Nick Earls Travels from Brisbane, QLD

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After Dinner
Author
Creativity / Innovation
Master Of Ceremonies
Media
Motivational

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Nick Earls is the author of twenty-eight books, including books that have appeared on bestseller lists in Australia, the UK and the Amazon Kindle Store. His work has been recognised by awards in Australia and internationally, including a Betty Trask Award (UK) for Zigzag Street, a Children’s Book Council of Australia Book of the Year Award for 48 Shades of Brown and, for his Wisdom Tree novellas, a NSW Premier’s Literary Award, a gold medal at the Independent Publisher Book Awards (USA) and a gold medal at the eLit Awards (USA).

Five of his books have been adapted into stage plays and two into feature films. 48 Shades (adapted from 48 Shades of Brown) was released by Disney’s Buena Vista International. Solo un Padre (adapted from the Italian edition of Perfect Skin) was a top-ten box-office hit in Italy through Cattleya/Warner Bros.

Nick Earls’ contribution to writing led to him being awarded the Queensland Writers Centre’s inaugural Johnno award in 2001 and a Centenary Medal in 2003. His work as a writer, in writing industry development and in support of humanitarian causes led to him being named University of Queensland Alumnus of the Year in 2006.

He has appeared frequently at writers’ festivals around Australia and internationally, and as a panellist on radio and TV shows, including Good News Week. He has filled in as a host on ABC Local Radio and developed and presented the Green Room short podcast series for ABC RN. He played as a tenacious but inept defender in two Roar Against Racism celebrity soccer games at Suncorp Stadium, setting up goals for Justin Hodges and Cathy Freeman. He once partnered Mal Meninga in a celebrity canoe race.

He has an honours degree in Medicine (due to surprise Papal intervention) and a PhD in Creative Writing, both from the University of Queensland, and has lived in Brisbane since migrating as an eight-year-old from Northern Ireland in 1972. In the late 90s, London’s Mirror newspaper called him ‘the first Aussie to make me laugh out loud since Jason Donovan’. In 2012, the Age included him among its top ten Greatest Living Australians (along with Bob Hawke, Warwick Capper and Shane Warne).