Before their years on the Greek Island of Hydra their welldocumented friendship with celebrated singersongwriter Leonard Cohen and their literary celebrity Charmian Clift and George Johnston collaborated on High Valley a mystery set in the Himalayas It won them The Sydney Morning Herald Literary Competition in 1948 and was first published in 1949Charmian Clifts subsequent works include the autobiographical portraits Peel Me a Lotus 1959 and Mermaid Singing 1956 and the novel Walk to the Paradise Gardens 1960 which is also in the Untapped Collection George Johnstons novels include the trilogy My Brother Jack 1964 winner of the Miles Franklin Literary Award in 1964 Clean Straw for Nothing 1969 winner of the Miles Franklin Literary Award in 1969 and A Cartload of Clay 1971 In 1970 Johnston was made an Officer of the Order of the British Empire for his services to literature