.

References

  • David Marr, The Guardian Australia index of articles
  • Articles and videos at The Monthly