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Jack Heath
Author
Jack Heath is the bestselling author of more than twenty action-packed books. He wrote his first novel in high school, and it was published while he was still a teenager. Since then his work has been translated into several languages, shortlisted for many awards and optioned for film and television. His enthusiastic presentations have helped thousands of kids get hooked on reading.
Where were you born?
I was born in Sydney, but I’ve lived in Canberra since I was nine. This may be why so many of my characters turn out to be government spies.
What other jobs have you had?
My previous professions include fry cook, music teacher, web developer, street magician, tech support agent, debt collector, and rock star. None of these jobs is as much fun as writing.
What themes are recurring in your work?
An interviewer once asked about the theme of “breaking glass” in my novels. I’d never thought of it as a “theme” before – it’s just something that happens a lot because characters keep getting thrown through windows!
What have been the highlights of your career?
I love being able to meet the writers who I admired growing up. Chatting with Matthew Reilly, Bret Easton Ellis, Isobelle Carmody, Jeff Lindsay and John Marsden were definite career highlights.
Where have your works been published?
My books are published in Australia, the USA, Canada, and New Zealand. From late 2011 they are also available in England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales.
What are you passionate about?
I love everything about books – reading them, writing them, and talking about them. I also love making music, dancing, and watching magic tricks (but not in combination).
Haven’t I seen you before?
You might have! I run a pretty popular YouTube channel, and I’m on TV from time to time. It turns out that game shows are a lot of fun, but only if you’re bad at the games.
Anything else you’d like to share with us?
Thanks for the opportunity! You can find teachers notes for LIARS: The Truth App here. But more fun: I can never remember my shoe size when I go bowling, I speak tourist Russian, and I changed my ringtone to a coughing sound so I don’t have to turn my phone off when I go to the movies.
Testimonials
All went super smoothly with Jack. He was so entertaining. We thought he struck the perfect balance between engaging the students with humour, and conveying a few really helpful writing tips. We’d always heard Jack was a terrific presenter, and he certainly lived up to his reputation.
Jack wasn’t afraid to make a fool of himself in front of the kids and was able to back up four sessions in a row with high energy. The teachers really loved some of his writing tips too, especially when he spoke about editing your writing. Students enjoyed the mini workshop element Jack brought to the second half of his talk. It was interactive and used zoom chat function so all were involved.
The entire week was an excellent introduction to our unit and the students were definitely excited and inspired by [Jack’s] work. They’re currently busily working on their own narratives and bursting with ideas. Particular thanks for braving the elements on Friday for what was probably our coldest ever Mystery Tour – it was such a treat for the students to be able to go on an excursion at all this year, and [Jack’s] presence was an important part of its success.
We very much enjoyed our author visit with Jack Heath on Monday. He is an absolutely hilarious presenter and shared lots of his writing tips and tricks with the children. Many students left the sessions inspired to write and read Jack’s books, and giggling away at Jack’s stories and creativity.
When he came to Arawang he taught us lots of strategies for writing. One was to be bored! He said it was important because being bored allows our brains to fill the blank space with something like a story. Another thing Jack told us to do was to just write.
I really liked Jack coming. I hadn’t read his books when he came but now I really want to. He was a great speaker and he taught us how to write stories better in a fun and interactive way. In the future, I will definitely be using his tips to write more. I hope Jack comes back next year so that more kids can learn from him.
Jack’s talks and workshop made a huge impact on us as writers. So many students have dug out pieces of writing that had been put aside, ready to breathe new life into them, using Jack’s sound advice. Within 24 hours of his visit, there was not a single Jack Heath library book to be found on the shelves or on the library display table – all had been borrowed! He was polite and funny and inspired students with his advice to take time to sit and think – to build in “thinking time”. As a parting gift, Jack was kind enough to donate an autographed copy of his latest book LIARS: The Truth App to our library. We thank Jack for engaging with the students’ insightful questions and for taking the time to have stimulating discussions with staff throughout the day.