Famed Australian author who grew up in rough conditions in Sydney and begun writing during the second world war while stationed in North Africa. In his career he has written over 60 books, many of which have gone on to become movies, most notably "The Sundowners" and "High Road to China". In addition to this he worked extensivley in Hollywood during the 1960s and 70s. In 1972 he was awarded the Edgar Allen Poe award for "Peter's Pence". More recently he has focused on the Scobie Malone series of books, which tell the tales of a detective working in Sydney.