Gary Lonesborough
Gary Lonesborough, an acclaimed Yuin writer, was born in 1995 in Bega, situated on the Far South Coast of New South Wales. A member of a large Aboriginal family, his diverse career spans various sectors: Aboriginal health, child protection, the disability sector, youth justice, and the film industry, where he worked on the adaptation of Jasper Jones.
In 2021, Lonesborough’s debut Young Adult novel, »The Boy from the Mish«, was published. The novel was later released in the U.S as »Ready When You Are« in 2022. This book navigates the complexity of identity, community, and love through its dialogue-rich prose and colloquial phrases. The author and journalist Benjamin Law stated, »How I wish I had this big-hearted book when I was a teenager. . It would’ve changed my life. Let it change yours.«
The novel garnered a multitude of recognitions, including the 2022 Booktopia FAB Award for Favourite Debut Book & the 2022 IBBY Australia Ena Noël Award. His second Young Adult novel, »We Didn’t Think It Through«, was published in 2023.
Other notable achievements include winning the Bega Valley Young Citizen of the Year in 2014 and the Women’s Auxiliary Scholarship by the Bega Royal Society of Literature sub-branch in 2013. Also, his win of the Patrick White Young Indigenous Writers Award in 2012 attests to his prowess as a writer.
His debut novel, »The Boy from the Mish«, and his soon-to-be-published second novel, signal a significant evolution in his literary journey, making him a critical voice in contemporary Young Adult literature.
The author lives in New South Wales.
The Boy from the Mish
A & U Children
New South Wales, 2021
Ready When You Are
Scholastic
New York, 2022
We Didn’t Think It Through
A & U Children
New South Wales, 2023
