SCOT GARDNER
Scot Gardner's beginning as an author is one of those wonderful mythic stories which give budding writers hope. He was “discovered” (which actually means his talents were finally identified) at a John Marsden Writers' Conference at Tye Estate in January 2000. This lead to the publishing of his first book for young readers, One Dead Seagull in 2001. His many books since include Burning Eddy, which was short-listed for both the CBCA Book of the Year awards and NSW Premier's Literary awards, White Ute Dreaming, The Other Madonna, The Legend of Kevin the Plumber, Gravity and The Detachable Boy.

Scot's books centre on the theme of growing up, applicable in any century, let alone the twenty-first. Having worked as a counsellor and a youth worker for disadvantaged teenagers Scot has some insight into the problems faced by high risk teenagers, especially young men and Aboriginal youths.

Scot had a life before writing, and one that continues concurrently with it. He is a home dad, truck driver, landscape gardener, an accomplished didjeridu player, masseur, waiter, program developer, teacher, webmaster and group facilitator. He spends most of the year working in schools, talking about writing and life and stuff; encouraging people ‘to take good risks and write their hearts out'.

Scot lives near the Victorian town of Yinnar in a solar-powered barn in the bush with his wife and three feisty offspring. He believes in soul mates and love at first sight. He thrives on campfire conversations and veggie gardens. He loves the bush, the desert, the sea; big fat rivers, lyrebirds, thunderstorms; Ralph Waldo Emerson and building things. Swimming in the nuddy and looking at the night sky from his swag make Scot feel that anything is possible.

Scot listens to people's stories, especially the young because they dream big, and the old because they have lived. He surrounds himself with beautiful people who find it easy to laugh and cry and who actively go about sucking the marrow from life. When he dies (in a hundred years or so), Scot wants to be burnt out in the bush on a big pile of logs while his loved ones have a few drinks and laughs, warm their toes by the fire, and maybe even cook marshmallows.

For more information go to Scot's website.

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