About the author

Nerida Newton was born in Brisbane, Australia, and has since lived in Malaysia, South Africa, France and the UK. Her debut novel, The Lambing Flat, won the Queensland Premier's Award for an emerging author and was shortlisted for The Australian/Vogel Award and the Commonwealth Writers' Prize. In 2004, The Sydney Morning Herald named her one of Australia's best young novelists.

Her second novel, Death of a Whaler, followed in 2006. Her short fiction has appeared in Australian literary magazines, and her journalism has run in The Courier-Mail; she has also spoken at writers' festivals around the country.

As Nerida's writing reflects, she loves travelling, especially to wild, untamed places. She has yet to say no to an adventure.

She currently lives in Brisbane with her husband, four children, and a menagerie of animals that includes two horses, two dogs, two cats, two chickens, and a bush turkey named Barbara.

— N.N.