Bio

Christine Bongers grew up with six brothers on a farm outside Biloela, Central Queensland during the 1960s and 70s.

She attended Jambin State School and Biloela State High, then moved to Brisbane to attend University (and more than three decades later is still there).

After a couple of misguided attempts at a psychology degree, Christine found her bearings in journalism, became besotted with radio, tripped and fell into television, segued into public relations and ended up writing for a living for most of her adult life.

Christine has worked as a broadcast journalist on the ABC, and in commercial television and radio, in Brisbane and London. She has also written and directed two environmental television documentaries, and run her own media consultancy.

Christine turned to writing fiction in the mid-2000s and in 2008 completed a Master of Arts (Research) at QUT in writing for young people.

Her debut novel Dust, published by Random House Australia in 2009, was judged a Notable Book for Older Readers in the CBCA Book of the Year Awards and was Highly Commended in the Prime Minister’s Literary Awards for Children’s Fiction.

Her second novel Henry Hoey Hobson, was shortlisted for the CBCA Book of the Year for Younger Readers, the WA Premier’s Book Awards and the Queensland Premier’s Literary Awards.  

Her latest novel for teens, Intruder, won the Davitt Award for Best Debut Crime Book, and was shortlisted for the CBCA Book of the Year for Older Readers.

Drongoes, her illustrated chapter book for newly independent readers,was published by Scholastic.

Christine is currently working on a middle grade novel, How to Destroy Earth (Part One).

Christine shares her life with husband Andrew, children, Connor, Brydie, Clancy and Jake, and their dog, Huggy, the Derek Zoolander of Beagles (really, really, really good looking, but not very bright).

For more obscure autobiographical trivia, please click the following link: Twenty things you don’t need to know about Christine Bongers.