Biography
Bruce Russell grew up in the Illawarra region of Sydney and began writing short stories in his early thirties. Self-taught, he eventually found success with stories like “The Fall of Icarus”, (runner up in the Canberra Times national short story competition for 1976); and “Dire Straits Rules” which was chosen for Frank Moorhouse’s Bicentennial anthology Fictions 88.
In 1990, chasing a proper job, Bruce moved to Perth. Following the success of his first novel, Jacob’s Air, which won the TAG Hungerford Award in 1995, he has published two more novels in the adult literary fiction genre: The Chelsea Manifesto (1999) and Channelling Henry (2003). Both Jacob and Henry were short-listed for the WA Premier’s Literary Awards.
All of his book-length fictions are still in print and can be ordered from any good bookshop in Australia. Alternatively, they can be purchased from the publisher online at www.fremantlepress.com.au/books/770
At the end of the 1990s, Bruce moved with his family to New York, where his wife Robyn undertook masters level studies in Drama Therapy.
Since returning to Australia in 2000, Bruce has gradually shifted the focus of his working life to mentoring, ghost writing and university teaching. In 2007 he completed his PhD in Creative Writing, supervised by Amanda Lohrey and Ffion Murphy. The novel component of the degree, “The Museum of the Self”, is currently in revision for publication.
Bruce collaborated with Sheryl McCorrey on Diamonds and Dust, Sheryl’s best-selling memoir of life in the Kimberley. He has recently ghost written a memoir about expatriate life in Hong Kong in the 1960s and is currently working on a story of hope and survival, working title ´Road Kill´.
Bruce is one of Western Australia’s most experienced writing teachers and mentors. He currently offers one-on-one mentoring sessions from his home in East Fremantle and is a sessional lecturer at Notre Dame university. He is a regular presenter at the Albany Summer School and has appeared as an invited guest at most writer’s festivals around Australia.
In 1990, chasing a proper job, Bruce moved to Perth. Following the success of his first novel, Jacob’s Air, which won the TAG Hungerford Award in 1995, he has published two more novels in the adult literary fiction genre: The Chelsea Manifesto (1999) and Channelling Henry (2003). Both Jacob and Henry were short-listed for the WA Premier’s Literary Awards.
All of his book-length fictions are still in print and can be ordered from any good bookshop in Australia. Alternatively, they can be purchased from the publisher online at www.fremantlepress.com.au/books/770
At the end of the 1990s, Bruce moved with his family to New York, where his wife Robyn undertook masters level studies in Drama Therapy.
Since returning to Australia in 2000, Bruce has gradually shifted the focus of his working life to mentoring, ghost writing and university teaching. In 2007 he completed his PhD in Creative Writing, supervised by Amanda Lohrey and Ffion Murphy. The novel component of the degree, “The Museum of the Self”, is currently in revision for publication.
Bruce collaborated with Sheryl McCorrey on Diamonds and Dust, Sheryl’s best-selling memoir of life in the Kimberley. He has recently ghost written a memoir about expatriate life in Hong Kong in the 1960s and is currently working on a story of hope and survival, working title ´Road Kill´.
Bruce is one of Western Australia’s most experienced writing teachers and mentors. He currently offers one-on-one mentoring sessions from his home in East Fremantle and is a sessional lecturer at Notre Dame university. He is a regular presenter at the Albany Summer School and has appeared as an invited guest at most writer’s festivals around Australia.