Michael has written and published many works of adolescent and adult fiction, textbooks, plays and short stories. He was a classroom teacher for over 25 years and has taught writing to all age groups.

His student writing workshops are extremely popular and very productive. He has conducted workshops across Victoria and interstate. Also, he has assisted many schools with the development of their own writing cultures. As the writing program co-ordinator at Footscray City Secondary College he managed the production of student anthologies, winning the FAW national prize for student writing in 1993, 1995 and 1997.

He lectures in writing at Victoria University, in the Sports Admin and Professional Writing degree courses. He taught scriptwriting at Footscray’s Film and Television course and was twice a Literary Judge of the Victorian Premier’s Literary Awards.

Michael’s PD sessions are stimulating, focussed, practical and soundly based. His own experience of writing, of students and the needs of teachers combine to create enjoyable and productive inservices.

What he can offer:

• Writing workshops—Years 6 to 12
• VCE writing workshops
• PD sessions on teaching writing
• Talks on writing and books
• Writer-in-Residence
• PD sessions on whole school writing
• Boys and Writing
• Sports Writing

Publications

Fiction

• Finals Chance (Change the Game Series) Hardie Grant/Egmont. 2006.
• Arch Rivals (Change the Game Series) Hardie Grant/Egmont. 2006.
• Mud and Rain (Change the Game Series) Hardie Grant/Egmont. 2006.
• Rough Play (Change the Game Series) Hardie Grant/Egmont. 2006.
• Champions Cup (Change the Game Series) Hardie Grant/Egmont. 2006.
• Surfing Goliath (Lothian Hachette). June 2006. Reprinted September 2006
• Hey Joe (YA Novel) Vulgar Press. 2003 (CBC Notable Book. 2004.)
• Hunger. Editor/Contributor: Aust. Assoc of Teachers of English. 2003 (CBC Notable Book. 2004)
• The Footy Coach From Hell (Awesome) Longman. 2003
• Tyger Tyger (YA Novel) Vulgar Press. 2001 (ACYL Vic State Library Notable Book 2004)
• MAX (YA Novel) Vulgar Press. 2000 (Reprinted 2001)
• How I lost my girlfriend (and got her back again). (Awesome) Longman. 2002
• Seal saves the Island. (Trend) Longman. 2001
• The Boogie Board Kid. (Trend) Longman. 2000
• How I got a Girlfriend (Trend) Longman. 1999.
• The Girl Who Married a Fly. Editor/Contributor: Aust. Assoc of Teachers of English. 1997. (CBC Notable Book. 1998) (Reprinted: 2000 & 2003)
• Eagle (Novel -Young Readers) Pascoe Publishing. 1988
• Working with Tommy, On the Dole & Will ya Shutup about Spiritmen. Jacaranda /Wiley 1980.

Educational Texts

• Literacy and Studies of Australia. Website. Learning Federation. 2003-4
• English Mosaic. Macmillans 2004
• Curriculum at Work: Multimedia Sports Inc. Min of Education. Vic. 2001
• Women in Australian History and Society. Website. DEET. 2001
• Asia at a Glance—CD Rom. Curriculum Corp/ Asialink. 1999-2000
• Asia at a Glance—Teachers’ Book. Curriculum Corp/ Asialink. 2000-2001
• Englishworks: Years 7 10 National English series. Series Editor. Cambridge University Press, Melbourne. 1991 97.
• Englishworks: Writer: Year 9 Book. Cambridge University Press, Melb. 1996.
• Diary of my Secret Life a guide to the craft of writing. Cambridge University Press, Melb.1990.
• Writing in English: PD program for English Teachers. West Ed Centre. 1989.

Biography

• Ossie Rules (with Richard Osborne), Victoria University. 1998.

Short Stories

• ‘Mother Rabbit’. Hunger, Aust. Assoc of Teachers of English, 2004
• ‘Dark Mass’. The Girl Who Married a Fly. Aust. Assoc of Teachers of English, 2000
• 'Sam Fruitcake visits the newsroom': Challenge. Ministry of Education, 1995
• Same Difference (Short Story Collection) Asia Ed / Curric. Corp, 1995
• 'Letters from Vietnam': Explore. Ministry of Education, 1994
• ‘Waiting’ - going down swinging, 1990
• ‘The State’ – Overland. 1989
• ‘The Limbo Dark’ Australian Short Stories, 1987
• ‘Lies = Truth’ Crazy Hearts (Hodja Press), 1983

Articles

• 'The Writing of Hey Joe'. Viewpoint. (Melb University). 2003
• Building a Writing Culture. Viewpoint, 1995
• 'Ten Suspicions'. (on the research and development of the 'Writing in English’ PD program): Teachers' Journal, 1990
• 'The Observer Is the Essence of the Situation'. Teachers’ Journal, 1990

Plays for Schools

• ‘Wadda Ya doin' here anyway’, ‘Sometimes they drive me crazy’ & ‘Flash of Light’. Audience Total: 100,000.

Student Anthologies:

1998—: Victoria University

• Write out of Left Field (WOOLF) Sports Writing Anthologies

1991—97: Footscray City Secondary College

• Book of Elements; Waves; Ride the White Swan; A Thousand Thousand Campfires; Haruspex; Troll anthologies of student writing. Editor
• Typhon: Children of the Earth—anthology of student writing. Editor 1997. Winner of Mavis Thorpe Clark, Fellowship of Australian Writers Award.
• Troll anthology of student writing. Editor. 1995. Runner up of Mavis Thorpe Clark, Fellowship of Australian Writers Award.
• Boatswain anthology of student writing. Editor. 1995. Winner of Mavis Thorpe Clark, Fellowship of Australian Writers Award.
• On the Edge anthology of student writing, Editor. 1993
Winner of the Judah Waten, Fellowship of Australian Writers Award.

1988: Brunswick Tech. School

• Meat in the Sandwich.

Writers’ Festivals

• Allwrite Festival (SA) 2007—Speaker and workshop presenter.
• Melbourne 2002-2006—Speaker and workshop presenter.
• Whitsunday Voices 2006—Speaker and workshop presenter.
• Somerset Festival 2005—Speaker and workshop presenter.

Literary Judge

• 1991 Premier's Literary Awards. Alan Marshall Prize.
• 1992 Premier's Literary Awards. Alan Marshall Prize.
• 2001 FAW Community Writing Award.

Due for Publication 2006

• All along the Watchtower. (Memoir) Vulgar Press.

Due for Publication 2007

• Two titles in 'Extreme Sports Series' Lothian/Hachette
• Journey to the MCG. (Working Title) Hardie Grant Egmont.

He invites you to contact any schools he has worked with over the last few years.

For bookings contact:
‘Booked Out’
PH: (03) 9824 0177
FAX: (03) 9824 0677
Email: bookings@bookedout.com.au