Adrian Hyland

Adrian Hyland

After studying languages and literature at Melbourne University, Adrian Hyland moved to Central Australia where he lived for ten years working in community development in remote Aboriginal communities. This experience gave him an understanding of the complexity, richness, joy and hardships of contemporary Australian aboriginal life, an understanding which he has drawn on to write his first novel, Diamond Dove in which his heroine, Emily Tempest, a feisty twenty-nine year old Aboriginal woman "with a fast mouth and a strong right hook," investigates the untimely death of an Aboriginal elder. Diamond Dove was published in Australia by Text in August 2006 to rave reviews, and won the 2007 Ned Kelly Award for Best First Crime Novel. The novel has now been released internationally, and has received glowing reviews in newspapers ranging from the New York Times to the Guardian.

Listen to Adrian's Podcast here

Adrian's answers to the YPRL 5 quick questions

1. Can you tell us why you became an author?

Have loved language in all its glorious manifestations – stories, poems, puns, novels, songs – all my life. After years of dithering, I finally decided to do something about it.

2. What is your all time favorite book? How would you describe it to other readers?

Oi yoi yoi – where do I begin? I enjoy things from all over the spectrum – from Coleridge to Chandler, and the Hill brothers, Reginald and Geoffrey. Currently reading a lot of Paul Celan and Simone Weil. If it has to be one book, let’s go for To Kill a Mockingbird – mainly because it was the first adult book I read.

3.Where or from whom have you been inspired or given ideas?

My first and greatest inspiration has come from other writers – from Homer to Shakespeare, from Yeats to Murakami. Outside of books, the most inspiring moments have come from the Aboriginal people I’ve tried to honour in my work.

4. What is something fun from your childhood that you can remember about yourself?

Falling into a cement mixer – full of wet cement - because I wanted to see what was going on in there. It’s been all downhill since then.

5. What advice would you give to new writers?

Chuck out the television.

Read everything you can lay your eyes on (sounds pretty obvious, but I’m amazed by the number of young writers I meet who’ve written more than they’ve read).

Try to write a good sentence and the plot will look after itself.

Edit ferociously.