Neil Grant
Neil Grant was born in Glasgow, Scotland in 1966 but was prevented from sounding like Billy Connolly for the rest of his life when he came to Australia at age thirteen. His earliest influence was Dr. Seuss, whose poetic vision and imaginative wherewithal has remained with him to this day.
He has backpacked, bussed and blundered through India, Yugoslavia, the United Kingdom, Israel, Malaysia, Thailand, Sri Lanka and paid for these expeditions with a series of unlikely occupations. At various times of his life he has been an instrument steriliser, a cook, a brickie's labourer, a roof-tile reclaimer, a carrot picker, a tree planter, but he has always been a writer.
His poetic works have been published in &, Kingfisher Collection 2001 and Overland Express (online). In 2002, he gained first place in the Southern Cross Literary Competition and was highly commended in the Karrinyup Writers' Club Poetry Competition.
In 2000, Neil was awarded a Victorian Writers' Centre Mentorship for his young adult surf novel Rhino Chasers. This novel was published by Allen & Unwin in 2002 and is currently being developed as a feature film.
Neil's second novel, Indo Dreaming (Allen & Unwin, 2005) tracks the protagonist of Rhino Chasers, Goog, as he scours the Indonesian archipelago for traces of his dead friend Castro. It was shortlisted for the Queensland Premier's Literary Award 2006 and also for the Melbourne Best Writing Award 2006.
Neil believes in the power of words and in young people. Good things happen when these two things come together. He is comfortable presenting author talks and workshops focussing on both his writing and his travels to upper primary and secondary students and adult audiences.
Afghanistan 2009
Neil will be visiting Afghanistan in July to August 2009 to research his current novel. You can be part of this exciting journey by following his blog which he will be adding to his website soon.
Neil's primary area of interest will be Bamiyan in the mountainous region of Central Afghanistan. This town was on the ancient Silk Route that led from Rome to China. It was here in the 6th century that giant Buddhas were cut into the cliffs above the town. When the Taliban took control of Bamiyan in 1998 they persecuted the local Hazara population. In 2001 the Taliban chief ordered the destruction of the statues. Neil's latest novel will tell the story of one Afghan asylum seeker and his long and perilous journey to suburban Melbourne where he meets a young Australian man struggling with his own demons.
During his 2009 research trip Neil will gather the colour and authenticity needed to finish this story, visiting Kabul (home to some of the fiercest fighting in recent history), Band-e Amir (lakes with mythical properties set high in the Koh-e Baba mountains), Darya Ajdahar (containing petrified remains of a dragon that terrorised local inhabitants), Shar-e Gholghola (attacked by Genghis' hordes) and Shar-e Zohak (where Genghis Khan's grandson died).
School and individuals can keep track of his journey by logging on to his website and reading his blog. They can follow his trail using Google Earth and other web research tools. When he arrives home in September Neil will be available to talk to schools about his travels and the process of converting real-life experience into fiction. He will also conduct workshops relating to his adventures covering linked themes of identity and immigration.
|
