Hello! I am alive! I’ve been embarrassingly awful at updating myself here, so let’s just move on from that and start to list awesome things!
- I have new author profile photos! I was going to write a whole thing on this process but then I didn’t. I did make a YouTube video about it though, which you can view here. Also here’s one of the photos:
2. I spoke on a number of panels at Byron Bay Writers Festival. It was a dream come true, truly. It’s such an odd feeling to respect other authors from afar for so long, and then have actual conversations with them. I met Tom Keneally, I had a honest-to-goodness conversation with Michelle De Kretser (who is super-wonderful), and so many more. I was on a panel with Mellisa Lucashenko, Stephen Carrol, Tim Rogers, Selina Tusitala Marsh, Tristan Bancks, not to mention the fantastic people I was on tour with. I’m still struggling to comprehend that this is a thing I did. But here are some photos.
3. (and this is the biggest one)
I HAVE A NEW BOOK COMING OUT NEXT YEAR!
Buried the lede hey (thanks Lia!) I’m so excited about this one. The wonderful folk at Allen & Unwin will be publishing Snake Island in the new year. It’s a fair shift from To Become a Whale – there’s blood and drugs and revenge and black comedy. Family. Big themes. Modern day western. It’s pretty much the exact type of book I love love love reading, so I’m so chuffed I’ve written it!
I’d tell you all to keep checking back for more information, but I’m not sure I trust myself. Either way you’ll hear from me soon.
Hey comment or something! Would love to start chats! The best bit about going on the road trip and Byron Bay was meeting people, and hearing their stories. Tell me yours!
Ben
ben hobson 
Snake Island! I like the sound of that! 👌
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Thank you! Hope you like the book, too!
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Byron Bay had such a good line up, glad to hear you had a good time!
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Totally hear ya on how hard it is to remember to blog frequently, mate! Congrats on the new book – exciting times ahead! 😎👍
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Thanks bud!
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Well if ya have written another book, not surprised you haven’t been blogging! Congrats on the new book.
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Congratulations on your new book. I’m looking forward to reading it.
And just for the record… I’m a big fan of infrequent blog posts! Preaching to the converted here 😆
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Thanks Marie! I’m looking forward to hearing your thoughts on it! And yeh – have another one brewing, but who knows when I’ll write it!
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Ben, I read the Courier Mail article on your book “To Become a Whale”. The interesting thing is that my father worked there and my mother passed away at that time. I remember walking on the flensing deck and looking down into the boiler – no guards, etc. in those days. Cheers.
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Thanks for making contact Karl! I’m sorry about your Mum, and that’s incredible about your dad. I actually had a whole chapter in there about the boiler and how it worked but had to cut it in the end as it didn’t further the story. Such an intriguing place!
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Thanks Ben. It again brings to the fore that we all have a story to tell (perhaps a book). In my case, looking back, I found I had raised myself, learning from mistakes and setting my own course.
Anyway, that’s another story. Cheers.
Karl.
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Sounds like a very interesting story…
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Oh, so it’s nothing to do with the real Snake Island in South Gippsland, Victoria?
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For the sake of libel, no, but also certainly yes. 😉
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Oh wow!
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