Matthew Condon
Matthew Condon OAM (born 1962) is a prize-winning Australian writer and journalist.
Matthew Condon | |
---|---|
Born | Matthew Steven Condon 1962 (age 57–58) |
Nationality | Australian |
Notable awards | OAM |
Biography
Educated at the University of Queensland and the Goethe Institute, Bremen, Germany,[1] he is the author of ten novels and short story collections, including The Lulu Magnet, A Night at the Pink Poodle, The Motorcycle Cafe, and The Pillow Fight. The Trout Opera,[2] an epic novel that took him more than ten years to write, examines the Australian character through its chief protagonist Wilfred Lampe, a rabbiter and farm hand who spends his entire life in the township of Dalgety, on the banks of the Snowy River. The Sydney Daily Telegraph described the novel as "an instant classic".
In 2013, Condon published Three Crooked Kings, the first part of a biography of former Queensland Police Commissioner Terry Lewis who was charged in 1989 and later jailed on multiple corruption charges. The book was based on Condon's extensive interviews with Lewis and others as well as archival material.[3] The biography is continued in Jacks and Jokers (2014) and All Fall Down (2015).[4]
Condon, who now writes for The Courier-Mail and is the father of two children, is based in Brisbane, Australia.
He was awarded the Medal of the Order of Australia in the 2019 Australia Day Honours for "service to the community".[5]
Bibliography
Novels
- The Motorcycle Cafe, 1988
- Usher, 1991
- The Ancient Guild of Tycoons, 1994
- A Night at the Pink Poodle, 1995
- The Pillow Fight, 1998
- Lime Bar, 2001
- The Trout Opera, 2007
- Mulligan: On Being a Hack Golfer, 2007
Short fiction
- "Tattoo" (1996) in Original Sin (ed. Robyn Sheahan)
Short story collections
- The Lulu Magnet, 1996
Non-Fiction
- Brisbane, 2010, written about the city Brisbane, where Matthew grew up.
- Three Crooked Kings, 2013
- Jacks and Jokers, 2014
- All Fall Down, 2015
- The Night Dragon, 2019
Children's Fiction
- The Tunnel, 1997
Edited
- Smashed: Australian Drinking Stories, 1996
Awards and nominations
- New South Wales Premier's Literary Awards, Fiction, 1989: shortlisted for The Motorcycle Cafe
- NBC Banjo Awards, NBC Banjo Award for Fiction, 1992: shortlisted for Usher
- NBC Banjo Awards, NBC Banjo Award for Fiction, 1995: shortlisted for The Ancient Guild of Tycoons
- Aurealis Award for best fantasy short story, 1996: shortlisted for "Tattoo"
- Warana Writers' Awards, Steele Rudd Award, 1996: winner for A Night at the Pink Poodle
- Steele Rudd Award, 1997: joint winner for The Lulu Magnet
- New South Wales Premier's Literary Awards, Christina Stead Prize for Fiction, 2008: shortlisted for The Trout Opera
- Queensland Premier's Literary Awards, Best Fiction Book, 2008: shortlisted for The Trout Opera
- Australia-Asia Literary Award, 2008: longlisted[6]
- Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM) 26 January 2019
- Queensland Literary Awards, Queensland Premier's Award for a work of State Significance, 2019: shortlisted for The Night Dragon[7]
References
- "AustLit Agent". Archived from the original on 23 July 2008. Retrieved 23 July 2008.
- "Random House Australia - Book Details - THE TROUT OPERA". Archived from the original on 31 August 2007. Retrieved 23 July 2008.
- Archived 24 September 2015 at the Wayback Machine Review by Sybil Nolan in the Sydney Morning Herald.
- Condon, Matthew. "Book extract: All Fall Down". Archived from the original on 25 September 2015. Retrieved 25 September 2015.
- "Matthew Steven Condon". honours.pmc.gov.au. Retrieved 25 October 2019.
- Australia-Asia Literary Award 2008 Archived 20 November 2008 at the Wayback Machine
- "Queensland Literary Awards 2019 shortlists announced". Books+Publishing. 1 October 2019. Retrieved 1 October 2019.