Michael Robotham

Male

Sydney

Australia

Profile Information:

Hometown:
Sydney
About Me:
According to the publicity posters I’m a former journalist and ghostwriter turned novelist and thriller writer.

My books are published in 23 languages including Korean, Indonesian, Hebrew and Estonian (don't ask me if the translations are any good.)

I am also world Uno champion. (I use the term ‘world’ as a similar vein to baseball’s ‘world series’ which features no teams from outside of America. My Uno title featured no players from outside my immediate family. I beat my then six-year-old daughter in a grueling final.) Since then I have refused a rematch and become the reclusive Bobby Fisher of Uno.

I can most often be found working in his 'pit of despair' (basement office) on Sydney’s northern beaches where I fund the extravagant lifestyles of a wife and three daughters.
I Am A:
Writer
Website:
http://michaelrobotham.com
Books And Authors I Like:
James Lee Burke,
George Pelecanos,
Michael Connelly,
Don Winslow,
Andrew Taylor,
Peter Hoeg,
Charles Willieford,
John Harvey,
Ian Rankin,
Salman Rushdie,
F. Scott Fitzgerald,
John Irving,
Joseph Heller,
Gabriel Garcia Marquez,
Richard Ford,
John Banville
Movies And TV Shows I Like:
The West Wing,
Boston Legal,
The Sopranos,
Cracker,
Insomnia,
Phone Box,
The Inside Man

Comment Wall:

  • Daniel Hatadi

    Welcome aboard, Michael. Great to see a fellow Sydneysider round these parts. And a Ned Kelly winner to boot!

    Apr 25, 2007

  • Michael Robotham

    Always great to find a new crime writing/reading site. Thanks for the invite. And ti's nice to see some other familiar faces among the members.

    Apr 25, 2007

  • Karen from AustCrime

    Hey Michael - always nice to see another local in the pub.

    Apr 25, 2007

  • Michael Robotham

    More Aussies! Is it Australia Day or Anzac Day? I hope you'll be similarly patriotic on May 3, when my new book is out, THE NIGHT FERRY. You know what they say about buying Australian!!!

    Apr 25, 2007

  • Damien Gay

    G'day Michael, it's great to see you here. With 30 pages of The Night Ferry to go, I'm already preparing my rave reviews - outstanding stuff.

    Oh, and congrats on the UNO title, definitely a notch in your belt. My kids regularly whip my arse at Skip-Bo.

    Apr 25, 2007

  • Michael Robotham

    Thanks Damien,
    I must admit to getting rather nervous and also excited. I'm really interested to see what people think of THE NIGHT FERRY. I'm going do a lot of promotion in Australia and go to the US in July. Fingers crossed.

    Apr 25, 2007

  • norby

    You beat your own six-year-old to become the Uno world champion? Man that's cold. I think you may have just unseated Sandra as the forum's force of evil with that one.

    Apr 26, 2007

  • Dee Savoy

    Despite what Norby says, I say, show no mercy. Then again, I used to teach kindergarten. Good luck with the Night Ferry

    Apr 26, 2007

  • Karen from AustCrime

    Ah you have no worries on that front Michael - I have a permanently booked seat outside the local Dymocks for early morning new release acquisitions :)

    Apr 26, 2007

  • Michael Robotham

    Thanks Emily.
    They're still working out a US schedule - which has been thrown into slight disarray by changing the pub date from June 10 to July 10. It does, however, mean that I'm in New York for Thrillerfest, which should be fun. Hope to see you in my travels.

    Apr 26, 2007

  • Damien Gay

    Cheers Michael. No worries at all about the review, I enjoyed the book immensely. With any luck I'll be able to make it to one of your Sydney appearances - perhaps at the Sydney Writer's Festival?

    May 7, 2007

  • Jon Jordan

    Michael,

    The Night Ferry is a great book. I read it in two sittings. I loved the Amsterdam part especially.
    Everyone needs to read this book.

