Max Davine

An author best known for the darkness, pervasive bleakness, and sad, often shockingly violent overtones of his work, delivered with powerful, evocative prose that makes it all feel unnervingly real, Davine often veils messages of hope and touching, even romantic themes in grim-dark, semi-fantasy tales set amid actual historical events, such as the life of circus elephant Mary in Mighty Mary or the attempted conquest of "Vinland" - modern-day Newfoundland - by Freydis Eiriksdottir in Spirits of the Ice Forest. His works are well-researched, often including glimpses of minute details for no reason but to evoke the time in which the story takes place. As notable exceptions, Max Davine has dabbled in lighter-themed stories such as Off the Map and Dino-Hunt. Aimed at younger readers, these novels show a more playful side.

Davine was born in a suburb of Frankston, near Melbourne, Australia, in 1989, and took up writing as a child. Eventually, this led to screenwriting, which occupied his later high school years and saw him travel to Los Angeles just days after graduating. Working as an actor, he studied at Melbourne Actor's Lab after returning to Australia, and published his first novel in 2012.

An intense presence, his unblinking stare, candor, and formidable if eccentric bearing always make for an engaging - if unpredictable - interview.