1/26/2015

5:01PM

MelbournecoupleJohnWylieandMyriamBoisbouvierWyliegiveAustralianliteraturea$5millionboost
MondayJan26,2015

14,716onlinenow

Doyouknowmoreaboutastory?

RealEstate

Cars

Jobs

Dating

Newsletters

FairfaxMediaNetwork

MelbournecoupleJohnWylieandMyriamBoisbouvier
WyliegiveAustralianliteraturea$5millionboost
Readlater

January22,2015

JasonSteger
LiteraryEditor,TheAge

ViewmorearticlesfromJasonSteger
FollowJasononTwitter

EmailJason

submittoreddit
Emailarticle

Print

WhenitcomestochampionsofAustralianliterature,Melbournehasbeenlucky.Severalyearsago
thefoundersofLonelyPlanet,MaureenandTonyWheeler,donatedmanymillionsofdollarstoensure
thefutureoperationofwhatbecameknownastheWheelerCentre.
NowmerchantbankerJohnWylieandhiswife,MyriamBoisbouvierWylie,havedonated$5millionto
theUniversityofMelbournetoestablishanewprofessorshipofAustralianliterature,tobecalledthe
BoisbouvierFoundingChair.
MrWylie,whoisalsopresidentoftheStateLibraryBoard,saiditwasimportantthatAustralia
celebrateditsliterarytraditionsandabilities."Australiashouldtellitsownstoriesandcelebratethe
peoplewhotellAustralianstories.It'sanincrediblyimportantpartoftheculturallandscapeofthe
country.MelbourneisoneofsevenUNESCOcitiesofliteratureandMelbourneUniversityshould
haveachairofAustralianliterature."
HesaidthechairwouldbeapartnershipbetweentheuniversityandtheStateLibrary."Oneofthe
thingswehavesaidiswewanttohavesomebodywhocanspeaktothecommunitygenerally.It'snot
justanacademicappointment.It'ssomebodywhocanspeaktothecommunity,inspirepeople's
interestinAustralianliterature...somebodywhowillhavequiteasignificantpublicroleinadditionto
theusualroleattheuniversity."
Advertisement

JohnWylieandhiswife,MyriamBoisbouvierWylie.

Butthisisnotaconventionalacademicappointment.UniversityvicechancellorGlynDavislikenedit
totheOxfordUniversitychairofpoetry,whichisheldbyamajorfiguresuchasW.H.Audenforfive
years.
"Itwillbetimelimited,"hesaid."Solotsofdifferentpeoplecanholdthechair.Essentiallywewantto
hiresomeoneasanexemplarofAustralianwritingratherthananotherprofessorofAustralianwriting.
Itisourchancetobringagreatpoetorplaywrightornovelistontocampus,holdthechair,toteach,to
practisetheircraft,toshareitwiththenextgenerationofaspiringwritersandtobeafaceforand
spokesmanforAustralianliterature."
MrDavisenvisagedfiveyeartermsandsaidhehopedtohavesomeoneappointedthisyear."Iknow
ofonlyafewoftheseappointmentsanywhereintheworldwhereessentiallyyouaretryingto
encourageandsupportagreatwritertosharetheirexperiencesataprofessoriallevel,averysenior
level...Ittakesadonortomakethispossible."

MsBoisbouvierWylie,whoisthehonoraryconsulofFranceinVictoria,saidsincecomingtoliveinMelbourne18yearsagoshehaddiscoveredmany
wonderfulAustralianauthors.
"WehavebeenveryhappyinMelbourne,JohnandI,"shesaid."Wehavebeenspendingourmarriedlifehereandithasbeenaverywelcomingtown
forbothofus.Itfeelslikeit'shomenowandit'snicetobeabletogivebacksomethingtothecommunityweshare."

http://www.smh.com.au/entertainment/books/melbournecouplejohnwylieandmyriamboisbouvierwyliegiveaustralianliteraturea5millionboost2015012

1/2

1/26/2015

MelbournecoupleJohnWylieandMyriamBoisbouvierWyliegiveAustralianliteraturea$5millionboost

Currentjobs
CommunicationsAssistant
$50,000$60,000
SydneyCBD,Sydney
ViewJob
PR&CommunicationsMa...
$60,000
SydneyCBD,Sydney
ViewJob

Recommended
AustraliancartoonistLarryPickeringplaced
under

FromAroundtheWeb
43CelebritiesWhoNeverFixedTheirGapTeeth
Ranker

Victoria

MerylStreepdefendsRussellCrowe'sactresses
remarks

CesarMontano'kalokalike'wows'Showtime'
ABSCBNPhilippines

Life&Style

AzealiaBanksslams'notoriouslyracist'Australia
for

KellyClarkson,MilaKunis,andDrewBarrymore
Named

Entertainment

VegasMagazine

SohowmuchdidPatricia
Arquettegetpaidfor12

ManCrushOfTheMonth:OrlandoBloom
WeeklyGravy

DailyLife

Sevenwordsyoudidn't
knowwereracist

AfterHereLiesLove,TalkingHeads'DavidByrne
Turns

DailyLife

TheaterMania

Recommendedby

submittoreddit
Emailarticle

Print

http://www.smh.com.au/entertainment/books/melbournecouplejohnwylieandmyriamboisbouvierwyliegiveaustralianliteraturea5millionboost2015012

2/2