Philip McLaren facts for kids
Philip McLaren (born in 1943) is an amazing Aboriginal Australian author. He writes exciting stories like detective mysteries and thrillers. He also writes serious books about life.
About Philip McLaren
Philip McLaren is an Aboriginal Australian man. He is part of the Kamilaroi people. His parents, who also have some Scottish family, came from Coonabarabran, New South Wales. Philip was born in Redfern, a part of Sydney.
He has a special university degree called a Doctor of Creative Arts. This means he studied writing and art at a very high level.
Philip has had many interesting jobs. He has been an illustrator, a designer, and even an animator. He also worked as a sculptor. He wrote advertisements and directed creative projects for TV and movies. For 12 years, he lived and worked in places like Canada, the USA, England, New Zealand, and the Bahamas.
He has shared his stories and ideas all over the world. He gave talks at universities like the University of Alberta and the University of Sydney. He also spoke at big events like the Melbourne Writers Festival and the Sydney Writers' Festival. He was even invited to speak at a festival in Berlin, Germany!
In 2012, Philip helped create the First Nations Australia Writers Network (FNAWN). This group helps support Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander writers.
He has also worked as a teacher at Southern Cross University. As of 2009, he lived near Byron Bay in New South Wales.
What Kind of Books Does He Write?
Philip McLaren is well known for his literary fiction. These are books that explore deep ideas and characters. He also writes thrilling detective stories and exciting thrillers.
Besides novels, he has written non-fiction books. These are books based on facts. He has also written about social issues. Some of his stories have even been made into screenplays for movies. Four of his novels have been translated into other languages. This means people in many different countries can read his books!
Awards and Recognition
Philip McLaren has won some special awards for his writing:
- His book Sweet Water – Stolen Land won the 1992 David Unaipon Award. This award celebrates great writing by Australian Indigenous authors.
- His book Murder in Utopia won the 2010 Récit de l'Ailleurs prize. This award means "story from elsewhere." Students at a high school in a French territory called Saint Pierre and Miquelon voted for his book! It was also considered for the Ned Kelly Awards, which are for crime writing.
His Books
Here are some of the books Philip McLaren has written:
- Sweet Water – Stolen Land (University of Queensland Press, 1993) – This is a historical fiction book. It tells a story set in the past.
- Scream Black Murder (HarperCollins, 1995) – This is a crime fiction book. It's a mystery about a crime.
- Lightning Mine (HarperCollins, 1999) – This is a thriller. It's an exciting story with lots of suspense.
- There’ll be New Dreams (Magabala Books, 2001) – Another historical fiction book.
- Murder in Utopia
- West of Eden
