Melina Marchetta

Melina Marchetta's writing career took off in 1992 when she published her first novel,Looking For Alibrandi. She later turned the story into a film script. The movie Looking for Alibrandi screened in theatres around Australia and the world from 2000. Melina managed to combine writing with teaching English and History in secondary school for ten years up to 2006, when she committed to writing full-time. During that period, she released two novels, Saving Francesca and On the Jellicoe Road. Her first fantasy novel, Finnikin of the Rock, was published in 2008. The Piper's Son(a companion novel to Saving Francesca) was released in 2010. She has written a children's book, The Gorgon in the Gully, as part of the Puffin Pocket Money series. Her novels have been published in 17 languages in at least 18 countries. Melina lives in Sydney where she writes full time.