84-year-old author, bookshop owner Douglas Lockhart not slowing down after rare cancer

He’s nearly 85, has lost part of his lung to a rare cancer, and is about to finish his ninth novel. Find out why Douglas Lockhart has no plans to retire.

SUN TAS. Author Douglas Lockhart has written his 8th book, An Imperfect Spy, and is about to finish his ninth. Picture: Nikki Davis-Jones

As he approaches his 85th birthday – and after surviving a rare and aggressive cancer – author and bookshop owner Douglas Lockhart has no plans to retire.

His eighth book, An Imperfect Spy, will be launched on Thursday and he’s soon to finish another, which he describes as “one hell of a yarn”.

Despite his health scare, Mr Lockhart is still working in his Hobart bookshop, Déjà vu Books.

“I’ll be 85 on December 21, am still working two days per week in spite of having the top lobe of my right lung removed recently due to cancer,” Mr Lockhart said.

“Retirement is a word without meaning for me – I’m a writer, end of story.”

Mr Lockhart’s says cancer “came out of the blue”.

Author Douglas Lockhart holding a copy of his 8th novel, An Imperfect Spy. Picture: Nikki Davis-Jones

“I had an X-ray after a bad fall and they said my rib cage was fine but they found a tumour which they said later was very aggressive and very rare.

“I am up and running again with a new novel almost finished.”

Emeritus Professor Jeff Malpas, is praising of the new book which Mr Lockhart says is a “tale of intrigue and deception at the political level”.

“The spy may be imperfect but Lockhart’s new novel is the perfect philosophical thriller – delivering an enthralling tale of love, politics, and corruptions, it also plunges the reader into the midst of some of the most compelling intellectual questions of our time,” Prof Malpas said.

Born in Scotland, Mr Lockhart came to Tasmania 44 years ago and says his writing career “blossomed” while he was doing National Service with the British Army in Germany in 1959.

“I ended up as features editor for our corps’ in-house magazine and that it was it, I was hooked,” he said.

“Since then I’ve worked as a freelance journalist in London, had a play produced with the blessings of the Australian Arts Council, and written scripts for ABC educational radio.”

He’s also lectured on ‘The Nature of Creativity’ at Keble College, Oxford, and was an honorary research associate with the University of Tasmania’s School of Philosophy.”

The Writer in Residence with the Salamanca’s Arts Centre, still works in Déjà vu Books, which he set up 33 years ago.

“I write while serving customers; a previous four-year stint in advertising with Thomson Newspapers in UK having made me immune to noise and interruption,” he said.

“I like it that way – it stops me from getting precious.”

His book, Sabazius, is available in German and Spanish.

Prof Malpas will launch An Imperfect Spy at the Hobart Bookshop at 5.30 on Thursday.