Ken Spillman
Ken Spillman (born 11 June 1959) is a writer based in Perth, Western Australia. Best known as a prolific author of books for children and young adults, his work has spanned diverse genres including poetry, sports writing and literary criticism. His output also includes a large number of books relating to aspects of Australian social history. Born in London to Australian parents, Spillman spent his childhood in Sydney and Perth. He was active in amateur theatre during his teens and also performed in a school rock band. Encouraged to write by a teacher at Newman College, Perth, he began publishing poetry and stories after moving to Brisbane to attend Griffith University. From 1977 Spillman began an association with Griffith University academic Ross Fitzgerald, researching Fitzgerald’s book From the Dreaming to 1915: A History of Queensland. The pair later collaborated in compiling a landmark collection of literary writing on Australian football, The Greatest Game, as well as Fathers in Writing. Spillman's first major solo publication was concerning the history of Subiaco, Western Australia (Identity Prized) —and he returned for a follow-up history some 20 years later. Tied in with writing and research of the Subiaco book, he also conducted interviews which are now part of the Battye Library oral history collection. After a successful full-length fiction debut in 1999 with the highly acclaimed novel Blue, Spillman wrote children's books with comedian Jon Doust. One of these, Magpie Mischief was shortlisted for a Wilderness Society Environment Award. Subsequently, Spillman's 2007 novel for teenagers, Love is a UFO won the Western Australian Premier's Book Awards. Spillman's international success can be traced to the launch of the 'Jake series' of books for early readers, which began with Jake's Gigantic List in 2009. A celebration of books and reading, Jake's Gigantic List is dedicated to the Children's Book Council of Australia, to which Spillman has donated royalties. The six books in the 'Jake series' have appeared in many nations and languages, and the series is especially popular in India. In 2011, Spillman launched another series for young readers titled The Absolutely True Fantasies of Daydreamer Dev. The third book in this series, Daydreamer Dev Crosses the Sahara, was released in 2012.