JAMES ROY
James Roy was born in Trundle, western NSW, in 1968. When he was ten months old his parents accepted a missionary appointment to the highlands of Papua New Guinea. A placement in Fiji followed some years later and, by the age of 16, James had spent more than half of his life living in the islands of the South Pacific. He attributes much of his early interest in books to the absence of TV, a wonderful library full of adventure books, and the opportunity to play as those characters in wild, adventuresome places.

James completed his first novel for young adults, Almost Wednesday, in 1996. Full Moon Racing, released in 1998, was named a CBC Notable Book and was shortlisted for the 1999 Royal Blind Society Talking Books Award. This was followed by Captain Mack, a compelling and sympathetic look at the relationship between a young boy, who is learning to cope with school bullying, and an elderly POW veteran who feels imprisoned in a nursing home. Captain Mack was named an Honour Book in the 2000 CBCA Book of the Year Awards for Younger Readers, and its prequel, Billy Mack's War, was also named a CBCA Honour Book, in 2005.

A Boat for Bridget, a story in the style of the classic English adventure stories that so many of us grew up on, was named a CBCA Notable Book in 2002, as was The Legend of Big Red, in 2006. The first in James' exciting Steampunk series, Ichabod Hart and the Lighthouse Mystery, was released in 2004. James described this book as '... science-fiction with a rather dark twist. It's a bit gothic, a bit creepy, and totally addictive'.

In 2006 came the release of James' first non-fiction book, The 'S' Word – boys' guide to sex, puberty and growing up. This book covers everything from how sex works to body image, girls, safe sex, being gay, and very importantly, relationships. Uniquely Australian, with cheeky illustrations by award winning cartoonist Gus Gordon, it takes a humorous approach to these topics, for an audience that James felt was far too often brushed aside - the curious mid-grade boy.

James' most recent books include Voyage to Verdada, the first book in the Edsel Grizzler series, Problem Child (for younger readers) and two young adult novels, Hunting Elephants and Town, a collection of linked short stories covering a year in the life of high-schoolers living in and around a place not entirely dissimilar to the Central Coast town where James went to high school. Town has received great critical acclaim and was the winner of the 2008 NSW Premier’s Literary Awards Ethel Tuner Prize (also shortlisted for the Queensland Premier’s Awards and a CBCA 2008 Notable Book).

James says: "I grew up believing that the books I was reading were all written by dead people. I never met a practicing author, so I had no idea that writers were just people with a story to tell. This is why, when I go into a school I see one of main jobs is to demystify what writers do. This not only helps kids become better, keener readers, but hopefully allows them to chase the idea of writing for themselves."

James is available to speak to school students of all ages about his work and has a lively and easy-going manner with groups, whether he is taking them through his own writing process in a practical workshop setting, or relating some of the stories in and around the books he writes. One of the things that teachers often comment on is that the students get to laugh while they’re learning. James is fairly sure they're laughing with him.

James is more than happy to discuss a school's individual needs in terms of structure, the length of sessions, and content. In addition to school visits, he is also available for seminars, PD days and conferences and has presented at events including several CBCA Conferences, Voices on the Coast, Somerset Celebration of Literature and the Sydney, Brisbane and Melbourne Writers' Festivals. James lives in the Blue Mountains with his wife and two daughters and lists his interests as music, sport and bushwalking. He's also rather partial to a good cafe.

More information available at www.jamesroy.com.au.

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