[3][citation needed] Haskell began an Arts degree at University of Sydney in 1973, studying English and Philosophy; during this time, he lectured and tutored in Commerce at UNSW.
He eventually became a Professor of English and Cultural Studies at UWA and held many committee and management positions, including Deputy Dean of the Arts Faculty and Chair of Academic Board.
On his retirement, a symposium on Creative Writing and its Contexts was convened by the Westerly Centre, UWA and the Association for the Study of Australian Literature in his honor.
[7] Haskell has regularly delivered papers at academic conferences and to community groups, and he has given many invited readings of his own poetry, at various venues in many locations, including Armidale, Brisbane, Cairns, Canberra, Perth, Sydney, Townsville, England, France, Germany, Hong Kong, India, Ireland, Italy, Scotland, Singapore, Spain, Thailand, The Philippines, and the USA.
[4] Apart from writing his own poetry, Haskell has produced a number of critical studies of the works of Australian poets such as Bruce Dawe and Kenneth Slessor.