Just over 20 years ago, the first 117 pages of a crime novel by a former journalist and ghostwriter sparked a bidding war in the international publishing world. As Michael Robotham describes it, “Three o’clock in the morning and we were in bed on the northern beaches and the phone was ringing saying there are five American publishers bidding and four German publishers bidding, and three French publishers bidding. And the Dutch have offered this and this.
It was pinch me territory!” Two decades, two crime series and five stand-alone crime thrillers later, Robotham’s books have garnered a swag of gongs, including two Ned Kellys and three British Crime Writers Awards. There’s also been numerous screen adaptations with more to come. Right now, the celebrated crime writer is as excited as ever about the publication of his latest book, Storm Child, the fourth in a series featuring forensic psychologist Cyrus Haven and Evie Cormac.
Ghost-writer turned crime author Michael Robotham Credit: Tony Mott In an endearing videoclip on his Facebook page, Robotham unboxes the US and British hardback editions, as well as the Australian paperback. Each, he points out, has their own “stunning jacket”, while happily inhaling their new book smell. “This is my favourite part of the whole writing process,” he tells us.
And what a process it has been. Robotham recalls his first writers festival gig in Melbourne in 2004, perched on a panel as the complete unknown between such luminar.
