'Writing with care, imagination and craftsmanship'

"A good writer can set a thriller anywhere and make it convincing.  The trick is to evoke the setting in such a way that it highlights the crime or unsettles the reader."  –  Garry Disher

 

Born on this date in 1949, Disher was raised on a farm in South Australia and set his sights on a writing career while still in elementary school.   He said he was influenced by his love of reading – something he encourages all writers to do religiously – and  his father’s bedtime storytelling. 

After studying at Adelaide University, he worked abroad and traveled widely before returning to Australia for his master's degree and start his writing career.  His success with short stories led to a prestigious creative-writing fellowship at Stanford University.      

A full-time writer since 1988, he’s published 55 books ranging from general/literary novels (Steal Away) and crime thrillers (Wyatt) to story collections, fiction for children and teenagers, and creative writing handbooks and texts.  He's also a noted writing editor and teacher,

 

“I have no favorite genre or style but treat each novel with the same care, imagination and craftsmanship,” Disher said.  “It's as difficult to write a crime or a children's novel with a touch of style and grace as it is a literary novel.”