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Justin D'Ath is the author of over 30 books for children and young adults, including the hugely popular Extreme Adventures series. Other books include Astrid Spark, Fixologist, The Skyflower, Robbie and the Dolphins, Infamous, and Why did the Chykkan cross the Galaxy?
Justin's first publication was a monthly cartoon strip in a magazine, which he used to draw in his tent while he travelled around Australia on a motorbike. His first book, a novel for adults called The Initiate, was published in 1989 and won three awards. His adult short stories have been published in 18 countries and have won 54 literary prizes.
For twenty years Justin wrote only for adults - in addition to his other jobs: driving forklifts, building cars, picking fruit, mustering cattle, mining for iron, working in a laboratory, being a club manager in an Aborigine settlement, working in a sugar mill and teaching Professional Writing at TAFE.
Of his 29 books for children, Justin says I laugh aloud at the unexpected things my characters say and do. I don't plan. I simply invent a character, usually between ten and fourteen years old, put her or him in an unusual (or scary!) situation, and start speaking in her, or his, voice. For me it's a natural process. Part of me doesn't seem to have grown up!'
And of his audience, Justin says: My main message is, Enjoy reading. I want children to become lost in my books; to experience the magic of the written word; to see that reading is not a chore, it's one of the most exciting, imaginative and enjoyable things they can do.'
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