Identify The Author

My first lines quiz will have to take a jump - someone pointed out that no three words stringed together can ever be search-engine-proof!

Not that I thought you were all naughty cheats - I just know that a couple of people were. They have been sent to the back of the class! The search engine business is good news, by the way, for finding out whether your words have been plagiarised.

I've thought of another kind of quiz. I want people to identify an author from a few simple words that can be linked to that person.

So, here goes.

glass
down under
smith
the english patient

Answer in a few days.