Shirley Patton left an academic career as a social work lecturer, and a published researcher in family violence, to write full time after receiving an ArtsTas mentorship grant to complete her bestselling debut novel, The Secrets We Keep, 2018 (Harper Collins). She has a Masters of Creative Writing and five literary short stories published. Her recent YA historical/legend novel is with her agent and she is writing her second adult novel for Harper Collins, based in 1860s Tasmania. Prior to social work, Patton worked as a television newsreader and chat show host.
Shirley is presenting two sessions at the Hobart Writers Festival:
- Mythical & Magical … Writing Extraordinary Fictional Worlds, with Rosie Dub and Heather Rose.
- Writing for Young Adults with Danielle Binks and Lian Tanner.
Author supplied bio.