    May 13, 2007

  • Michael Robotham

    Jon,
    Thanks for kind words about NIGHT FERRY. I love Amsterdam and enjoyed writing those sections. I was also really fortunate to have a great guide, Joep de Groot, who was also John Irving's go-to man when he was researching 'Widow for One Year' and 'When I Find Him.' I know fiction writers shouldn't admit us much, but the Hokke character in the book is shamlessly based on Joep, with no attempt made to hide the fact. His wife thinks I captured him perfectly, which is flattering.
    Love Crimespree. Keep up the great work.
    Michael

    May 13, 2007

  • Kerrie

    Hello Michael
    My face to face group in Adelaide is participating in a Big Book Club launch of THE NIGHT FERRY in Adelaide. We got our copies yesterday and are busily reading for a launch in the Adelaide Advertiser on Sat June 2. THE NIGHT FERRY is the Big Book Club's choice for June. Hope we do it justice. http://www.thebigbookclub.com.au/index.php

    May 22, 2007

  • Michael Robotham

    Brilliant. I love Adelaide. I was there for the writer's festival last year and can't wait to get back.
    Hope you enjoy THE NIGHT FERRY. And I want you to make yourself known when I'm there.
    Best
    Michael

    May 22, 2007

  • Kerrie

    Are you coming to the Writers Festival next year Michael? A group of us from oz_mystery_readers will be at this year's Melbourne WF - did I see that you are going to be there?

    May 23, 2007

  • Michael Robotham

    Hi Kerrie,
    Not next year. I was there for the last one. Best festival I've ever attended. Unfortunately, I was told that you only get invited back once every ten years. What a bummer!

    FYI, just got my dates for the SA leg of my publicity tour - 27 June- 29 June. I'm visiting Edithburgh, Unley, Modbury, Tusmore, Woodville and the Belgian Beer Cafe in the city. The full details are going to be posted on the big book club website. Hope to see you.
    Michael

    May 23, 2007

  • Michael Robotham

    And to answer your question about the MWF. I'll definitely be in Melbourne, accompanied by my very beautiful other half, who loves Melbourne for more than the arts. (I should probably cut up her credit cards).
    M

    May 23, 2007

  • Kerrie

    Hello Michael

    I have just been sent a Big Book Club bookmark that says you are in SA Sun 24-Tues 26 June. Nothing on their website yet. http://www.thebigbookclub.com.au/page.php?sId=33&aId=67
    About 1/2 way through THE NIGHT FERRY and enjoying it greatly.

    May 25, 2007

  • Kerrie

    Hello again Michael.
    Just letting you know that I have finished reading THE NIGHT FERRY and have posted a mini-review in my blog. The same mini-review is up at http://www.librarything.com/profile_reviews.php?view=smik Most enjoyable and thought provoking. Well done.

    May 26, 2007

  • Michael Robotham

    Hi Kerrie,
    Really pleased you liked THE NIGHT FERRY. Great review. Thanks so much. Spread the word.
    Best
    Michael

    May 26, 2007

  • Joy Calderwood

    After what Kerrie says in her full-length review, I hope to fit your books into my schedule too. Besides, anyone who loves "Insomnia" (the Al Pacino version?) can't be all bad. ;-)

    May 27, 2007

  • Michael Robotham

    Hi Joy,

    THE NIGHT FERRY is out in the US on July 10. Hope you get a chance to read it. There's some really interesting moral issues at the heart of the story, which tend to generate quite a bit of heated discussion.
    Best
    M

    May 27, 2007

  • Kerrie

    Your SA leg dates appear to be 24-26 June Michael, not 27-29 which you said you were advised. You might want to double check :-)

    May 28, 2007

  • Kerrie

    We are aiming to be there in force Michael -need to get our books signed if nothing else :-)

    May 28, 2007

  • Michael Robotham

    The more the merrier. And what a location!!! A Belgian Beer Cafe. That's my sort of place.
    M

    May 28, 2007

  • Leann Sweeney

    Hey Michael. We're all over the various cyber "spaces" aren't we? I have now totally hooked my entire writing group on your books. Even authors can be groupies, right? In fact we met tonight and the latest person I shared Suspect with was also blown away by your work. And I know you went right out and bought my latest, Shoot From the Lip. :-) Just kidding. Can't wait for Night Ferry's release. No matter how many books I have out, I will always be a reader first. Keep writing, mate!
    Leann

    Jun 6, 2007

  • Leann Sweeney

    I'm guessing you'll be at the best indie bookstore on the planet, Murder By the Book. It's not far, about 30 miles. Friendswood, btw, is named for the Quaker Church in the center of town. When will you be in town? If it's not October, I'll be there ... October's when the first grandbaby arrives in Seattle. :-)

    Jun 6, 2007

  • Kerrie

    Well done on the CWA IAN FLEMING STEEL DAGGER nomination for THE NIGHT FERRY Michael

    Jun 6, 2007

  • Barbara Fister

    I loved The Night Ferry, too. Ali has a wonderful voice.

