Thomas Keneally 1995, he was a visiting professor in the writing program at UCI. In 2006, Peter Pierce, Professor of Australian Literature, James Cook University, wrote: The Tom Keneally Centre opened in August 2011 at the Sydney Mechanics' School of Arts, housing Keneally's books and memorabilia. The site is used for book launches, readings and writing classes. Keneally married Judy Martin, then a nurse, in 1965, and they had two daughters, Margaret and Janet. Keneally was the founding chairman (1991–93) of the Australian Republic Movement and published a book on the subject "Our Republic" in 1993. Several of his Republican essays appear
Schindler's List the "Schindlerjuden", made it his life's mission to tell the story of his savior. Pfefferberg attempted to produce a biopic of Oskar Schindler with MGM in 1963, with Howard Koch writing, but the deal fell through. In 1982, Thomas Keneally published his historical novel "Schindler's Ark", which he wrote after a chance meeting with Pfefferberg in Los Angeles in 1980. MCA president Sid Sheinberg sent director Steven Spielberg a "New York Times" review of the book. Spielberg, astounded by Schindler's story, jokingly asked if it was true. "I was drawn to it because of the paradoxical nature of the character,"