David Martin ( poet ) For other people named David Martin , see David Martin ( disambiguation ) . David Martin ( 22 December 1915 - 1 July 1997 ) , known as an Australian poet , was born Lajos or Ludwig Detsinyi , into a Jewish family in Hungary ( then part of Austro-Hungary ) . He used as well the names Louis Adam and Louis Destiny . He also wrote novels and short stories , and plays . He was brought up in Germany , where he first became a communist at age 17 . He then worked in the Netherlands , and emigrated to Palestine . He fought in the International Brigade in the Spanish Civil War , writing about this in My Strange Friend ( 1991 ) ; and then worked for the BBC in London from 1938 . After World War II he settled in Australia from 1950 , making his mark with the satirical poem Rob the Robber ( 1954 ) . In 1991 he was given the Patrick White Award for important though under-recognised writers . Works Poems of David Martin 1938-58 ( 1958 ) The gift : poems 1959-65 ( 1966 )  This article about an Australian writer or poet is a stub . You can help Wikipedia by expanding it .  This article about a poet is a stub . You can help Wikipedia by expanding it . Categories : Australian writer stubs | Poet stubs | Australian communists | Australian poets | Spanish Civil War people | 1915 births | 1997 deaths David Martin 