Christian White Bio

Australian author and screenwriter Christian White was born and raised on the Mornington Peninsula. His debut novel, The Nowhere Child, won the Victorian Premier’s Literary Award as an unpublished manuscript and became Australia’s fastest selling debut novel.

Before achieving success, Christian worked an eclectic range of day jobs, taking over a decade to break through and write full time. His varied life experiences and career path have shaped his storytelling.

Today, Christian lives in Melbourne with his wife, filmmaker Summer DeRoche, and their adopted greyhound, Issy. He spends his days writing full time and has authored and co-authored several audio-exclusive thrillers with his wife. Christian’s passion for true crime podcasts, Stephen King, and Bigfoot fuels his creative work.

Early years on the Mornington Peninsula 

After attending Mornington Peninsula Secondary College, White held a range of interesting day jobs -including selling sandwiches as a golf course food cart driver, apple picker, landscape gardener, t-shirt printer, bartender, waiter, working for Coca-Cola support, and notably, as a video editor for an adult film company. This eclectic range of jobs supplemented him through starting his writing career.

As told to The Age, he had a clear path in mind – become an author by 25. If he hadn’t made it by then, his plan was to find a backup career.

Christian was 37 when he first got published. He stopped writing to be a writer, and started writing just to write. From here, he got freelance screenwriting work, got his first manuscript out, and then everything flowed from there.

Books, audiobooks and on screen

Christian White is an acclaimed Australian author and screenwriter known for writing psychological thrillers and drama. His debut novel, The Nowhere Child, was published in 2018 through Affirm Press and has been sold to more than 20 territories. 

The Nowhere Child is noted for its combustible tale of trauma and conspiracy, and Christian wrote it with a style often compared to Gillian Flynn and Stephen King. White is often described as a master of the plot twist, with his writing characterised by suspense and psychological depth. His stories frequently explore themes of trauma and memory, inviting readers to discover hidden truths and psychological complexity.

Christian White has written for both television and feature films, focusing on thriller and horror genres. He has co-created and produced several projects, and has directed and produced works for the screen. Christian wrote and co-wrote several notable projects, including co-wrote Relic (2020), a psychological horror film that premiered at the Sundance Film Festival and SXSW, receiving multiple nominations. He also co-wrote the psychological thriller feature Apartment 7A, starring Julia Garner and Dianne Wiest.

His books include The Nowhere Child (2018, Affirm Press), The Wife and the Widow – a mystery/thriller told from two perspectives involving a widow and an island local – and Wild Place, which explores the disappearance of a local teen and the dark secrets of suburbia. Each publication has received significant press and media coverage, further establishing his reputation.

Christian White’s work, whether in novels or on screen, consistently delivers gripping stories that keep audiences engaged, as they discover the layers of trauma, memory, and suspense woven throughout his narratives.

Novels

The Nowhere Child (2018)

The Wife and the Widow (2019)

Wild Place (2021)

The Ledge (2024)

The Long Night (2025)

Audible Original Audiobooks

Second Skin (2020)

Still House (2021) – co-authored with Summer DeRoche

The Call (2023)  – co-authored with Summer DeRoche

Unfollowed (2025) – co-authored with Summer DeRoche

On Screen

Relic (feature film)

Clickbait (Netflix)

Apartment 7A (Paramount)

Deadloch (Amazon)

The Survivors (Netflix/TAP)

Christian White also co-created the television series Carnivores, which is in development with Matchbox Pictures and Heyday TV.

Awards and accolades 

Across both novels and screen, Christian White has received several awards and accolades, including winning the Victorian Premier’s Literary Award for Best Unpublished Manuscript for his debut novel, The Nowhere Child.

The Nowhere Child

• Wheeler Centre Victorian Premier’s Literary Award – Best Unpublished Manuscript – winner

• Australian Book Industry Awards – General Fiction Book of the Year – shortlist

• Australian Book Industry Awards – Matt Richell Award for New Writer of the year – shortlist

• Indie Book Awards – Debut Fiction Book of the Year – shortlist

The Ledge 

• QBD Book of the Year

• Australian Book Industry Awards – General Fiction Book of the Year – shortlist

Relic

• Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts (AACTA) – Best Film nomination

• Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts (AACTA) – Best Screenplay nomination

• Indiewire Critics Poll – Best Feature Film nomination

• Critics Super Award – Best Horror Film nomination

Clickbait 

• Most watched streaming show on Netflix globally – September 2021

• Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts (AACTA) – Best Drama Series nomination

One Year Later (Pilot Script) 

• Australian Writers Guild Think Inside the Box Competition – winner

Creswick

• Australian Writers Guild (AWGIE) – Best Short Form Screenplay – winner 

White’s short films, Coma, screened at Tropfest, while Small screened at the opening night of Palm Springs.