Melina Marchetta’s writing career took off in 1992 when she published her first novel: Looking For Alibrandi. She later turned the story into a film script. The movie Looking for Alibrandi screened in theatres around Australia and the world from 2000.

Melina has a Bachelor of Education degree, managing to combine writing with teaching, releasing two further novels, Saving Francesca and On the Jellicoe Road. She now writes fulltime.

Her first fantasy novel, Finnikin of the Rock, was published in 2008, won the Aurealis Award for Best Young Adult Novel and was shortlisted for the 2009 CBCA Award for Older Readers. Froi of the Exiles and Quintana of Charyn complete The Lumatere Chronicles.

The Piper’s Son (a companion novel to Saving Francesca) was released in 2010, and has been long-listed for the Miles Franklin Award and shortlisted for the New South Wales Premier’s Literary Awards.

Recently Melina has expanded her repertoire to produce a crime/mystery novel (Tell the Truth, Shame the Devil), a novel for adults (The Place on Dalhousie), novels for children (The Grogon in the Gully) and a series for 5-7 year olds (What Lola did on Monday).

Melina is keen to share her expertise with Aurora College. Students and staff are asked to submit their questions for Melina, so she can prepare her content to best meet our needs as readers and writers.