    Jun 8, 2007

  • Kerrie

    Good to see you in Adelaide this week Michael. Thanks for signing my book. Enjoy your travel in the US. Catch you again in Melbourne.

    Jul 1, 2007

  • bruceforester

    returned from Sydney where I wa researching my nwt mystery in a series I am doing . My wife and I loved driving and driving and every once in a blue moon meeting someone who without fail was great to be with..not at all like here in the USA. Sad but true.Good Luck

    Jul 23, 2007

  • Iain Rowan

    Hi Michael. Just finished LOST, which I enjoyed a lot, especially all the hidden London/urban exploration touches. I read a novel earlier in the year (THE GREAT STINK by Clare Clark) which was set in and around the original construction of the sewer system that parts of LOST use so well.

    Am now looking forward to going backwards for THE SUSPECT, and forwards for the NIGHT FERRY.

    Aug 13, 2007

  • Kerrie

    Hello Michael. It was good to catch up this week at Melbourne Writers Festival. Our photo is over on my page. Kerrie

    Aug 31, 2007

  • Karyn J. Powers

    Uno, not just for breakfast any more. Played three weeks of it while hubby recovered from heart surgery in 2000. Only game to make my social worker-brother curse me and mean it.

    Sep 7, 2007

  • Elaine Flinn

    We forgot to say goodbye and ThrillerFest! :) See you next year, right?

    Nov 25, 2007

  • JJ Cooper

    Hi Michael,

    Thanks for the add. Good luck for the NK award.

    JJ

    Jul 31, 2008

  • JJ Cooper

    Congrats on the win. Well deserved.

    JJ

    Aug 31, 2008

  • Linda Brown

    Hi, Michale. When are you coming back to L.A.? We miss you at The Mystery Bookstore! Linda

    Sep 25, 2008

  • Linda Brown

    We'd love to have you any time you can make it. But if your book is due out in March, talk to your publishers about the LA Times Festival of Books the 4th weekend in April. About 150,000 people traipse thru the fest during the weekend, and our booth is the largest mystery presence...

    Sep 26, 2008

  • Sara J. Henry

    I'm just back from Bouchercon in Baltimore - where I was temporarily and accidentally famous (they thought I was someone else - http://twitter.com/sarahw/statuses/958070119). All good, busy rewriting and getting ready for winter.

    Oct 15, 2008

  • Dorte

    Thanks for adding me as a friend :)

    I came across "The Suspect" (Danish translation) at my local library in December, read it, enjoyed it and reviewed it on my crime fiction blog. So of course you should only blog if you like it, but since my first go at it 6 weeks ago I have realized I enjoy it ever so much - even though it takes an awful lot of time I could have spent on work, family, reading books, trying to write books etc :)

    Jan 15, 2009

  • Dorte

    Hi Michael.
    I wish I were a very influential reviewer! Based on my impression of your first book, I really think your books deserve being translated into Danish. I looked for Danish reviews via Google and I could see there were not many. Perhaps because Danes look towards Britain & Scandinavia for inspiration?
    What I can do, I shall do, however. I posted a Danish review + a short English abstract on my first blog (a December experiment) but one of these days I´ll copy it onto my new blog which is read by more crime fiction fans :)
    And thank you for your encouragement. Sometimes I really need a kick in a certain part of my anatomy to keep up my writing ;) Blogging gives you much more immediate feedback.

    Jan 15, 2009

  • Stephanie Padilla, Editor-NewMysteryReader.com

    Going to go against the grain here and bring up a writer on your list of favorites....I'm inspired to read Gabriel Garcia Marquez. Can't believe I haven't yet! And definately, am looking foward to your latest as well..

    Stephanie

    Feb 25, 2009