AustLit

'Michael Thorley is a Canberra poet who published an impressive book of poems,Sleeping Alone, in 2008 and who expects to publish a second shortly. His plans to publish another book of poems last year were set aside  by the illness and death of his younger brother, for whom he was caregiver. He was born in Tamworth NSW in 1945 and was educated there through high school, going on to study piano and musical education at Newcastle Conservatorium of Music. He was conscripted for two years in 1966 during then Vietnam War but was not sent overseas. In 1968 he commenced an arts degree at Sydney University, graduating in 1972 with honours in psychology. He worked first as a school counselor, then as a district guidance officer in Queanbeyan, which borders Canberra. He and his partner, Pam SIoan lived there for twenty years until her death in 2000.' (Introduction)