AustLit

Nora Krouk was the daughter of a Polish Catholic father and a Jewish mother. Her family lived variously in Siberia (before her birth), Harbin (where Krouk spent her childhood), Moukden, Shanghai (where she married) and Hong Kong before she emigrated to Sydney, Australia in 1975 on a business transfer.

Krouk received her education in Russian schools and through private governesses and tutors. She returned to Harbin (from Moukden) to sit her school leaving certificate. She performed strongly in Russian and her education also allowed her some knowledge of French, German and Spanish. Krouk later developed her knowledge of English and English literature through study at Hong Kong University. She also attended classes at The University of Sydney and Macquarie University after her arrival in Australia. In Shanghai, Hong Kong, Tokyo and Sydney Krouk worked as a journalist in Russian and English.

(Primary source: 'Spared by Geography' by Nora Krouk, Five Bells vol.10 no.4, Spring 2003, p.18-22.)