AustLit

Peter Kohn was born of Austrian/German parents. He graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree from Monash University, majoring in political science and joined the Melbourne Herald as a cadet journalist. Kohn has worked also as a magazine editor, stage reviewer and as the special projects editor for Australian Jewish News.

Actively involved in the Jewish community, and as one of the second generation (the children who came after the Holocaust), Kohn has been given an insight into those days, particularly from his family and their friends, who were part of a large circle of former Shanghai refugees who settled in Australia. His first novel Rachel's Chance (1987) was inspired by the experiences of his family.