Born: 1962 Boggabri Hospital northern NSW. Hot and flat and dry. Only across town from the big, cool Namoi River but still too far from it.
Childhood: Grew up west of the village of Spring Ridge on our cattle and grain farm “Howes Hill”. ‘Hill’ was a misnomer. It was flat and hot and mostly dry, nowhere near a river and on the edge of an occasional lake. (I have lived in the Liverpool Ranges for the past 30+ years.)
Best known for: Not much. Mostly for being ‘the son of’ or ‘the brother of’ or ‘the husband of’ or ‘the father of’.
How many books published?: The Good Teacher, 2017 – ‘I was hoping to give them a good read, a page turner with a few laughs, no murders and maybe a small insight into a rural community.’
Retribution through Scribe Publishing in August 2018.
How you became a writer: Just kept scribbling till someone finally said: “Alright! Alright! I’ll represent your bloody manuscript.”
Star Sign: Virgo.
Quotable quotes: “A mouse sitting on an elephant is not the same as an elephant sitting on a mouse.” George Saunders and Jason Isbell – on discrimination.
Past Times / Hobbies / Interests: Reading, dogs, music, cricket, politics.
Did you know?: Jimmy Governor (fictionalised in The Chant of Jimmie Blacksmith) is supposed to have shot at my house while evading the law.
Favourite Book / Favourite Author from 2017: A Little Life by Hanya Yanagihara.
Loves: Late nights with my mad friends.
Hates: Big noters.
Leave a Reply