Garry Disher Bio

Australian author and writer Garry Disher, born on August 15, 1949, in South Australia, is renowned for his growing international reputation and his incredibly influential role in the crime fiction community. Disher is celebrated for writing across multiple genres, including crime fiction and children’s literature, and his work has inspired many within the literary world.

Growing up on a wheat and wool farm in the mid-north of South Australia, near the Flinders Ranges, Disher drew inspiration from this landscape for many of his crime fiction novels, which often reflect his experiences and observations from rural life. Surrounded by books and storytelling from an early age, thanks to his father’s imaginative bedtime tales, Disher developed a passion for reading and writing that would shape his prolific career.

After completing postgraduate studies at Melbourne and Adelaide universities, Disher began his writing career and transitioned to full-time authorship in 1988, establishing himself as a prominent literary voice in Australia. He also worked as a teacher and conducted writing workshops, sharing his expertise with aspiring writers. Despite early financial challenges and concerns about money, support from friends and professional networks helped him persevere.

Disher has published over 60 titles across multiple genres, including children’s literature. His three main book series- the Wyatt thrillers (featuring a master thief with his own strict code), the Peninsula Crimes (following detectives Hal Challis and Ellen Destry), and the Hirsch series (centering on police constable Paul Hirschhausen in rural South Australia) – have cemented his status as a master of crime fiction. His novels have gained international acclaim, particularly in Germany and the United States, contributing to his growing international reputation.

While Disher prefers a quieter, more personal approach, the importance of media and text publishing has played a crucial role in bringing his work to a wider audience and enhancing his recognition. He is a bestselling novelist, well respected amongst other writers, as well as readers.

Early writing life

Garry Disher has been writing for over 40 years and, like many authors, he needed to make a living on the side of writing. He did a bit of everything to bring in an income – book reviewing, taxi driving, teaching. He taught a TAFE creative writing course part-time for ten years, which not only provided a steady income but also helped him develop good work habits. Recognition and opportunities didn’t happen overnight; they happen gradually as a result of perseverance and dedication. After 10 years, he had the confidence that he could make it – he had a few books out, a supportive partner, and the knowledge that he was living in the real world and had to treat his writing as if he were running a small business, always mindful of the need for money and financial stability.

Disher also helped create the Professional Writing and Editing Diploma at TAFE, using what he had learnt in the Stanford course as a base for what was taught.

Writing process and inspiration 

Garry Disher is a collector of newspaper clippings which he often uses for inspiration for his novels. He often sits on these clippings for several years before they are ready to make an appearance in a book. Likewise, he can make notes and points for several years before they make it to a book. 

Writing his first draft by hand, on the back of old manuscript pages, Disher makes asterisks and notes for himself. While he spends his morning writing, the afternoons are spent typing those stories up, and starting the editing process. 

Awards and accolades

Garry Disher has received significant recognition from Australian awards, including being a three time winner of the Ned Kelly Award for Best Novel and recipient of the Ned Kelly Lifetime Achievement Award in 2018. He has earned three Australian awards for his crime fiction, and his best selling crime novels have achieved international acclaim. Disher is also a four-time winner of the German Crime Fiction Award for best crime novel of the year and has been longlisted twice for the British CWA Dagger award. His children’s novel The Bamboo Flute won the 1993 CBCA Book of the Year, and The Divine Wind earned the 1999 NSW Premier’s Ethel Turner Prize. Multiple works, including Peace and Consolation, have been shortlisted for the Colin Roderick Award.

2025 – Ned Kelly Award, Best Crime Novel – Shortlisted – Sanctuary

2025 – British CWA Silver Dagger Awards – Shortlisted – Sanctuary

2024 – Dublin Literary Award – Nomination – Days End

2022 – Booksellers’ Choice, Adult Fiction Book of the Year – Shortlisted – The Way It Is Now

2021 – Ned Kelly Award, Crime Fiction – Winner – Consolation

2019 – Ned Kelly Award, Best Crime Novel – Shortlisted – Kill Shot

2019 – Dublin Literary Award – Nomination – Her

2018 – Ned Kelly Award, Best Crime Novel – Shortlisted – Under the Cold Bright Lights

2017 – Dublin Literary Awards – Nomination – The Heat

2017 – British CWA Dagger Award, Ian Fleming Steel Dagger Award – Longlisted – The Heat

2016 – Ned Kelly Award, Best Fiction – Shortlisted – The Heat

2016 – Australia Book Industry Awards, General Fiction Book of the Year – Longlisted – The Heat

2014 – Ned Kelly Award, Best Crime Novel – Shortlisted – Bitter Wash Road

2010 – Ned Kelly Award, Crime Fiction – Winner – Wyatt

2007 – Ned Kelly Award for Crime Fiction – Winner – Chain of Evidence

1996 – National Book Council Award – Shortlisted – The Sunken Road

1996 – Booker Prize – Nomination – The Sunken Road